Central Kalahari Game Reserve

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is larger than Denmark and at approximately 52,800 sq kilometers, is the largest game reserve in Botswana and is the second largest game reserve in the world. The Central Kalahari Game Reserve was set up in 1961 and is situated in the central part of Botswana. This area is one of the largest protected areas in Africa and is an arid vista of open plains, saltpans and ancient riverbeds. Varying from sand dunes with many species of trees and shrubs in the north, to flat bushveld in the central area, the reserve is more heavily wooded in the south, with mophane forests to the south and east.

History of Central Kalahari Game Reserve

The Central Kalahari Game Reserve - CKGR was originally created as a refuge for the San Bushmen (Basarwa) - the inhabitants of the Kalahari for the past 30,000 years. The lifestyle of the Basarwa has been of nomadic hunting and gathering, however has had to change with the more modern age. Most of the Basarwa have live in settlements, mostly within the Southern half of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, however the Botswana Government is trying to persuade the people to move to areas outside of the reserve in order to be provided with modern facilities e.g. schools, clinics etc.

General

Mark and Delia Owens, who spent many years in the Deception Valley area of the park undertaking research mainly on brown hyena. They set up their camp in the northern section of Deception in a prime "tree island", however tree islands are no longer used for camping in these days of more environmental awareness. The Owens' book, "Cry of the Kalahari" brought the attention of readers to this previously little-visited area and even today many people refer to the Central Kalahari simply as Deception. The name "Deception" comes from a pan the dry surface of which sometimes appears convincingly full of water until one gets right to the edge.

Travel Access

There are three entry points to the reserve, through Khutse in the south, a western entrance through Xade and in the northeast through Matswere.

The best entrance into the northern part of the Park is through Matswere. Access to Matswere can be made via Rakops. Rakops can be accessed from either the north from Maun or from the south from Mahalapye.

Access to Xade to the central part of the Park, is made by turning off east from the Ghanzi-Kang road about 36 kilometres south of Ghanzi where indicated by signpost. Xade is reached after following a sandy track for 160 kilometres, taking about three hours for the full journey from Ghanzi.

Seasons and Best times to travel

The annual rainfall is sporadic and can vary from between 170 – 700 mm per year. The summer rainfall is between November and April. The dry season is during the winter months, which is between May and October. From August, the temperatures start rising making it very hot, dry and dusty. October is the hottest month. There is little water and limited animals during this time.

The main wildlife concentration is in the northern part of the reserve. The best time to view game including giraffe, brown hyena, warthog, wild dog, cheetah, lion, leopard, blue wildebeest, eland, gemsbok, kudu, red hartebeest and springbok, is between December and April. The animals tend to congregate in the pans and valleys. The three most famous pans are Pipers Pans, Sundays Pan and Deception Valley Pan.

Wildlife

After the summer rains arrive in the northern section of Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the vast plains become one of the prime game-viewing areas in Botswana. Magnificent cloud formations are seen during the summer rains. The vast plains become alive with sweet grasses and beautiful flowers. Together with the land coming to life, thousands of gemsbok, springbok and wildebeest, together with smaller numbers of lion, cheetah and jackal can be spotted. This gathering of animals is a sight to behold and can be compared with the Serengeti/Masai Mara migrations of Tanzania and Kenya. Visitors to the park get a chance to view predators like the lion, cheetah, leopard, spotted hyena, brown hyena, wild dog, aardwolf, caracal, black-backed jackal, honey badger, African wild cat, black-footed and striped polecat, common genet, bat-eared and Cape fox, meerkat and banded, yellow and slender mongoose. Other animals include springbok, hartebeest, gemsbok, wildebeest, duiker, springhare, porcupines and Brants's whistling rat.

Central Kalahari Game Reserve is a birder's paradise and the communal nests of the sociable weaver can be up to 6 m long and 2 m high. As many as 300 birds may be accommodated in such a 1000 kg nest. Other bird species includes raptors, secretary bird, martial eagle, giant eagle owl, falcons, goshawks, kestrels and kites. Thriving on eggs and smaller birds and rodents are reptiles such as the Cape cobra, boomslang, puff adder and rock monitors. Smaller reptiles include geckos, lizards and skinks. Scorpions and insects abound.