ETOSHA NATIONAL PARK

The park can be entered either through the Anderson Gate in the south or the Von Lidquist Gate in the east. Stretching 120 km in length and 55 km from north to south, the saline pan covers almost a quarter of the park. The giant Etosha Pan, a shallow depression which is dry, flat and white for most of the year is the heart of the park. Most animals are unable to drink the water in the pan as its salt content is twice as high as seawater's. The vegetation of the park consists of two subtypes. In the east round Namutoni is a tree savanna and in the west a shrub and thorn tree savanna. Mopane trees constitute 90% of all the trees in the park.

Thirty kilometres west of Okaukuejo is a Moringa (Phantom Tree) Forest. This forest is unique as these trees usually grow on hillsides. The 900 trees are browsed by elephant, gemsbok and giraffe. Waterholes in the vicinity have been closed in an effort to protect destruction of the forest by elephant.

The park is the habitat of five rare or endangered species: black rhinoceros, black-faced impala, roan antelope, Hartmann's Mountain Zebra and the Damara dik-dik. Up to 1 500 elephants migrate seasonally from Etosha to Kavango, Damaraland and Kaokoland during the wet season.

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