Nxai Pan National Park

Nxai Pan National Park

Location: Map

Area: 2578 sq km

 

Description of Nxai Pan National Park

Nxai Pan National Park is a nature reserve in North- eastern Botswana. Nxai Pan National Park covers an area of 2578 sq km. Nxai Pan National Park protects unique biosphere of the Nxai Pan that is part of Makgadikgadi Pan salt flats.

 

The park is located in northern Botswana in the southeastern part of the Northwest region, north of the McGadikgadi salt marsh. Its area - 2578 km² - is occupied by forests, savannah and vast areas of meadows. Also in the park there are two drainage hollows that were once part of the McGadikgadi, which began to dry out about 10,000 years ago - these are Ntskai-Pan and Kgama-Kgama Pan. South of Ntskai-Pan is another national park of the country - McGadikgadi.

In 1970, Nskai-Pan received the status of a reserve, and since 1992 - a national park. After assigning the status of a national park, the territory of Ntskai-Pan was increased from 1676 km² due to the joining of the Baobabs of Baynes.

The park is most attractive for visiting from November to April, during the rainy season, due to the abundance of vegetation, migratory birds, herds of herbivores and predators. However, moving in the rainy season in the park becomes problematic due to blurry clay roads. The rest of the year is from May to October, the drought season begins, with a temperature of 40 degrees and dry air. At this time, most of the reservoirs of the park dry up and animals accumulate at an artificial watering hole.

Of the animals in the park, antelopes, gazelles, zebras, wildebeests, oryxes, cannes, lions, giraffes, kudu, jackals, honey badgers live. Of the animals atypical for a given locality, there are congonians, big-eared foxes, brown hyenas, cheetahs, and rhinos in the park. The avifauna of the park is very rich - more than 250 species of local and migratory birds, including ostriches, kestrels, black grouse, and red-billed turuch, are found on the territory of Ntskai-Pan.

In the park, 2 kilometers from the entrance gate, there is a single campground for tourists, designed for 18 guests. The campsite has a dining room, library and gift shop. You can get to the park by road from the capital of Botswana - the city of Mauna, located 138 km from Nskai Pan. The nearest village is the village of Gveta, located 104 km from the national park.