Khutse Game Reserve in Botswana Wilderness
Tourist Attraction in Unspoilt Africa Reachable Only by 4x4 Vehicle
Jul 28, 2009
Although Khutse Game Reserve is situated in the most accessible part of the Kalahari, tourists need a 4WD vehicle to explore the relatively small 2500 km² reserve. Especially the access roads requires a 4x4 vehicle with low range capabilities and decent ground clearance as the road from Gaborone varies from tar to deep, rutted sand tracks.
What to See at Khutse Game Reserve
Like all of Botswana's national parks, Khutse Game Reserve is unfenced, thus allowing for the natural migration of animals across the Kalahari. Viewing wildlife in the undulating savanna is dependent on the seasonal rains and most wildlife will congregate around the more than sixty mineral-rich pans after good rains. Unlike the more popular reserves in Northern Botswana, wildlife is not as concentrated, but the reserve does offer a unique variety of mammals, birds and reptiles.
Herbivores adapted to the semi-arid conditions flourish in the reserve and desert herbivores like gemsbok, eland, kudu, springbok, wildebeest and giraffe frequent the pans. These herbivores attract predators like lion, leopard, cheetah, brown hyena, wild dog and black - backed jackals. Other animals often sighted include bat-eared foxes, porcupine, caracal, squirrels, mongoose, pangolin (rarely seen), aardvark and warthogs.
According to Mike Main, An Adventurer's Guide to Botswana, Struik Publishers, 2001, January to March are generally thought to be the best game viewing months. After prolonged drought, larger herbivores and the resulting predators may be completely absent, but other smaller creatures and the stark beauty and ruggedness of the terrain will compensate more than adequately for their absence.
The Botswana Department of Tourism in Banjanala, A Tourist Guide to Botswana, Botswana Tourism, Volume 3, September 2000 states that more than 150 bird species have been recorded in the Khutse Game Reserve. These birds include white backed vultures, Kori bustards, ostriches and greater kestrels.
Accommodation at Khutse Game Reserve in Botswana
Botswana Tourism Board warns visitors that accommodation at Khutse Game Reserve is limited to camping only. With no shops, fuel or water available at the reserve, tourists should be self- sufficient and carry enough water and fuel to last the duration of their stay. Proper planning of the 4x4 trip is therefore essential as the reserve offers about 200 km of roads to explore.
Development in the reserve has been kept to a minimum and although there are areas designated as campsites, these areas mostly contain only a pit latrine. The camping sites are concentrated around the area between Khutse 1 and Khutse 2 pans with a few isolated campsites in other areas of the reserve. All campsites are unfenced and general rules for camping in the wild should be obeyed, as predators such as lion are known to pay tourists a visit.
Essential Information for Visitors to Khutse Game Reserve
- Visitors should drive only on the existing tracks in the reserve. Deviating from these tracks causes irreparable damage to the ecology of the area.
- Tourist may only camp in the areas clearly marked as campsites.
- No refuse-removal facilities are available and tourists must take all their rubbish with when leaving the campsite. Littering not only spoils the beauty of the landscape, but also endangers the wild animals that inhabit the area.
- Campers must ensure that fires are made and managed in such a way that they do not cause wildfires. During the dryer months the grass around the campsites is dry and tall and a spark from an unattended campfire could cause a runaway fire.
- Water for purposes other than drinking, may be obtained from the Wildlife camp. The water is salty and not suitable for human consumption so visitors should be self- reliant in respect of drinking water.
Bookings and reservations can be made through the Botswana Tourism Board at Tel: 3913111, Fax: 3959220
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