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Lion and Eland Nossob Valley Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park-

Top 10 facts about Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

The dry cracking air, the beautiful fiery yellow and red skies sunset as well as the extreme cold temperatures during the night, is what comprise the weather in the Kalahari. Amid these extremes, lies a haven, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. This haven is a paradise to be visited and ticked off the bucket list.

One might wonder what makes the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park so fascinating. Here are the 10 facts about the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.

1. The Kgalagadi is an impressive and captivating park

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park spans an extensive 3.6 million hectares, making it one of the largest conservation and reserve areas in the world. The land sits between two countries, South Africa and Botswana while bordering Namibia. 

Just like the weather which can be extremely hot in the dry weather and cold during winter, the park metamorphoses is a spectacle to behold during the short-lived rainy season. The cracked river bed seems barren during the dry season, and transforms into an Eden of activities from the shrubbery white grass turns to a lush green.

2. The Transfrontier park is every Bird Watchers’ dream

A hawk searching for food. Photo by Antonius Smal-

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park offers a wide species of birds. More than 250 species of birds have been observed and recorded. They range from the biggest bird, the ostrich to the heaviest flying bird, the Kori bustard. 

Other birds that can be spotted are the pygmy falcon, swallowtail bee-eater, the ever-chanting goshawk, and many others. Among the shy and ever eluding owls that can be found in the park are the tiny Scops owl, as well as the pearl spotted owlet.

3. The Barking gecko’s gees (spirit)

Common Backing Gecko. Photo by Bernard Dupont-

The local believe that the geckos of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park carries the spirit of the park and can be heard barking most during the summer. Like most arid regions,  the park supports a wide array of lizards including the fat-bellied Karasberg skink, and the blue-chinned ground agama.

The barking geckos call during the summer at the mouths of their burrows for mates or to defend their territories.

4. Transfrontier Park’s primary 5 Cats 

Pregnancy Cheetah resting in the hot sun. Photo by Derek Keats-

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park boasts of an abundance of carnivores. One would find lions sleeping under the trees as the rest from the hot midday sun, while a keen eye would spot an elusive Leopard camouflaged up in the branches.

It’s considered amongst the best places to catch a cheetah hunting, the Auob riverbed offers the carnivores an endless supply of meat.  During night time under the calls and roars of lions,  one can be lucky to spot the ancestor of the domesticated cat, the African wild cat on the prowl.

In addition, the Caracal and the black-footed cat can be spotted at the waterhole in the wilderness camps of Urikaruus and Grootkolk.

5. Kgalagadi rich and sustainable ecosystem

Springbok in the Kgalagadi park. picture by Jaro Nemcok

To feed the predators, the park has an abundance of wildlife that roam freely in search of shrubs and grass. Amongst the desert-adapted herbivores are the blue wildebeest, the springbok, giraffes, the eland,  the red Hartebeest, and the gemsbok.

A few scavengers to clean up the park are needed and one would spot a sustainable number of black-backed jackals, a few endangered African wild dogs, the bat-eared fox,s and a pack of hyenas.

6. The rare nocturnal mammal parade

The campground and meerkats are the rodents that you are likely to spot daily. the nocturnal porcupine and the springhare can be spotted at night foraging in the bushes and grass.  If extremely lucky, one can catch a fleeting glimpse of the bushveld elephant shrew and the extremely shy aardvark.

7. The scattered Campsites

The Kgalagadi  Transfrontier Park getaway accommodations have spacious and smaller and secluded camps for animal and bird watchers. The Twee Rivieren is the largest camp with a restaurant, cell reception, and 24-hour electricity. 

Other camps that are smaller and offer an intimate bush experience are Urikaruus, Bitterpan, Kieliekrankie, and the Gharagab Wilderness Camp. By venturing further into the camp these facilities offer not just a safe place to lie but also surprises.

8.  One park, Two Countries, and a lot of migrations

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park sits unequally between the two countries. A quarter of the park lies in South Africa, while the rest of the 3.6 Million hectares is in Botswana.

The harsher Botswana and lusher South African climates offer seasonal migrations of the herbivores in search of pasture such as the herds of blue wildebeest, the pronking Springboks, as well as the magnificent red hartebeest.

Tourists do not need a visa to cross over to another country, however, what is needed of the tourists is complete immigration paperwork at Twee Rivieren as one enters through South Africa and exits either to Namibia or Botswana.

9. Kgalagadi frontier park extremes Desert Weather

Kgalagadi -Kalahari Desert. Photo by Bernard Dupont

 Most visitors refer to the park as the Kalahari due to its extremely hot weather during the dry summer weather and extreme cold. The rainfall averages 200 mm per year.  

The adaptation of the wildlife such as the black-maned desert lions, make it exciting for tourists and visitors to want to spend time in the wild, as they come across eland and slow-moving buck carcasses littered in every corner of the reserve as the lions killed not just for food but sport, choosing to leave many uneaten carcasses.

10. Kalagadi frontier park beautiful Scenery

Due to the harsh weather of shrubs, carcasses, dried and scattered trees as well as immense heat, most of the time the sky is lush with deep blue skies and dark brown vegetation and sand. The magical sky turns from a red ball of fire was the sky to a crimson pinkish hue as the sun descends into the horizon. 

The desolate and sparse parkland is captivating to the eye with the flat land parallel to the blue sky and the animals in between decorating the serenity and magnificence of Nature.