Overview of Etosha National Park
Etosha National Park is the ultimate game viewing park in Namibia. It is 22,270 square kilometres in size which includes the 4,760 square kilometre salt pan, which is the largest of its kind in Africa.
Vegetation is sparse in Etosha, yet it is home to a wide array of wildlife. Amongst the larger mammals present in the reserve are African Elephant, Black and White Rhino, Angolan Giraffe, Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Springbok, Black-faced Impala, Gemsbok, Red Hartebeest, Blue Wildebeest and Greater Kudu.
The Plains and Hartmann’s Zebras are both present in the park. In a survey done in 2015, by J.W. Kilian, the population of the Plains Zebra was estimated to be around 14,200. They have a wide distribution in the park. Hartmann’s Zebras are only found in the extreme west of Etosha, and their population was estimated to be 875.
In 1952 the game warden decided to cull zebras and wildebeest as he determined that the park was over-grazed. The official number of zebras culled was 293. A severe drought, which began in 1980, led to a major culling and relocation of zebras and elephants. A staggering 2,235 Hartmann’s Zebras were culled or sold and a further 450 Plains Zebras.
