Etosha National Park is one of Southern Africa's finest and most important Game Reserves. Etosha Game Park was declared a National Park in 1907. Etosha, meaning "Great White Place", is dominated by a massive mineral pan. The pan was originally a lake fed by the Kunene River. However the course of the river changed thousands of years ago and the lake dried up. The temporary water in the Etosha Pan attracts thousands of wading birds including flamingos. The game viewing in Etosha National Park is excellent, the best time being from May to September - the cooler months in Namibia. Visitors to Etosha Game Reserve can expect to see many buck species, elephant, giraffe, rhino and lions.