The Kgalagadi is perhaps better known as the Kalahari, a more pronouncable version of the original Khoi-San word. It is a vast stretch of dunes and sandy savannah, starting at Upington in the south and reaching deep into Botswana. In a few places, river courses interrupt the otherwise endless swells of red dunes. The rivers flow only after heavy rain, an exceptionally rare event. Despite the superficial aridity, many plants have found ways to survive, either by tapping their roots deep into the earth to find the groundwater, or by storing moisture in succulent stems underground. Grasses and annuals grow fast after rains, and a number of cucurbits produce fleshy fruit in hard shells that nourish animals long after surface water has vanished. The animals are well adapted to the harsh conditions, and the diversity is truly amazing. Thanks to the transfrontier initiative, the Kgalagadi (formerly Kalahari Gemsbork Park in the RSA and Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana) now allows free migration of the animals. This in turn enhances habitat preservation during bad years, and resilience in species such as cheetahs that need all the genetic diversity they can get.

The South African section consists of the Twee Rivieren, Nossob and Mata Mata main camps, between the courses of the Auob and Nossob Rivers, with Twee Rivieren at the confluence. It is a photographer's paradise. These photographs were all taken in effectively two days. Someone with better technique and equipment would have fared much better still.

Although not wet enough for hippo and buffalo, all the cat species of southern Africa are present in the park, and most of the antelope. Giraffes have been re-introduced from Etosha after being locally extinct for more than a century. Several canids and hyenids, as well as mongooses and rodents can be seen.

If there is an animal that is almost synonymous with the Kalahari, it has to be the meerkat. In all of creation, there is no animal that is as charming and comical, and yet as brave and tenacious as these little creatures. To watch them for a while is sheer joy and amusement. I sat watching a small heavily pregnant female chasing a male goshawk twice her size away from the burrow entrance, not once but several times. After a while, the hawk gave up and left. At other times, one can hear their grunts and chitters as they dig for tubers and insects. They often stand like choir boys at the burrow entrance, the little ones in front and the tall ones at the back, to survey their territory or bask in the morning sun. When standing guard, they climb into bushes or trees near the burrow and perch on top to get a more elevated view. Their keen eyes miss nothing. They alone are reason to visit this amazing place.

Please note that copyrights are asserted, therefore do not copy or distribute any of these images without asking permission first. If you like the images, vote, or better still, make arrangements to visit the Kgalagadi itself.