The park conserves one of the world’s most abundant semi-arid biomes. The southern and western areas are dominated by Kalahari xeric savanna, interspersed with acacia-baikiaea woodlands. As is typical in arid regions, the weather can be extreme: midsummer days in January often exceed 40 °C, while winter nights drop below freezing. Recorded extremes range from -11 °C to 45 °C, and rainfall is sparse.

Vegetation is sparse but hardy, including deep-rooted acacias and other drought-resistant plants. The tsamma melon, African horned cucumber and the devil’s claw thrive here and a variety of wildflowers provide brilliant specks of colour, especially after the rains. Despite the harsh conditions, game viewing is exceptional, as wildlife is more concentrated in the dry Kgalagadi.

The park is home to more than 55 mammal species, making it a haven for predator enthusiasts. Iconic carnivores include black-maned Kalahari lions, cheetahs, leopards and hyenas, while migratory herbivores such as blue wildebeest, springbok, eland and red hartebeest traverse the park in impressive numbers. Smaller residents include meerkats, ground squirrels, honey badgers, pangolins, Cape foxes and bat-eared foxes. Meerkats, Cape foxes and bat-eared foxes often have dens close to the roadside and many happy hours can be spent observing family life around the den, especially when youngsters are around, providing endless entertainment with their antics.

The park’s birdlife is equally remarkable, with over 260 species recorded, including an astonishing diversity of raptors. At least six species of owls can be seen, among them Verreaux’s Eagle-owl, Spotted Eagle-owl, White-faced Owl, African Scops Owl, Pearl-spotted Owlet and Barn Owl. Having visited the park an estimated fifteen times since 2011, it was probably the sight of a spectacular blackmaned Kalahari lion that sparked my enduring love affair with the Kgalagadi. Watching any of the large, charismatic cats gliding across red sand, or ambling slowly along the deep, sandy tracks of the Auob or Nossob riverbeds, is enough to send your pulse racing. The park is also one of the best places to spot the striking African wildcat, often glimpsed at close range, well concealed in the camelthorn and grey camelthorn trees lining the riverbeds. Sightings of the more elusive caracal are not unusual, with many memorable encounters captured in photographs.

Even though the sight of giraffe navigating the dune-scape along the Auob feels wonderfully incongruous, it is a reminder of the Kgalagadi’s surprising diversity. The Auob Valley has often set the stage for spectacular cheetah chases. Herds of springbok frequently gather here, attracting the world’s fastest cat into striking range and offering nail-biting moments when the chase begins, culminating in a blur of speed, dust and raw wilderness drama.

Life in the park centres around its many waterholes, scattered along the Auob and Nossob riverbeds. Yet wildlife – especially the predators – rarely linger, and sightings are often a matter of pure luck, which makes each encounter all the more rewarding and thrilling. Setting out at first light, with sharpened senses and high expectations, is often most productive, particularly for lion and leopard sightings. The predominantly nocturnal brown hyena is also frequently on the move at this time of the day, providing a rare opportunity to observe these elusive, shy creatures up close. Photographers treasure the golden hours – that magical glow of early morning or the soft rays of the setting sun – when a hint of dust in the air turns every scene into a work of art. Wildlife encounters are often unusual and spectacular, from a feisty jackal nipping at the heels of a brown hyena to aerial combats between raptors, a leopard enjoying the shade of a car, noisy and terrifying lion brawls when young males are ousted from the pride or the tender birth of a springbok lamb.