The Discoverers: In 1851 the explorers Sir Francis Galton and
Charles John Andersson 'discovered' the Etosha-Pan.
Galton wrote:
"May 29th. We came on ox-spoors. Old Netjo, who
is a family man, was beside himself with joy, and kept by my side
pointing out all the indications of the neighbouring Ovampo. Passing
a reedy, boggy fountain, we came an hour after to Omutchhamatunda
which was then thronged with Ovampo and their cattle. We were
received very hospitably, and had a tree assigned us to camp under.
The Ovampo gave us butter to grease ourselves with; but as it was
clean, and they also brought corn, I preferred eating it. There was
a little game about, and we had some shooting, and also a bathe and
a battue of ducks and partridges. No corn grown here, neither were
there any women; it was simply a cattle post, and far from the corn
country of the Ovampo."
Health Warning:Sun Protection: The sun is quite intense as
it is reflected from the ground, so be sure to make use of a high
factor sun-screen. You can buy up to 100 factor in Namibia.
Malaria: During the
dry season (May - November) you will find few, if any mosquitoes.
During the rainy season which may fall as early as November to end
April, you are advised to carry with you and make use of mosquito
repellent. Use the mosquito nest provided in your accommodation unit.
If camping you can buy in Namibia nets reasonably priced at most
camping stores. You may also want to take a course of Prophylaxis if
visiting in rainy season.
Water: The tap water
in the camps is potable. However, many tourists prefer to make use of
bottled water which can be purchased in the tourist shop.
Driving in the Etosha Game Park:
The gravel road system within the Etosha Game Park is good
and is suitable for saloon cars, but please drive carefully as there is
quite an amount of slower moving traffic that makes use of the roads.
The Animals of the
Etosha Game Park:
There is about 114 species of animal in the Etosha National Park.
However, there are no Buffalos, Hippos, crocodiles or monkeys in the
park. The approximate numbers of larger animals are: Black Faced
Impala - 700, Black Rhino - 300, Blue Wildebeest - 2600,, Eland
250, Elephant - 1500, Gemsbok - 4,000, Giraffe - 2,000, Kudu 2,000,
Lion - 300, Ostrich - 1,500, Red Hartebeest - 600, Roan Antelope -
70, Springbok - 20,000, Zebra Burchell's - 6000, Zebra Mountain 700,
plus an unknown number of Cheetah and Leopard.
The Birds of the Etosha
Game Park:
340 bird species have been identified in the park od which about
one-third are mo9gratory. During years that enjoy a good rainy
season large gatherers of waders assemble at the Fischer Pan near to
Namutoni along with Lesser and Greater Flamingos that migrate in
from the coast. There are 35 raptor species including
Yellow Billed Kite, Steppe Eagle, Western Red Footed Kestrel, the
Lesser Kestrel and the Booted Eagle. 8 Owl species including
the Pearl Spotted Owl, the Spotted Eagle Owl, the White Faced Owl
and four species of night owls. Vultures include the Cape
Vulture, The Egyptian Vulture, The Hooded Vulture, The Lappet Faced
Vulture, The Palm Nut Vulture, White Backed Vulture. Among the
Rarest Species are found the Whimbrel, the Black Tailed
Godwit, the Slaty Egret, the Goliath Heron, the Purple Heron, the
Little Bittern, the Dwarf Bittern, the Wattled Crane and the Crowned
Crane. Near to Halali can be found the Black Faced Babbler,
the Violet Woodhoopoe. Parrots can be found at Kalkheuwel along with
Monteiro's Hornbill. The Chestnut Weaver is only found in Northern
Namibia. Namibia's national bird the Crimson Breasted Shrike can be
seen in Etosha. 12 types of Larks are found in the park
and 3 types of Sandgrouse.
The Birds of the Etosha
Game Park:
340 bird species have been identified in the park od which about
one-third are mo9gratory. During years that enjoy a good rainy
season large gatherers of waders assemble at the Fischer Pan near to
Namutoni along with Lesser and Greater Flamingos that migrate in
from the coast. There are 35 raptor species including
Yellow Billed Kite, Steppe Eagle, Western Red Footed Kestrel, the
Lesser Kestrel and the Booted Eagle. 8 Owl species including
the Pearl Spotted Owl, the Spotted Eagle Owl, the White Faced Owl
and four species of night owls. Vultures include the Cape
Vulture, The Egyptian Vulture, The Hooded Vulture, The Lappet Faced
Vulture, The Palm Nut Vulture, White Backed Vulture. Among the
Rarest Species are found the Whimbrel, the Black Tailed
Godwit, the Slaty Egret, the Goliath Heron, the Purple Heron, the
Little Bittern, the Dwarf Bittern, the Wattled Crane and the Crowned
Crane. Near to Halali can be found the Black Faced Babbler,
the Violet Woodhoopoe. Parrots can be found at Kalkheuwel along with
Monteiro's Hornbill. The Chestnut Weaver is only found in Northern
Namibia. Namibia's national bird the Crimson Breasted Shrike can be
seen in Etosha. 12 types of Larks are found in the park
and 3 types of Sandgrouse.
The Snakes of the Etosha
Game Park:
About 50 species of snake are found in the Etosha some of which
are not poisonous: Mole Snake, House Snake, Grass Snake,
Skaapstrekers and Egg Eaters. The African Python and the Dwarf
Python can be seen. Poisonous Snakes that can be found are:
Puff Adder, Burrowing Adder, Boomslang, Bird Snake, Black Mamba, The
Western Barred Spitting Cobra or Zebra Snake, Angolan Cobra and the
African Coral Snake.
Acknowledgements and further reading:: GV1, GV6, H9, P1, P2
Etosha is a National Park area, so there are entrance fees payable to the
Ministry of Environment and Tourism. The accommodation and facilities in the
Etosha are managed and operated by Namibia Wildlife Resorts
Getting
there:
There are 3 entrance gates to the park
King Nehale Gate, North Eastern Entrance, near Okoshona, which is about
85km south of Ondangwa.
Andersson Gate, South Western Entrance for Okaukuejo Camp approx. 100km
north of Outjo on C38 Road
Von Lindequist Gate, Eastern Entrance for Namutoni Camp approx. 74km
north of Tsumeb, then 36km on C38
Distances from Namutoni
(km / mile)
