Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park Highlights

Etosha National Park is ranked as one of the largest and finest game reserves in Africa. The 20 000km² Park is an enormous region of game-rich savannah and saltpan which was 'discovered' by Sir Francis Galton and Charles Andersson in 1851. Also known as the "Great White Place" and significant to it is the Etosha Pan, almost 5 in size and the largest saltpan in Africa; the area that makes a safari in Etosha unique.

The best time to visit the park is for a safari is May to September - the cooler months in Namibia.

Surrounding the pans is a variety of grass and woodlands amongst which live a wonderful variety of animals and birds, insects and reptiles. There are a number of springs and waterholes in the park that provide excellent game viewing and photographic opportunities.

In history, the Etosha Pan has never been filled with water, however in years of good rainfall, several tributaries of the Kunene River, such as the Oshigambo and the Ekuma in northwest and the Omuramba Ovambo in the east, drain into it, causing partial flooding and attracting thousands of flamingos and other wading birds. The water, however, can be as much as two times saltier than sea water and is therefore generally no suitable for animal consumption.

Game Viewing in the Etosha National Park

Etosha National Park is Namibia's prime wildlife destination and wildlife activities provide good game viewing year round. Guests can visit a number of springs and pans in search of lion, leopard, elephant, giraffe, red hartebeest, the endemic black-faced impala and black rhino, as well as plains game such as wildebeest, zebra and springbok.

The elephants in Etosha National Park are the largest in Africa; the tallest measure up to 4 meters. During the rainy season from December to January, many elephants migrate north to Angola and west to Kaokoland and only return again beginning in March. Large populations of Zebra, Wildebeest, Springbok and Gemsbok migrate into Etosha westward from the Namutoni area around October-November.

The bird life is prolific in Etosha National Park, with over 325 species recorded, particularly on the Etosha Pan during the rainy summer season from mid-January to March; however, a large range of birdlife may be seen in the park year-round. Kites, Pelicans, Greater and Lesser Flamingos, and Marabou Storks migrate seasonally.

Etosha National Park Seasons and Climate

The salt pan is usually dry, but fills with water briefly in the summer (December to January), when it attracts pelicans and flamingos in particular. Perennial springs attract a variety of animals and birds throughout the year, including the endangered black rhino and the endemic Black-faced impala.

In the winter dry season (June to October), winds blowing across the salt pan pick up saline dust and carry it across the country and out over the southern Atlantic. This salt enrichment provides minerals to the soil downwind of the pan on which some wildlife depends, though the salinity also creates challenges to farming.