Etosha National Park, Namibia

The Etosha National Park is one of the major sanctuaries for wildlife in Africa. The heart of the Etosha National Park is the Etosha Pan, meaning 'Place of Dry Water', an extensive, flat depression of about 5000 square kilometres, which was proclaimed a game reserve by German Governor von Lindequist in 1907.

Expert game management and the protection of the unspoilt environment make the Etosha National Park one of the greatest and most important game parks on the sub-continent. Due to the carefully controlled size of the rest camps, visitors experience the feeling of being truly in the wilds.

The large herds of game make Etosha a unique experience in Africa. There are 144 mammalian species in the 22 270 square kilometre park, including elephant, giraffe, blue wildebeest and black rhino. Etosha's elephant are reputed to be the largest in Africa, the tallest standing at 4 m at the shoulder. Their tusks however are relatively small due to genetic defects and deficiencies of minerals in their diets.

Among the predators are lion, cheetah, leopard and several species of wildcat. There are various species of antelope ranging from the majestic eland to the smallest antelope, the shy Damara dik-dik. The most striking of the antelope species is the gemsbok, with its dramatic black and white markings, which also appears on the Namibian coat of arms.

Bird life is prolific and some 340 species have been identified, including Namibia's national bird, the vividly coloured crimson-breasted shrike. The black rhino population of 300 is one of the few growing populations in the world, thanks to the translocation of rhino from Kaokoland in the 1970's.