The Etosha Pan is the centre of Etosha National Park, which has an area of 8,598 square miles (22,269 square km) and one of the largest accumulations of big-game species in the world, including lions, elephants, rhinoceros, elands, zebras, and springbok.

Abundant bird life includes flamingos, vultures, hawks, eagles, ostriches, guinea fowl, and geese. The eastern portion of Etosha National Park has a tree-savanna type of vegetation (abounding in tambouti, wild fig, and date palms); moringa trees are typical of the more arid thorn-shrub savanna of the western part of the park.

The German colonial fort of Namutoni, at the eastern end of the pan, resembles a fort of the French Foreign Legion. It has been restored for use as a tourist camp for Etosha National Park.

The pan is fed by a number of nearly parallel channels extending north into Angola that in the monsoon season from December to March fill parts of Etosha (“Place of Mirages”) and surrounding areas with rainwater pools.