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Africa's
first formally declared trans-border conservation area, the Kgalagadi
Transfrontier Park, on the border of South Africa and Botswana, was officially
launched on May 12, 2000 by South African President Thabo Mbeki and Botswana
President Festus Mogae. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is located in Kgalagadi
District approximately 865km south-west of Gaborone.
The
combined land area of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is +/- 38,000 kmē of
which 28,400 kmē lies in Botswana and 9,600 kmē lies in South Africa
Transfrontier parks, border parks or transboundary conservation areas are
protected areas that straddle international boundaries. The Kgalagadi
Transfrontier Park is such a protected area in the southern Kalahari Desert. The
southern Kalahari represents an increasingly rare phenomenon: a large ecosystem
relatively free from human interference. The absence of man-made barriers
(except to the west and south of the Park) has provided a conservation area
large enough to maintain examples of two ecological processes that were once
widespread in the savannahs and grasslands of Africa. The large scale migratory
movements of wild ungulates; and predation by large mammalian carnivores! These
processes are impossible to maintain except in the largest of areas, and their
presence in the Kalahari makes the system of special value to conservation.
In
addition to this, the Kalahari has a particular aesthetic appeal. The harsh,
semi-arid environment has placed adaptive demands on both fauna and flora that
are of considerable scientific interest. Few other conservation areas have
attracted so many research projects. This research has revealed a widely
fluctuating environment, driven by rainfall events, which vary widely in time
and space, and produces a system that is difficult to predict and understand
without long-term study.
The
significance of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is that it is the first
formally declared Transfrontier Park in Africa and it will hopefully serve as a
model for conservation in the 21st Century. The Government of Botswana is keen
to make the Transfrontier Park a success. The Peace Parks Foundation has played
an important role in the development of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and
provides assistance for the creation of other transboundary conservation areas
in the region.
What to Do
The Kalagadi Transfrontier Park is renowned for predator
watching and for the seasonal movement of large herbivores such as Gemsbok,
Springbok, Blue Wildebeest, Eland and Red Hartebeest, In the early hours of the
morning and late in the afternoon, game gathers along waterholes in the
riverbeds, most of which are fed by wind pumps and the chances of seeing the
Kalahari Black Maned Lion as well as Cheetah, Leopard, Brown and Spotted Hyena,
Wild Dog, and Black-Backed Jackal are excellent. There is a wide variety of bird
species for the enthusiast and a variety of raptors may be seen. The cooler
winter months from April to September are more suitable for a visit to the
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park than are the very hot summer months, when
temperatures might rise above the 40° C mark.
Where to stay
Two Rivers Camping Ground, which is situated near the entrance gate, has three
presently undeveloped campsites
Rooiputs Camping Ground - This ground is 25km up the Nossob River Valley from
the entrance gate, has six individual campsites. There are no facilities
available at Rooiputs at present.
Poletscua Camping Ground lies in the northern section of the Nossob River Valley
and has three undeveloped campsites.
Mabuasehube Area: This is situated in the extreme east of the Gemsbok National
Park. There are a number of individual campsites overlooking pans, some of which
have small waterholes. Some of the campsites have picnic tables.
Mabuasehube Pan - four campsites with pit latrines, and small waterhole
Mpaathuthva Pan - two campsites with pit latrines, and small waterhole
Khiding Pan - two campsites with pit latrines
Lesholoago Pan - one campsite with pit latrine and one campsite without, and
small waterhole.
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