Central Kalahari

Central Kalahari game reserve is a huge area of open plains, saltpans and ancient valleys in the more visited north. The southern area of the park is more wooded with a number of San bushman settlements in a region that they have roamed for thousands of years.

Fossil river systems bear witness to the existence of major rivers flowing east to a major delta. Best known of the fossilised rivers is Deception Valley which extends for 80 kilometres of grassland and islands of umbrella acacia. Tree roots tunnel deep down to the water table to provide much needed shelter from the sun.

For most of the year, the Central Kalahari shows off its golden aridity but blossoms into a green landscape when the rains arrive and bullfrogs seize their moment. The fascination of scorched plains is replaced by herds of oryx, springbok and red hartebeest and their predators.

Good populations of wildlife include brown hyena, cheetah, wild dog, leopard, lion, ostrich, giraffe, blue wildebeest and eland. Snakes and scorpions also thrive in the desert.