Page 110 - Discover Botswana 25th Edition - 2025

110 www.discoverbotswanathebook.biz
KGALAGADI
ARMAND GROBLER
Armand was born in South Africa,
but spent his childhood in the surf,
sand and forests of Sydney on the
east coast of Australia. It wasn’t
long before Armand developed
a deep passion for wildlife and a
calling to nature. At the age of 12,
he began to imitate his Australian
hero, the wildlife icon Steve Irwin
(The Crocodile Hunter), catching
snakes, lizards and whatever else
he could find, creating his own
wildlife documentaries and holding
reptile shows at various events. As
a volunteer at the famous Taronga
Zoo, he gained valuable knowledge
and experience, teaching people
not only about wildlife, but also
the importance of connecting
intimately with nature, a view
that would eventually lead him
to follow his dreams from the
Australian continent to Africa. Today,
Armand is an enthusiastic wildlife
photographer and published author
currently working on his next book
publication ‘Eden: Soul of Africa’
as he aims to capture the essence
of Botswana’s pristine wilderness.
famous Lost City, that has captivated people for
over a century, being shrouded in mystery and
intrigue. The tale begins in 1885 with Canadian
explorer William Leonard Hunt, who, driven by
curiosity and a flair for the dramatic, embarked
on an expedition into the heart of the Kalahari
Desert. During this expedition Hunt claims to
have stumbled across the ruins of an ancient
civilization consumed in the ocean of sand.
Hunt described a series of stone structures
and mysterious walls seemingly out of place,
believed to be remnants of the Lost City.
His sketches depict a city with monumental
architecture which aroused great interest in
historians and explorers. Despite his vivid
descriptions, no concrete evidence has since
been found confirming the ruins of the Lost
City, however the indigenous San people’s oral
traditions speak of ancient tribes and settlements
swallowed by the sea of dunes, adding a rich
cultural layer to this desert mystery. Real or
imagined, Hunt’s tale represents the boundless
possibilities that lie hidden in one of the world’s
most remote and inhospitable places, serving as
a reminder that there are still mysteries waiting
to be solved, and adventures waiting to be had.
Despite being named ‘Kgalagadi,’ or the
‘place of thirst,’ it is a true desert oasis where
one cannot help but feel the magical embrace of
Africa. It is a land rich in history, with hidden
treasures revealed only to those with the courage
to seek, imagine and dream. ■ DB25
Previous pages: Electricity fills the air as a storm approaches the battle grounds where a male lion has picked
up on the scent of intruders causing chaos at the den site. Eventually hearing the distressed hiss and snarls of
a female who was fighting off two younger males, the dominant lion charged to the rescue, helping the lone
lioness to chase off the attackers.
Above: The Kgalagadi is a place of extreme weather with scorching summer days reaching 50 Degrees
Celsius, winter nights as low as -12 Degrees Celsius and powerful seasonal storms causing flash floods and
severe erosion. These very conditions help shape the land and form an intricate part of the ecosystem,
bringing life to a devastated environment. A herd of springbok are seen enjoying the first summer rains,
facing away from the oncoming storm as the droplets break the vice of summer and cool the charred earth.