Location: Kgalagadi District Map
Area: 38,000 km2 (15,000 sq mi)
Species: lions, cheetah, hyena, raptors, leopard, wildebeest, eagles, secretary bird, vultures and etc.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park is located in Kgalagadi District of Botswana. Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park covers an area of 38,000 km2 (15,000 sq mi) of African savannah as well as arid and semi arid desert. The symbol of the park is a gemsbok, an antelope with long twisted horns. Other animals include giraffes, Kalahari lions, suricates that live in family communities, ostriches and many others.
In South Africa , the Kalahari Gemsbok National
Park was created on July 31, 1931 mainly to protect the oryx from
poaching. It extends at the time on 9 594 km 2 .
On the
Botswana side , Gemsbok Park was created in 1937 . It then extended
over 28 400 km 2 .
In June 1992 , representatives of South
African National Parks (currently SANParks) and the Botswana
Department of Wildlife and National Parks established a joint
management committee for the area, which is recognized as a unique
ecological entity. On April 7, 1999 , Botswana and South Africa
signed a historic bilateral agreement whereby the two countries
jointly manage adjacent national parks, Gemsbok National Park in
Botswana and Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa, which
become the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
In 2002 , an
agreement was signed as part of the restitution of lands to
indigenous peoples: 60 000 hectares were returned to the two local
communities - 30 000 ha to the San (formerly called Boshimans ), and
30 000 hectares to Les Mier, Métis people. farmers settled south of
Kgalagadi more than 170 years ago. The agreement includes the
creation in the park, at the San and Mier lands border , of a lodge
common to both communities. Operational since 2007 , the Klaus lodge
is managed by the Transfrontier Parks Destinations. It offers a
luxury accommodation and a cultural village. The profits are partly
donated to the communities
The park is located in the Kalahari Desert, located in the extreme southwest of Botswana, with 25% of its area located in South Africa, close to the Northern Cape Province and the border with Namibia.
On April 7, 1999, Botswana and South Africa sign a treaty, uniting
South Africa's Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, created in 1931, with
Botswana's Gemsbok National Park, created in 1938, forming the first
transboundary conservation area in Africa. On May 12, 2000, the park
opened.
In May 2002, the South African government together with
the South African National Parks manager; and the Khomani San and Mier
indigenous communities sign an agreement where the communities have
recognized ownership of land within the park boundaries, and receive
50,000 hectares within the park boundaries and more hectares outside the
park.
On 12 October 2007, Botswana and South Africa, together
with Namibia, opened the Mata-Mata tourist access facility on the park's
border with Namibia.
The region has an arid climate. During summer days it can be extremely hot, especially in January. And during winter nights, temperatures can drop below freezing. The extreme temperatures already recorded were -11 °C and 45 °C. It has average annual precipitation between 127 mm in the east and 350 mm in the west, with the months between January and April being the rainiest.
The park is home to more than 170 species of birds and a variety of antelope species, including springbok, oryx, kaama and eland. Also found are the black-maned lion, jackal, brown hyena, wildcats, cheetah, leopard, lynx, bat-eared fox, silver fox, Cape fox, bearded wolf and black-footed cat. . Of the endangered species, the park is home to the African wild dog, pangolin, honey badger and Woosnam desert rat.
The biome is shrub savanna and small areas of grass savanna, featuring deep-rooted acacias and other hardy plants. Cucumis metuliferus and the succulent Hoodia gordonii are plants endemic to the region.
It is a desert region, where there are red and white sand dunes. The Nossob and Auob rivers pass through the park area, but these rivers are generally dry, except when heavy rains occasionally occur.
There are two communities that live on the outskirts of the park, the
Khomani San and the Mier. The Government of South Africa, together with
South African National Parks and the two communities, signed the !Ae!Hai
Kalahari Heritage Park Agreement, stating that 25 000 hectares of land
within the park boundaries belong to the Khomani San and 25 000 hectares
of land within the park's boundaries belong to the Mier. The communities
also had their land ownership, outside the park's boundaries,
recognized. This agreement enables communities to improve their
livelihoods.
According to the park's management plan, communities
can use natural resources for cultural, historical and ceremonial
purposes in accordance with indigenous traditions, including traditional
hunting with bow and arrows. The South African government has also built
a community lodge, !Xaus Lodge, where a private operator manages the
lodge and splits the concession fee between the two communities and the
park administration.
The treaty signed between the two countries allows visitors to travel between the two countries, within the park's limits, without problems with immigration and customs. The main entry and departure points are the Twee Rivieren Gate in South Africa; Mata-mata, in Namibia; Two Rivers and Nossob, in Botswana, which have camping facilities, chalets, shops and restaurants. The park can be visited on your own or through tours offered by operators. It is necessary to make a reservation in advance, as authorities limit the number of vehicles traveling on the roads, and the number of campers staying in the campsites and days of stay. Independent visitors must travel in a convoy with at least two vehicles, and the recommended vehicles are 4x4s, due to the bumpy and sandy road conditions.