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 Perhaps better
suited to the true explorer or second time
visitor to Botswana, this 52,000km2 reserve
with its wide open
skies and some unique wildlife, is situated
in the centre of the country, is
characterised by large plains and grass
covered dunes and relics of ancient river
beds. It is the second largest game reserve
in the world – larger then Switzerland or
Denmark.
It is not a true
desert in that the rainfall fluctuates
tremendously – anywhere from 100 to 700mm
annually. The reserve was originally set
aside as a place where the bushmen or San
people could still carry out their
hunter/gather type existence. However in
recent times they have largely stayed in
semi permanent settlements in the southern
part of the reserve.
In the late
nineties and early 2000, the government
tried to get them to relocate to proper
settlements outside of the reserve but this
was ruled as unconstitutional and they were
allowed back in late 2006.
The
northern part of the reserve was made famous
by Mark and Delia Owens who spent many
years
researching brown hyena, Their book, The Cry
of the Kalahari focused on the impact of
various vetinary fences but also made the
name Deception Valley one of those places
that the true explorer dreamed of.
Game viewing in
the reserve can be stunning depending on the
last rains and the time of year when
visiting. Huge herds of springbok, oryx and
wildebeest are reasonably common as well as
most of the big cats and even wild dog.
However it is the smaller mammals that make
the central Kalahari unique, cape fox, brown
hyena, meerkats and bat eared fox to name a
few.
Temperatures are probably more extreme here
then any other part of the country ranging
from minus 10C in early winter mornings and
going up to well in to the late 40’s at mi
day in summer.
At the time of
writing there are no camps or lodges in the
reserve, however some areas be built in late
2007/8. This means the only way of visiting
this awe inspiring place is by doing an
overland camping safari.
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