The Etosha National Park in Namibia
The Etosha National Park in Namibia is one of the best and most important nature reserves in southern Africa. It was originally founded by the then governor Dr. Friedrich von Lindequist who declared it a game reserve in 1907. The park has shrunk twice from its original dimensions and was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1958 and was declared a national park in 1967 by law of the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa. The current park covers an area of 22,270 km2 and takes its name from the large Etosha pan, which is located in the middle of the park with a size of 4,760 km2. The park is home to 114 species of mammals, 340 species of birds, 110 species of reptiles, 16 species of amphibians and, surprisingly, a species of fish. Etosha Park is one of the most popular travel destinations in Namibia and is visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year. This means that he is represented in almost all of our safaris to the north of Namibia in our travel programs. He is also not far from our home town of Oshakati in Ovamboland and is therefore very often visited by the Heyl family. The park is located in the Kunene region and borders on the regions of Oshana (where we live), Oshikoto and Otjozondjupa.
The name Etosha comes from the Oshindonga language and literally means “Great white place” or “Grosser Weisser Platz” (In German), which in turn is due to the pan in the middle of the park. The pan was once part of the massive Kunene Lake, which was fed by the Kunene River, which dried up sometime in the distant past and left the current pan system. Newly excavated fossils of swamp antelopes such as Sitatunga, Lechwe and Tsessebe as well as a 90 cm long catfish testify to much wetter periods.
The Etosha National Park is usually excellent for game viewing. The months from May to September are best for game viewing. The most frequently encountered wild animal species consist of various antelope species, zebras, giraffes, lions and elephants. You need a bit more luck to see cheetahs and rhinos and a lot of luck to see the hard-to-find leopard.
The vegetation in Etosha differs several times from bush and savannah landscapes to desert-like formations. The mopane tree is by far the most common tree. You will also come across the Moringa tree, which is very often used in natural medicines, and its dried leaves, finely ground after taking, can lower blood pressure, blood lipids and blood sugar. The second most common tree species in Etosha is the red willow or kudubush. The savanna or giraffe tree shaped like an umbrella is hard to miss in large open spaces.
Etosha now has a proud record of black rhinos, which is high on the list of very endangered animals and white rhinos have recently been reintroduced. Furthermore, the endemic black-faced Impala, also threatened, has recovered here. The Etosha Ecological Research Institute is run by scientists from all over the world.
There are three entrances to the park with the main entrance in the south, the “Andersson Gate”, the “Namutoni Gate” in the east and the “Galton Gate” in the west of the park. There are three lodges in the park, which belong to the NWR government resorts, but are not used by Namibia Holidays Tours & Safaris for overnight stays, as the private lodges around the park offer much better accommodation and services.
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