Kalahari Desert northwest, forming marshes that are rich in wildlife. Ancient dry riverbeds—called omuramba—traverse the central northern reaches of the Kalahari and provide standing pools of water during the rainy season. A semi-desert, with huge tracts of excellent grazing after good rains, the Kalahari supports more animals and plants than a true desert, such as the Namib Desert to the west. There are small amounts of rainfall and the summer temperature is very high. The driest areas usually receive of rain per year, and the wettest just a little over . The surrounding Kalahari Basin covers over extending further into Botswana, Namibia
Kalahari Desert cattle fences restrict the movement of wildlife. Among deserts of the Southern Hemisphere, the Kalahari most closely resembles some Australian deserts in its latitude and its mode of formation. The Kalahari Desert came into existence approximately sixty million years ago along with the formation of the African continent. Although there are few endemic species, a wide variety of species are found in the region, including large predators such as the lion ("Panthera leo"), cheetah ("Acinonyx jubatus"), leopard ("Panthera pardus"), spotted hyena ("Crocuta crocuta"), brown hyena ("Hyaena brunnea"), and Cape wild dog ("Lycaon pictus pictus"). Birds of prey include the secretary