Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, large game reserve in south-western Botswana and north-western South Africa. Until May 2000 the area consisted of two separate national parks—the Gemsbok National Park, in Botswana, and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa. The vast park covers about 37,000 sq km (14,300 sq mi), about 75 per cent of which is in Botswana. The normally dry River Nossob is the boundary between the two sections of the park.

The average rainfall is around 200 mm (8 in) annually, and shifting sand dunes are a feature of this semi-desert (see also Desert Features). Wildlife includes huge herds of gemsbok. This species of oryx, and other animals that can survive for long periods with little water, can be seen between March and early May when most rain falls. Other animals in the park include springbok, hartebeest, spotted hyena, and black-maned lions. There is little wildlife to be seen at other times of year. When the two parks officially merged in 2000 they created southern Africa's first formally recognized transnational conservation area. Tourists can enter the park from Namibia as well as from Botswana and South Africa.