No other region in the world is more typical for savanna, wildlife and safari. The landscapes of this region range from the grassy wet plains of the Okavango Delta to the Namib Desert. In this expansive exhibition, the Natural History Collections present a variety of natural habitats of southern Africa. Visitors discover hippopotamuses, lions, zebras and the gemsbok of the Namib. Life together is not always peaceful. Complex relationships between eating and being eaten, camouflage, deception and warning have developed that can be traced back to life in the former Gondwana. The region around the Cape of Good Hope, encompassing the Namib and Karoo, is a veritable hot-spot of biodiversity. In fact, such an astonishing number of unique plant and animal species have established themselves here that botanists have elevated the small region to its own floristic kingdom.

The Natural History Collections will present some of its own unique treasures, such as the Cape lion, which became extinct in the 19^th century. People have always lived in southern Africa, in and with nature, but not always without conflict. The increasing search for arable land stands in the way of sustainable use and endangers pristine habitats. The exhibition examines this issue, as well, and provides a glimpse of this region beyond standard clichés.