Etosha

Etosha National Park is one of Africa's greatest game sanctuaries. Covering an area of 22,270 Square kilometres in the northern territory of Namibia, this semi-arid wilderness is renowned not only for its austere beauty but for the staggering diversity of bird and animal life which it supports. This is a wildlife preserve without peer, and a crucial sanctuary for many of Africa's rapidly diminishing bird and game species, including the endangered black rhino, the roan antelope and the rare black-faced impala. Central to the park is the 6,133-square kilometre pan, once a vast inland sea. In an area harshly governed by its seasons - desiccating heat followed by a wet season of lushness and abundance - vast numbers of animals depend upon the pan for their survival. It is here that huge herds of free-ranging elephants occur, while the surrounding plains teem with springbok, wildebeest, oryx and zebras, and their predators some of the most magnificent lions, cheetahs and leopards in Africa. The life and death dramas played out at Etosha present a wealth of photographic opportunities, and the husband and wife team of Daryl and Sharna Balfour has taken full advantage of these. In ETOSHA they deliver a powerful evocation of this surreal paradise, combing high-action photographs, close-up studies of seldom-seen creatures, and startling landscapes to portray the Park as never before. But ETHOSHA is more than simply a record of natural history: the supporting text deals with the colorful history of the Park, discusses the broader environmental issues confronting Etosha's conservators, and highlights the more interesting research and control programmes underway in the Park. Pertinent information is also provided for the prospective traveler to this fascinating area.