Etosha National Park is one of Africa’s greatest parks in both size and variety of wildlife species. It covers an incredible 22,207 sq kms (8598 sq miles) and is home to 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and, surprisingly, one species of fish.

ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

Etosha National Park is one of Africa’s greatest parks in both size and variety of wildlife species. It covers an incredible 22,207 sq kms (8598 sq miles) and is home to 114 mammal species, 340 bird species, 110 reptile species, 16 amphibian species and, surprisingly, one species of fish.

The park is mainly mixed scrub, mopane savannah and dry woodland surrounding the massive mineral pan, from which Etosha gets its name – “Great White Place”. This pan is a silvery white shallow depression, dry except during the rainy season and even then the water disappears quickly due to the high evaporation rate. Mirages and dust devils play across the surface, which was once a part of the Kalahari Basin, the floor of which was formed around 1000 million years ago. Along the edge of the pan are springs that attract wildlife during the dry season, the best months are from May to September.

Etosha National Park Namibia Etosha Safari Tour

Etosha is famous for its huge elephant population, which is most visible from May to October. When the rains begin some elephant herds migrate north to Angola and west to Kaokoland, returning in about March. The Park is actually fenced though this does not always stop the elephants from going where they please.

Lions are commonly seen and zebra feel safer in the open expanses of the pans where lions have no shelter from which to spring an ambush. Black faced impala and Damara dikdik, one of Africa’s smallest antelopes, occur throughout the park, as do rhino and leopard. More commonly seen species include greater kudu, hyena, Oryx, giraffe, blue wildebeest, springbok, jackal, warthog and bat eared foxes. Special to see are the aardwolf, cheetah, honey badger, roan antelope, silver fox and African wildcat.

For keen birders Etosha is at its best during the summer rainy season, from mid-January to March, however a good variety of bird species can be seen year round.

Roads run along the eastern, southern and western borders of the Etosha Pan. They link the three campsites and the various waterholes.
Etosha National Park Namibia Etosha Safari Tour