Kalahari Game Lodge Wildlife & Sustainability

Kalahari Game Lodge is situated on the banks of the Auob river. Generally, the Auob river is dry and only flows in extremely rare wet seasons. However, in the wet season short grasses grow in the dry riverbed. This growth is frequented by grazing antelope. An ideal game-viewing experience.

The landscape at Kalahari Game Lodge comprises mainly typical Kalahari red dunes interspersed with patches of grass. There are a number of natural salt pans throughout the ranch. In the rainy seasons, temporary pools collect on the sandy plains creating pop-up drinking holes.

Wildlife is abundant and well distributed in this part of the Kalahari. Kalahari Game Lodge boasts around 55 mammal species that can be seen throughout the year. The lodge is known for its healthy game population ranging from the tiny pygmy mouse to springbok, gemsbok, eland, giraffe and brown hyena, not to mention the famous free-roaming Kalahari lion.

There are approximately 185 bird species, including a number of migratory species that populate the area during the summer months from November to April. Birding enthusiasts will surely enjoy sightings of white-backed vultures, lapped-faced vultures, martial eagles, pygmy falcon, ant-eating chats and northern black korhaan to name a few.

Desert areas are generally known for their reptilian population and Kalahari Game Lodge is no exception. There are around 58 different species to be seen around the grounds.

The Kalahari Game Lodge and it’s surrounding 40 000 ha was previously used for farming sheep and cattle. As a result, the livestock fences had to be removed before wildlife could be re-established.

Accordingly, the lodge initiated a number of restoration projects to restore the natural grassland to its unadulterated state and reintroduce the wildlife that naturally occurred in this area. The aim is to restore the Kalahari eco-system that was largely destroyed by farming, which disbursed much of the natural wildlife in Namibia’s Kalahari Desert.

Currently, Kalahari Game Lodge is home to the only population of free-roaming Kalahari lion in Namibia. Our aim is to create a conservation area in which these magnificent animals are protected amid surrounding farmlands.

A unique feature of the male lions is their often very dark to almost pitch black manes. This is due to the specific genetic make-up of the Kalahari lion population; accordingly, we are careful not to introduce other genealogies to the region. To see the magnificent beasts in their natural habitat is indeed a wonderful and memorable experience!

In addition to the black-mane Kalahari lion, the lodge is also home to a number of endangered species that roam the dunes. Among them are the brown hyena, pangolin, African hedgehog, and the striped polecat.