The Makgadikgadi covers an area of 12000 Sq kms, part of the Kalahari basin, yet unique to it, is one of the largest salt pans in the world. Most of the year, this desolate area remains waterless and extremely arid and large mammals is thus absent. But during and following years of good rains the two largest pans –Sowa to the east and Ntwetwe to the west flood attracting wildlife such as zebra and wildebeest on the grassy plains and most spectacularly flamingos, and at Sowa and Nata Sanctuary. Flamingo numbers can run into tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands and the spectacle can be completely over whelming. Other species are Gemsbok,eland,and red hartebeest as well as kudu, bush buck,duicker,giraffe,springbok,steenbok and even elephants with all the accompany predators, as well as the rare brown hyena.