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| Central Kalahari, Botswana
Welcome to the heart of Botswana - the Central Kalahari – a place with a unique wilderness atmosphere, wide open spaces and intense solitude. The Central Kalahari was once the hunting ground for explorers searching for undiscovered wealth and many people have died trying to cross this dry interior – you may even see the rusty trail of broken wagons. Set aside for the Bushmen people to carry on their traditional way of life the Central Kalahari today is one of the largest protected areas in Africa.
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| Variety in the Desert
The Central Kalahari does not have the red dunes found in the southern parts of the Kalahari, instead the rolling dunes are well vegetated with grass and scrub. The valleys between the dunes spring to life during the rainy season and herds of animals gather to feed off the new grass. All the animal and plant species of the Central Kalahari have adapted to surviving on a limited water supply.
Read more about exciting Central Kalahari Botswana Safari Packages |
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Animals such as the gemsbok, or oryx, have adapted to the lack of water in the Kalahari by developing physiological mechanism of controlling water loss. Other species such as the springbok have found their own methods of survival. It is surprising to see species such as giraffe and wildebeest in the Central Kalahari but they too survive.
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| Predators and prey of the Central Kalahari
Predators abound in the Central Kalahari with Lions, Leopards, Jackals and Cheetahs commonly encountered. With the lack of surface water the predators get their liquid requirements from the prey they hunt. The home ranges of predators varies through the seasons – during the rainy season prey is concentrated in the valleys making it easier to hunt but during the dry winter months the prey disperses, making the predators range over wider areas.
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The Central Kalahari Game Reserve was established to provide a home for the Bushmen to continue their traditional way of life, although today the reserve is known more for its wilderness and prospective mining. Most of the Bushmen have today been settled in villages on the outskirts of the reserve.
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| Botswana Safari Journals: Central Kalahari
‘The full moon is up and the Kalahari is bathed in moonlight. It is quiet except for owls and various insects. Then the call of a jackal carries across the wilderness. No matter how many times one has heard the call it never fails to inspire. Known as the Cry of the Kalahari this is the characteristic sound of the Kalahari’. |
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