ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK
Translated as the ‘Place of Mirages’, ‘Land of Dry Water’ or the ‘Great White Place’, Etosha is an apparently endless pan of silvery-white sand, upon which dust devils play and mirages blur the horizon. As a game park, it excels during the dry season when huge herds of animals can be seen amidst some of the most startling and photogenic scenery in Africa. The roads are all navigable in a normal 2WD car, and the park was designed for visitors to drive themselves around. If you insist on guided trips then look to one of the private lodges just outside the park or, better, to the concession areas in Damaraland. Etosha is a park to explore by yourself. Put a few drinks, a camera, lots of film and a pair of binoculars in your own car and go for a slow drive, stopping at the water-holes – it’s amazing. There are three restcamps within the park, and several lodges outside its boundaries, and yet the park is never busy in comparison with equally good reserves elsewhere in Africa. BACKGROUND INFORMATION History Europeans first knew Etosha in the early 1850s when Charles Andersson and Francis Galton visited it. They recorded their first impressions: ‘...we traversed an immense hollow, called Etosha, covered with saline encrustations, and having wooded and well-defined borders. Such places are in Africa designated ‘salt pans’... In some rainy seasons, the Ovambo informed us, the locality was flooded and had all the appearance of a lake; but now it was quite dry, and the soil strongly impregnated with salt. Indeed, close in shore, the commodity was to be had of a very pure quality.’ They were amongst the first explorers and traders who relentlessly hunted the area's huge herds of game. In 1876 an American trader, McKiernan, came through the area and wrote of a visit to Etosha: ‘All the menageries in the world turned loose would not compare to the sight that I saw that day.’ The slaughter became worse as time progressed and more Europeans came until, in 1907, Dr F von Lindequist, the governor of German South West Africa (as Namibia was then), proclaimed three reserves. These covered all of the current park, and most of Kaokoland – between the Kunene and Hoarusib rivers. The aim was to stem the rapid depletion of the animals in the area, and protect all of the land through which the seasonal migrations passed. It was an excellent plan for conserving the wildlife – though perhaps not so perfect for the people who lived in these areas. This protected area remained largely intact until the 1950s and 60s. Then, just as a nature conservation unit and several tourist camps were set up, the reserves were redefined and Etosha shrank to its present size. Geography, landscape and flora The defining feature of the National Park is the huge Etosha Pan, which appears to be the remnant of a large inland lake that was fed by rivers from the north and east. One of these was probably the Kunene, which flowed southeast from the Angolan highlands and into the pan. However, some 12 million years ago continental uplift changed the slope of the land and the course of these tributaries. The Kunene now flows west from the Ruacana Falls and into the Atlantic. Thus deprived, the lake slowly vanished in the scorching sun, leaving behind only a salty residue. Few plants can grow on this and so erosion by the wind is easy, allowing the pan to be gradually hollowed out. The pan has probably changed little over time. It is roughly 110km from east to west and 60km from north to south, covering an area of 6,133km² (around a quarter of the park’s surface) with flat, silvery sand and shimmering heat. If the rains to the north and east have been good, then the pan will hold water for a few months at the start of the year, thanks mainly to the Ekuma River and Omuramba Owambo. Only very rarely does it fill completely. In the rest of the park, beyond the sides of the pan, the terrain is generally flat with a variety of habitats ranging from mopane woodland to wide open, virtually treeless, plains. In the east of the park, around Namutoni, the attractive makalani palms, Hyphaene ventricosa, are found, often in picturesque groups around water-holes. The small, round fruit of these palms, a favourite food of elephants, is sometimes called vegetable ivory because of its hard white kernel. In the west, one of the more unusual areas is the Haunted Forest, Sprokieswoud in Afrikaans, where the contorted forms of strange moringa trees, Moringa ovalifolia, form a weird woodland scene. Etosha is so special because of the concentration of water-holes which occur around the southern edges of the pan. As the dry season progresses, these increasingly draw the game. In fact, the best way to watch animals in Etosha is often just to sit in your vehicle by a water-hole and wait. Three types of spring create these water-holes, which differ in both appearance and geology: Contact springs
Water-level springs
Artesian springs
Mammals The game and birds found here are typical of the savannah plains of Southern Africa, but include several species endemic to this western side of the continent, adjacent to the Namib Desert. The more common herbivores include elephant, giraffe, eland, blue wildebeest, kudu, gemsbok, springbok, impala, steenbok, and zebra. The most numerous of these are the springbok which can often be seen in herds numbering thousands, spread out over the most barren of plains. These finely marked antelope have a marvellous habit of pronking, either (it appears) for fun or to avoid predators. It has been suggested that pronking is intended to put predators off in the first place by showing the animal's strength and stamina; the weakest pronkers are the ones predators are seen to go for. The early explorer Andersson described these elegant leaps: ‘This animal bounds without an effort to a height of 10 or 12 feet at one spring, clearing from 12 to 14 feet of ground. It appears to soar, to be suspended for a moment in the air, then, touching the ground, to make another dart, or another flight, aloft, without the aid of wings, by the elastic springiness of its legs.’ Elephant are very common, though digging for water below the sand wears down their tusks and so big tuskers are very rare. Often large family groups are seen trooping down to water-holes to drink, wallow and bathe. The park’s population has been under scientific scrutiny for the infrasonic noises (below the range of human hearing) which they make. It is thought that groups communicate over long distances in this way. Among the rarer species, black rhino continue to thrive here, and the
floodlit water-holes at Okaukuejo and Halali provide two of the continent's
best chances to observe this aggressive and secretive species. On one visit
here, I watched as a herd of 20 or so elephants, silently drinking in the
cool of the night, were frightened away from the water, and kept at bay,
by the arrival of a single black rhino. It returned several times in the
space of an hour or so, each time causing the larger elephants to flee,
before settling down to enjoy a drink from the pool on its own.
