Mangetti National Park
Mangetti National Park, covering a 420 square kilometre region in Namibia’s northern plateau, between the towns of Rundu and Grootfontein. It was once the traditional hunting ground for the Kwangali monarchy. Today it is one of a generation of new wildlife reserves, created to help reduce rural poverty through tourism development and joint management and benefits the local communities. Established in 2008, Mangetti National Park is named after the mangetti trees which are found across the region while its ecosystem is predominantly Kalahari woodlands and acacia savannah. It’s home to a wide range of wildlife including plains game, elephant and leopard as well as diverse bird species.
Before Mangetti became a national park, it was a breeding camp, helping to conserve species such as the rare and endangered black and white rhinoceros.
The History of Mangetti National Park
- 1859: Karl Kohan Andersson was the first European explorer to travel to the region. He wrote about the expedition in his book The Okavango River. Karl and several other explorers noted minimal trade in the region.
- 1899: After three decades, the trade condition remained the same.
- 1910: During the German colonial period, the first police post was installed at Nkurenkuru along the Okavango.
- 1918-1919: After the end of the First World War, Kavango Native Reserve was created.
- 1973-1974: Initially, the Mangetti region was set aside for an agricultural project by the South African administration,but due to its limited farming potential, the administration was transferred to the Department of Nature Conservation. In 1973-1974, the region became a game camp, with a vision to generate income for the administration through trophy hunting and game breeding.
- 1992: Mangetti’s local community requested that the region be proclaimed as a park, jointly managed by the MET and Kavango west regional council.
- 2003: Hompa Mpasi, the king of the Ukwangali tribe in northern Namibia, visited Colgar Sikopo, the chief control warden for wildlife management in Caprivi and Kavango. The king proposed turning the Mangetti Game Camp into a national park. The proposal depended on reintroducing the park’s historically occurring wildlife to it.
- 2008: Five years later, the king’s request was approved by the cabinet. They also honoured the community’s request, and the park administration fell on the MET and Kavango West Regional council.
- 2013: In further news about the Kavango: over the decades, its administration changed hands several times until it finally was split into Kavango West and Kavango East regions.
Wildlife In Mangetti National Park
Mangetti has a high concentration of diverse wildlife. It is home to elephant, eland, wildebeest, kudu, sable, steenbok, and duiker. There are more than 200 wildebeest and 400 eland in the Mangetti. Burchell’s zebra, common impalas, gemsbok, and giraffes are other game animals that call Mangetti their home.
The large concentration of plains game animals offers abundant prey to Mangetti’s predators: leopards, African wild dogs, hyenas, African wild cats, and caracals.
Mangetti National Park’s abundant birdlife makes a visit to this secluded getaway worthwhile. Species include striped kingfisher, tawny eagle, bateleur eagle, lappet-faced vultures, and Meyer’s parrot.
Mangetti National Park Premier Attractions
- Kavango West Concessions: The concession is filled with sand dunes, which are covered with vegetation such as trees and bushes. The fertile soil surrounding the sand dunes allows for the growth of vegetation, creating a habitat for Mangetti’s wildlife, especially the antelopes.
- Tsumeb Cultural Centre: Mangetti National Park has a Tsumeb Cultural Centre that brings the local history to life. Visitors can learn about different cultures throughout Namibia at this engaging knowledge hub. Additionally, visitors can also purchase souvenirs from the art and crafts displays on sale at the cultural centre.
- Hiking: Guided hikes through the Mangetti National Park will get you up close and personal with Mangetti’s smaller wildlife. Visitors are only allowed to walk through the park on guided tours, and even then, they have to be accompanied by an experienced guide. On a hiking trip through Mangetti National Park, a tour guide will tell you about the medicinal plants and trees and their uses.
Apart from these three attractions, visitors can also make stops at two nearby attractions located in Grootfonten: Hoba Meteorite and Das Alte Fort Museum. The Hoba Meteorite, discovered in 1920, has eroded over the years, but is still large. The Das Alte Fort Museum showcases artefacts some of which were used by Germans, while others tell the tale of Grootfontein and the history of the town and its people.
When To Visit Mangetti National Park
Mangetti National Park, located on Namibia’s northern plateau, is a great year-round safari destination. The dry season or winter in Mangetti from June to August is the best time to visit the park. It offers the perfect weather conditions for a safari – clear skies, warm daytime temperatures, and cool nights.
Mangetti experiences warm temperatures from September to November, but rainfall might put a damper on some of your plans although rain storms are often short and clear the air. Mangetti is also a year-round birding destination: the park has great species diversity, and during the dry season, visitors can also see migratory birds.
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