A land of extreme contrasts – from stark nothingness to vast green fields as far as the eye can see – some experts have claimed that you haven’t truly experienced Botswana until you’ve visited the Makgadikgadi Pans. It was declared a Game Reserve in 1970 and only attained national park status in 1992.
The Makgadikgadi is home to the world’s second-largest zebra migration, with an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 animals, the majority being zebras, participating each year. The migration is also followed by a number of predators, notably lions and hyenas. This migration begins from as far as the southern Okavango and other regions commences once the summer rains have started to fall (December) and continues to the end of March. The pans are now filled with a shallow layer of water, attracting a large number of migrating birds as well as zebras and other wildlife, which will be feeding on the nutrient-rich grasses that surround the pans.
SIZE
16,057 km²
ESTABLISHED
1970
WILDLIFE AREAS
The great news is that if you visit us at Khumaga Campsite, the zebra migration between the Boteti River and the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans can be observed year-round and is dependent on water availability and the presence of grasses. Once these water sources also dry up and grass is no longer available, the wildlife resides along the Boteti River. The water sources along the Boteti are in a seemingly constant battle, with zebras, gnus, elephants, and other wildlife competing for water.
These Pans are a nearly forgotten relic of the past, once forming one of the largest lakes in Africa. The pans actually consist of two main components: Ntwetwe and Sowa Pans, both surrounded by numerous smaller pans. A lesser-known fact is that only one-fifth of the Park comprises salt pans, while the rest is primarily rolling grasslands. These grasslands attract a migration during the summer. The western side of the Makgadikgadi is dominated by the Boteti River. The Makgadikgadi area encompasses four main vegetation types: Riverine woodland found along the Boteti, scrubland, grasslands, and salt pans with Palm tree woodlands.
Situated southeast of the Okavango Delta and surrounded by the Kalahari Desert, the Makgadikgadi is not just a single pan, but an expanse of numerous pans interspersed with sandy desert. Covering 6,200 sq mi (16,057.9 km2) within the Kalahari basin, these salt pans form the remnants of the ancient Lake Makgadikgadi, which evaporated countless millennia ago.
The most significant of these Makgadikgadi pans are Sowa and Ntwetwe, encircled by an array of smaller pans. To their north lie Kudiakam Pan, Nxai Pan, and Kaucaca Pan. Emerging amid the pans are sand dunes, rocky islands, peninsulas, and desert landscapes. The primary “permanent” water source in this area is the Boteti River, which naturally defines the western boundary.
This region is desert terrain, characterised by a scarcity or absence of surface water. The pans themselves exhibit little to no vegetation due to their saline surfaces. However, grasslands flourish along the edges. Magnificent baobab trees thrive in specific fringe areas, casting dramatic silhouettes against the canvas of a setting sun. Much of this desolate expanse remains parched and exceedingly arid for the majority of the year, leading to the scarcity of large mammals.
During the Green Season, rainwater gracing the pans is complemented by seasonal river flows. These include the Nata, Tutume, Semowane, and Mosetse Rivers in the east, and during years of exceptional rainfall, the Okavango via the Boteti River in the west. Throughout this period, the reserve offers exceptional wildlife viewing, particularly when substantial herds of zebra and wildebeest embark on their westward migration to the Boteti region. Other present species include gemsbok, eland, red hartebeest, as well as kudu, bushbuck, duiker, giraffe, springbok, steenbok, and occasionally even elephants, accompanied by their respective predators, including the rare brown hyena.
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