Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park
Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park
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Chamois in the national park |
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location |
South Africa Botswana |
surface | 38,000 km² |
WDPA ID | 874 |
Geographical location | 25 ° 46 ′ S , 20 ° 23 ′ E |
Setup date | 2000 |
administration | South African National Parks (South Africa) Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Botswana) |
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park ( English Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park ) is a cross-border nature reserve in the Kalahari Desert with an area of around 38,000 square kilometers that was created by merging the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park / South Africa and the Gemsbok National Park / Botswana . It is known for its lions, as, unlike those in the Kruger National Park , they are spared from tuberculosis and therefore occur in a relatively high density.
In September 2014, the Botswana government licenses for the selling fracking of shale gas from more than half the area of the national park.
Visitor traffic
The Nossob river, which runs across the park, can be crossed in both directions by visitors without any formalities. In principle, however, the park may only be left in the country from which you entered the park. However , Camp Twee Rivieren / Two Rivers , located on the Botswana-South African state border , has both a South African and a Botswana border control post, so that an exit is possible via all gates, regardless of where you have entered. The Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park borders Namibia in the west , the Mata-Mata border crossing has been reopened since October 2007. Within its area, at the point called Union's End , lies the triangle of Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. There is no border crossing here.
Since it is a park that extends across borders, it is counted among the Peace Parks .
landscape
The landscape of the park essentially consists of extensive dune fields overgrown with dune grasses . They are interrupted by the valleys of the mostly dry rivers ( Riviere ) Aoub and Nossob, which run in a south-easterly direction .
Flora Fauna
The following animal and plant species are the most common or noticeable:
fauna
- Oryx antelopes ("chamois buck")
- Springboks
- Wildebeest
- Elenantilopen ( "Eland"; taurotragus )
- Giraffes
- Lions
- African wild cats
- Jumping hares
- Whistling rats ( Parotomys brantsii )
- Settled weavers (Sociable Weaver - Philetairus socius ) and their mostly very large community nests
- Cape cobras
flora
- Camel thorn ( Acacia erioloba )
- Gray camel thorn ( Acacia haematoxylon )
- Shepherd Tree (shepherd's tree - Boscia albitrunca )
- Acanthosicyos naudinianus
- Tsamma melon
reachability
Traveling by car from Johannesburg and Cape Town takes about a day. Since the park closes its gates in the evening, this route can be too far for a day. However, there are good places to stay in the city of Upington , 260 kilometers to the south .
The Mata Mata border crossing to Namibia has been open since October 2007. However, a reservation of at least two nights in the national park must be presented if this crossing is to be used.
See also
Web links
- South African National Parks: Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park . National park administration website at www.sanparks.org (English)
- Peace Parks Foundation : Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park . on www.peaceparks.org (English)
- Map of the park
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jeff Barbee: Botswana sells fracking rights in national park Guardian, December 2, 2015.
- ^ South African National Parks: Revamped Mata-Mata Rest Camp in KTP officially opened . Press release of April 30, 2010 on www.sanparks.org (English)