Kalahari Desert

Although technically not a desert, the Kalahari is one of the driest places on the planet.  Much of the land is a protected game preserve.  Human habitation is extremely difficult and risky, even under the best of circumstances.  In fact, it is amazing that wildlife is able to survive under such harsh conditions. So, how can humans and animals recover after the uncontrolled burn of the Kalahari Desert?

After the Rain

The Kalahari is not a true desert because it often receives at least 10 inches of rain per year.  In fact, in a really rainy year, it may get 20-40 inches.  However, the result is not always positive.  The ground is wetter, which actually makes traveling alone more difficult and dangerous.   Land rovers sink to their axels and a tow truck is miles and hours away. In addition, the salt pans are even more dangerously deceptive.

On the bright side, the Kalahari Desert comes alive with vegetation.  The barren landscape becomes filled with patches of tall grasses. The rains bring life to a normally stark landscape.  The desert has a wild and uncommon beauty.

The Rain is Gone

Unfortunately, the greenery after the rain is short-lived.  Following the rainy season, the dry, cold period robs the land of all the benefits.  Before long, the wild and tall green grasses are no longer swaying in the breeze.  Instead, it becomes tall straw-like tender just waiting for a disaster to happen.

The Burn

Unbelievably, it is not an accident or act of arson that ultimately will put people and wildlife in the path of danger.  Instead, it is an altruistic motivation that turns the entire Kalahari into a burning wasteland.

In Cry of the Kalahari by Mark and Delia Owens, the couple that spent 7 years in a place called Deception, talk about the natives view of the tall and dry grasses after the rain.  The following quote came from a man that had a great deal of influence in their survival, during their first year in the Kalahari:

“Mon, the bloody Bushmen set these fires every year, you know.  They can hunt-track-better with the thick grass burned away.  And it’s easier for them to collect bauhinia nuts, one of their staple foods.  I suppose you can’t blame ‘em too much, but the fire sure raises Cain with the trees and the woodlands.  Dries the lower leaves the animals need for browse in the dry times.  And the Bushmen aren’t the only ones to blame.  The safari hunters set the veld alight, too, though you’ll never hear ‘em admit it.”

The narrative regarding the bauhinia nuts ends with that simple paragraph, but it begs the question:  what is so great about a nut that the natives risk an uncontrolled burn, if the grasses get too high?  The risks seem pretty severe for the potential benefits.

The Nut

Truthfully, a lot of societies really take nuts for granted. The crunchy treats are great at a cocktail party, in Christmas candies, mixed with mints at a nice reception, and other special occasions.  However, for the natives of the Kalahari Desert, the nuts are a staple of life, in more ways than one.  According to Cereals and Pulses by M. Brink and G Belay, the multipurpose nuts are used for:

• A Roasted Treat
• Pounded Meal
• Coffee Substitute
• Pods are Boiled or Roasted
• Medicine
• Feed Livestock
• Provide Liquid

Unlike the jar of peanuts in many cupboards, the people of the Kalahari use every part of the nut, right down to the roots. The leaves are boiled and the steam is inhaled for congestion; then, the cooled liquid is drunk as a cough remedy. An infusion of the roots is said to help infertility. Some people use the boiled leaves mixed with salt as poultices for wounds. Macerated roots are also use to cure diarrhea.  No wonder the natives feel that the risks of an uncontrolled burn are worth the ability to harvest this tropical nut that is unlike any nut most people imagine.

The nut is as big as a large pineapple, and tastes much like a mealy potato. It is a staple in the diet of the natives, much like other societies eat rice or russet potatoes.  Without the nut, survival for this African society might be in question.  Nature is both food source and clinic for those living in the desert wilderness of the Kalahari.
In short, excess rains in the Kalahari are not necessarily a blessing.  After the following hot winds dry up the grasses, the yellow stalks swaying in the breeze only serve as a deterrent to food and medical resource for the natives.  So, in answer to the problem, fires are set.  With the inability to control the flames, the people of the Kalahari understand that the known benefits far outweigh the risks of getting rid of miles and miles of wild grasses.

