Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Game reserve in Kalahari Desert, Botswana

Central Kalahari Game Reserve is a 52,800-square-kilometre protected area in the Kalahari Desert, entirely within Botswana's Ghanzi District. Its mostly flat, gently undulating land is covered with bush and grasses over sand dunes, with larger trees and four fossil river valleys lined by salt pans. Deception Valley, one of these dry valleys, began forming about 16,000 years ago.

The reserve was established in 1961 as one of the world's largest wildlife protection areas. Its creation reflected Botswana's commitment to safeguarding natural habitats and animal populations.

The San, or Bushmen, hunted and gathered across these lands for thousands of years. From 1997 three quarters of the San population was moved out, and in October 2005 forced relocation left about 250 permanent residents. A 2006 court ruling declared the eviction illegal, yet by 2015 most San remained blocked from their traditional lands, and a nationwide hunting ban ended their hunter-gatherer way of life.

Wildlife viewing is most rewarding during the rainy season when giraffes, elephants, leopards, lions, wildebeest, and various antelope species move freely throughout the landscape. Planning ahead is important, especially during dry months when water sources become scarce in the reserve.

Deception Valley takes its name from mirages that make the dry riverbed and salt pans appear to hold water. The fossil river began forming about 16,000 years ago, and it is one of four dry riverbeds that cross the reserve.