Khutse Game Reserve | Botswana Game
Reserves: The 2,500 km² Khutse Game Reserve was opened in 1971, on Bakwena
tribal land. Prior to this date, due to the almost complete absence of surface water and
the fragile vegetation, very few people lived in this area of undulating plains of dry
Kalahari bush savannah. Those who did subsisted by gathering wild foods, undertaking
limited hunting and keeping small stock. Wildlife was therefore considered to be a good
alternative form of land use.
The extensive mineralised pan system within Khutse provides an important habitat for
wildlife attracting herbivores to graze on the grasses of the pans, drink the mineralised
water during the rainy season and to lick salt during the dry season. These herbivores in
turn attract predators, such as lion, cheetah and leopard.
Boreholes have been established at certain points within the reserve in order to encourage
wildlife to stay within the area throughout the year. Whilst the visitor to Khutse should
not expect to see or meet up with large concentrations of game, giraffe, gemsbok, red
hartebeest, eland, kudu, wildebeest, springbok, steenbok, grey duiker, lion, leopard,
cheetah, brown hyaena, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox and wild dog can be seen within
Khutse, as well as many other smaller mammals.
A wide range of birdlife from ostrich and kori bustard down to little browns will keep
bird enthusiasts well occupied. |
