Khutse Game Reserve, Botswana

Khutse Game Reserve is located next to the Kalahari to the Gaborone city within just 240km in the northwest through Letlhakeng and Molepole. It covers about 2,500 square km which is a very insignificant area by the Kalahari standards. Established in 1971, it was the second game reserve created on Bakwena tribal land in Botswana. Khutse is a local name to mean -place where you can kneel down to drink. Owing to the almost entire lack of surface water streams and the fragile vegetation, a small number of people settled in this area characterized by rising and falling plains of the arid Kalahari bush savannah. Inhabitants subsisted by gathering wild foods later took on hunting but at a limited level and keeping small stock. Wildlife was therefore proved to be best alternative form of land use.
Biodiversity
Khutse Game Reserve has an extensive mineralized pan system presenting a vital habitat for wildlife. Herbivores are attracted to graze on the grasses of the pans and drink the mineralized water during the rainy spell.
Majority of the desert herbivores are seen here although more common around the pans specifically Molose Pan where water is pumped from water springs. Boreholes have been established at strategic points next to the reserve as a form of attracting more wildlife to permanently settle in the area throughout the year. They however in turn attract predators such as lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena. Tourists to Khutse should therefore not expect to see large concentrations of game but the common are- giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, bat-eyed fox, brown hyena, as well as other smaller animals

Khutse is a prominent destination for travellers on Botswana safaris. The Reserve also boasts of a wide range of birdlife with over 150 species including the ostrich and koori bustard down to little browns majorly evident after a good rainfall enough to keep bird enthusiasts sound busy and occupied.

Khutse Accommodation facilities

Khutse has neither safari lodges nor safari rest camps. Being a conserved area, infrastructural development has been kept to a minimum and where the wilderness atmosphere has been carefully preserved. The few available campsites have split as Khutse I and Khutse II Pans.

The south-western region of the reserve however has more isolated camps especially in the Moreswe Pan. Travel tourists here are alerted about the absence of drinking water. Khutse game visitors should in addition improvise for their own other necessary safari essentials.