Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Kgalagadi was created in 2000 by joining Botswana's Gemsbok National Park with South Africa's Kalahari Gemsbok, making a single conservation area of around thirty-eight thousand square kilometres with no fence between them. The two dry riverbeds, the Nossob and the Auob, run through red dune country, and animals concentrate along them at the boreholes. The park is known for black-maned Kalahari lions, cheetah on the open dunes and a long list of raptors. The Botswana side is far less developed than the South African.

History

South Africa's Kalahari Gemsbok National Park was established on 31 July 1931, mainly to protect migrating game such as the gemsbok from poaching, and in 1948 the Bechuanaland Protectorate and South Africa agreed informally to protect the neighbouring lands together. A joint management committee followed in June 1992, the two countries signed an agreement on 7 April 1999 to run their adjoining parks as one ecological unit with no fence between them, and on 12 May 2000 the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park was formally opened as southern Africa's first peace park (Wikipedia, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park).

What you'll find

• The dry riverbeds - the Nossob and Auob, where animals concentrate at boreholes.
• The black-maned lions - the Kalahari lion, the park's best-known animal.
• The red dunes - long parallel dunes running across the whole park.
• The raptors - eagles, falcons and vultures in unusual density along the riverbeds.

When to go

March to May and September to October give the most comfortable temperatures. Midsummer from December to February regularly exceeds forty degrees. Winter nights from June to August drop below freezing.

Before you go

The Botswana side has almost no facilities and requires full self-sufficiency including water and fuel for the whole stay. Campsites book out many months ahead. Crossing between the two countries inside the park requires the correct documentation and entry point.

Nearby

Mabuasehube is the park's eastern section, and Tsabong is southeast.

Key facts