The Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR) is the largest of all of Botswana’s game reserves and national parks. Its main attraction is the area around Deception Valley, located in the northeastern sector of the park. It is an incredibly beautiful area, with wonderful wildlife.
During and just after the rainy season – generally February through to May - the valley floor teems with life and is covered in a carpet of grass and wildflowers. This is generally considered the best time of year to go to the CKGR, as huge herds of springbok and gemsbok congregate to eat the fresh green grass. Herds of up to 2,000 springbok are not uncommon at this time of the year. You are also likely to see large numbers of ostrich, hartebeest and wildebeest. With such an abundance of prey, there is a good chance of spotting some of the predators of the area.
The black backed jackal is the most abundant predator in the central Kalahari. Generally considered scavengers, these versatile predators are the major predator of springbok in the Kalahari as they regularly take the young antelope. Cheetahs are relatively common in the Deception Valley area, although they are known to be fairly shy. Brown hyena are probably the most attractive member of the hyena family. Being exceptionally well adapted to the arid desert life of the Kalahari, these nocturnal predators can occasionally be seen wandering the valley floor in the early morning or late afternoon.
If you are lucky you might spot some of the lions of the Kalahari. These lions are particularly impressive. The males are some of the largest lions in Botswana, often with huge black manes that almost scrape along the ground. As the lions in the Kalahari range over vast areas and pride numbers are generally small, there is very little competition over kills. Consequently the Kalahari lions generally have unscarred faces and both males and females are particularly beautiful. Lions in the Kalahari however, should not be considered a guaranteed sighting. Rather, if one is lucky enough to see them, they should be seen as a wonderful bonus to an otherwise spectacular area. The birding in this area is fantastic, with birds of prey being particularly plentiful.
More info on Makgadikgadi Pans and Nxai Pans National Park
See map of this area