Today, certain areas of the Kalahari Desert are designated game preserves.  In other words, people can shoot the game with cameras, but nothing stronger.  In the Kalahari man is the interloper.  The beast reigns.  The very fact of their survival is amazing, to say the least.

The Beasts

When considering the harshness of the Kalahari Desert, it is truly amazing that any animals survive the conditions.  Survival is truly of the fittest, even though by definition, the region is not truly a desert at all.  During the rainy season, the area receives anywhere from 5-20 inches of rain.  Unfortunately most of it comes at during the time frame of a couple of months. So, it can go from dry as a bone to a big mud hole in disguise.  Because the earth becomes so parched during the other times of the year, the rainy season can leave areas of big sink holes that look deceptively dry.

Nevertheless, somehow the animals seem to thrive.  During the dry seasons, the lions migrate away from the area, in search of more hospitable conditions.  But, many of the animals stick around, and basically become nocturnal.  During the day when it is so hot, the hyenas, jackals, and other wild bests of the desert will lie around and rest, in order to conserve energy and their bodily resources.  Hunting for food and water comes after the sun goes down.

Unfortunately, even in the night, watering holes will not magically appear to quench thirst.  Of course, this is where the truly amazing part of living in the desert of the Kalahari really comes into play.  The animals actually live off of the internal bodily fluids of their prey.  In other words, their nourishment and hydration come from the same source.  But, it really is survival of the fittest, because it is a harsh reality that living in the desert is first come, first served.

In fact, the animals develop a pecking order.  The ideal place is to be at the top of the order, because that animal will get the first opportunity to eat.  Oftentimes, those animals that end up on the bottom of the pack order will have to move on and fend for themselves, because there will simply be nothing left, after the others have eaten.

Man

Survival of man in the Kalahari is either the bravest or most foolhardy thing to attempt, depending on how you perceive the situation.  The conditions are not conducive for sustaining life, unless you have never live anywhere else.  You will have to become all things unto yourself.  No doctors will come rushing to your aid, if you become sick.  If you miscalculate the amount of water and other necessities needed, and you cannot go potentially hundreds of miles to the nearest town, it may be weeks or months before someone arrives to help.  Then, it will be too late.

However, the bushmen of the Kalahari have inhabited the desert for thousands of years and seem to have found the secret formula to surviving in the desert.  In times of plenty, a group of these people might number 100.  However, when facing the harsher seasons, these groups may divide to familial clans of 10 or less.

The bushmen are nomadic.  In order to survive, they are constantly moving from place to place.  While the men go out to hunt, the women are scrounging for edible plants and searching for anything to improve the odds of survival in the immediate area around camp.  When no more resources can be found, the bushmen simply pick up stakes and move on to another spot.

Of course, the natives of the Kalahari are a very pragmatic people.  Understanding that resources are limited, they only take what can be used.  Everything they own in this world is carried on their person.

The Real Beast of Man

Unfortunately, in an effort to survive in the hostile environment of the Kalahari, the real beast of the desert is man himself.  In an effort to make a buck, more people are exploiting the animals, the land, and even the bushmen.  In many cases, the people who truly belong to the Kalahari Desert are basically enslaved to do the bidding of people encroaching on one of the last wild and free places on the planet.

Game preserves have been established to protect the wild beasts of the Kalahari.  But, there are still those that will exploit the area and the animals to garner a tourist buck. Hotels are cropping up, along with aerial flights over the area.  So, the wild animals that have peaceably coexisted with man, and did not even know to be afraid a few decades ago, will now have one more challenge in surviving the Kalahari Desert.  So, it begs the question: who is really the beast?

