Departure for a half day safari drive. From desert to savannah to woodlands, Etosha's landscape is varied and jam-packed with wildlife. It's defining and, at 5000 square kilometres, its largest feature is the Etosha Pan which for most of the year is a bleak expanse of white; shimmering with mirages and the distant shapes of animals seeking the vital water found on the fringes of the pan. The many natural springs scattered throughout Etosha attract a cross section of African wildlife from the diminutive – and endemic – Damara Dik Dik to the magnificent elephant. Of the 114 mammal species found in the park, several are rare and endangered, such as the black rhino and black faced impala while big cats such as lion, cheetah and leopard are all present and on the hunt!