In the last few years, about a dozen white rhino have been introduced. Your best chance of seeing these is in the east of the park, around Aus, Springbokfontein, Batia or Okerfontein, either early or late in the day. Black-faced impala are restricted to Namibia and southern Angola, occurring here as well as in parts of the Kaokoveld. With only isolated populations, numbering under a thousand or so, they are one of the rarest animals in the region. The Damara dik-dik is the park’s smallest antelope. Endemic to Namibia, it is common here in areas of dense bush. Roan antelope and red hartebeest occur all over the subcontinent, though they are common nowhere. This is definitely one of the better parks in which to look for roan, especially in the mopane areas around Aus and Olifantsbad. All of the larger felines are found here, with good numbers of lion, leopard, cheetah and caracal. The lion tend to prey mainly upon zebra and wildebeest, whilst the cheetah rely largely upon springbok. The seldom-seen leopard take a varied diet, including antelope and small mammals, whilst the equally elusive caracal go for similar but smaller prey. There have been several attempts to introduce wild dog here, but so far no success. The usual problem has been that the dogs don’t know to avoid lion, which have subsequently killed them for no apparent reason. Also found in the park are both spotted and brown hyenas, together with silver jackal (or cape fox), and the more common black-backed jackal – many of which can be seen in the late evening, skulking around the camps in search of scraps of food. Birds For ornithologists, some 340 species of birds have been recorded including many uncommon members of the hawk and vulture families. Amongst the birds of prey, bateleur, martial, tawny and Wahlberg’s eagles are fairly common, as are black-breasted and brown snake eagles. Pale-chanting goshawks are more often seen than the similar Gabar or the smaller little banded goshawk. The list of harriers, falcons and kestrels occurring here is even longer, and worthy of a special mention are the very common rock kestrels, which are everywhere, and the unusual red-necked and particularly cute pygmy falcons, which are less readily seen. The impressive peregrine falcon and Montagu’s harrier are two of the rarer summer migrants. Lappet-faced and white-backed vultures are common here, outnumbering the odd pair of white-headed or hooded vultures. Palmnut vultures are occasionally seen in the east of the park. The number of large birds stalking around the plains can strike visitors as unusual: invariably during the day you will see groups of ostriches or pairs of secretary birds. Equally, it is easy to drive within metres of many kori bustards and black korhaans which will just sit by the roadside and watch the vehicles pass. Blue cranes, both beautiful and endangered, are common here in the wet season. Etosha is worth visiting in January and February for them alone. Other specialities of the park include violet woodhoopoe, white-tailed shrike, bare-cheeked and black-faced babblers, short-toed rock thrush, and a pale race of the pink-bellied lark. PRACTICAL INFORMATION To see Etosha you need to drive around the park. There is no way to walk within it, or to fly just above it. If you do not have your own vehicle then you must either hire one, or book an organised trip. Hiring your own vehicle is best done in Windhoek. See Driving in Namibia. However, if you are just travelling though, and hiring a car just for Etosha, then consider doing so from Tsumeb. This is normally best organised in advance, through a tour operator like Sunvil Discovery, who can arrange for you to pick up and drop off cars at Mokuti or Ongava. Organised trips to the park emanate from the private lodges around the
park. See Lodges outside Etosha for ideas about what is possible from each.
Other than these, many operators organise guided trips around Namibia including
a few days in Etosha, often staying in the National Park's accommodation.
However, you only need to see one air-conditioned 75-seater coach driving
through the park to convince you that this is not the best way to visit
either Etosha or Namibia.
Weather
The clouds gradually disperse as the rains cease, around March–April. Many of Etosha’s plants are bright green during this time, but with some cloud cover the park's stark beauty isn't at its most photogenic. From April to July the park dries out, and nights become cooler. Nights in August are normally above freezing, and by the end of September they are warm again. October is hot, and it gets hotter as the month progresses, but the humidity remains very low. Even the game seems to await the coming of the rains in late November, or perhaps December. When these do arrive, the tropical downpours last only for a few hours each afternoon, but they clear the air, revive the vegetation, and give everything a new lease of life. Photography
Other visitors
The dates of the South African school holidays seem to be less relevant than they used to be, as Namibia is no longer the only foreign country where South African passport holders are welcomed. However, ideally try to avoid Namibian school holidays. February to mid-April, late-May to July and November are probably the quietest months. Game viewing
Hence the months between July and late October are ideal for game. Though the idea of sitting in a car at 40°C may seem unpleasant, October is the best month for game and the heat is very dry. Park under a shady tree and be grateful that the humidity is so low. During and after the rains, you won't see much game, partly because the lush vegetation hides the animals, and partly because most of them will have moved away from the water-holes (where most of the roads are) and gone deeper into the bush. However, often the animals you will see will have young, as food (animal or vegetable) is at its most plentiful then. Birdwatching
Getting there All of Etosha’s roads are accessible with a normal 2WD vehicle, and an excellent map of the park is available from the restcamps. A more colourful ‘Honeyguide’ publication (N$15) also has a few pages of colour sketches of most of the common birds and animals. Both are normally for sale in the restcamp shops, and the maps are also available from the restcamps’ fuel stations. By Road
The gates open around sunrise and close about 20 minutes before sunset. For the precise times on any given day, see the notice next to the entry gates of each camp. Driving through the park in the dark is not allowed, and the gates do close on time. Neither hitchhiking nor bicycles (push or motor) are allowed in the park. Organised tour
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