As the world population tends to grow larger, people are encroaching more and more on nature.  Species are struggling to survive, with fewer natural resources to provide food and shelter.  However, the desert in Africa is still one of the areas of the world that it trying to preserve its natural history with miles of game reserves.  The landscape is so vast and untamed, many miles separate visitors from habitable portions of Africa. However, because of this fact, the Kalahari remains both ominous and amazing.

Desert or Not

Most people think of the Kalahari as one of the biggest deserts of the planet. However, according to the technical definition, this vast and wild part of Africa does not qualify.   According to the Random House dictionary, a desert is “a region so arid because of little rainfall that it supports only sparse and widely spaced vegetation or no vegetation at all”.

The Kalahari does not qualify as a true desert because it often has at least 10 inches of rain in a year.  In fact, it has been known to also have between 20-40 inches on rare occasions.  However, any moisture is quickly absorbed by the thirsty land, because the Kalahari still has the propensity to go years without any measurable moisture.
In addition, most well-known deserts have the sand dunes that are typically seen in the treacherous survival movies.  A great example is the Sahara.  In contrast, the Kalahari Desert has no dunes and is covered by hot, dry sand.

Seasons in the Sun

When discussing the seasons, most people think about winter, spring, summer and fall.  Generally, most people think of four distinct periods of time.  While the winter in one area of the world means snow and ice, on the opposite side of the planet the population is enjoying summer.  But, almost everyone has 4 seasons at one time or another.

The Kalahari is one of the exceptions to the expected rules of nature.  Instead of 4 seasons, the desert has 3 distinguishable periods of time throughout the year.  But, the changes do not always occur according to the calendar.  Each year, the climate changes seemingly on a whim.
One year, the rainy season starts in November.  The next year it may not come until January.  Next, the cold and dry period begins.  Although it is hard to imagine, desert areas can become cold, especially at night.  Then, the hot and dry spell that is more commonly associated with a desert starts.

Sinking Salt

The Kalahari has miles and miles of uncharted land.  Explorers driving through certain areas do so at their own risk.  If the Land Rover breaks down, or someone becomes incapacitated, it can be days, weeks, months, or years before being discovered. Even if a person could call for help, how would searchers be able to find the individual before it is too late?

In addition, the desert has areas called salt pans that have the ability to literally swallow a vehicle.  Visually, the landscape looks like crusty salt.  At first, it appears firm as the pavement of the big city.  Nevertheless, trying to drive across a salt pan is potentially fatal.
With the weight of a vehicle, what looks and feels like solid ground gives way to sink holes.  Underneath the salty looking exterior is brackish water, mud, or a big hole, waiting to swallow the unsuspecting adventurer.  Even when time is of the essence, knowledgeable explorers know to drive around the salt pans.

Untouched Beauty

After studying the potential dangers of the Kalahari Desert and carefully planning for a true study of nature, there are many people that truly appreciate the untouched beauty of this wild land.  Because it is so uninhabitable, there are areas that have not been corrupted by businesses, homes, towns, or the tourist trade.

Visitors see the lions, hyenas, giraffes, and other wildlife in their natural environment.  Thirty years ago, many species have not developed fear of humans.  A husband and wife team of scientists can sleep amidst a pride of lions.  Hyenas are so curious, they steal cups, shoes, shirts, or other human items, treating them like treasures of conquest.
For hundreds of miles, civilization is a thing of the future, as people step into a timeless landscape.  Forgetting a tourist safari, simply sit back for hours with a pair of good binoculars and cameras.  Watch the wild animals in their natural habitat and gain a real appreciation for the untouched beauty of the Kalahari Desert.

In short, the Kalahari is one of the last places on earth to be corrupted by civilization.  It is both ominous and amazing in its beautiful wilderness.  But, how long will it remain unscathed?  Is it already too late?  Has society grown so much that the hyenas, lions, and other amazing beasts being pushed out of their homes? Game preserves have been established for decades to keep this African wilderness truly wild.