Kgalagai Transfrontier Park
© Flickr/Andrew AshtonKgalagai Transfrontier Park
Botswana's government has recently sold the rights to the British Karoo Energy company to frack for shale gas in the Kgalagadi transfrontier park, the Guardian newspaper reported Wednesday.

Botswana's government has recently sold the rights to the British Karoo Energy company to frack for shale gas in the Kgalagadi transfrontier park, the Guardian newspaper reported Wednesday.

The Kgalagadi park is among Africa's largest conservation areas.

According to the article, top park officials, as well as conservationists, were not informed of the rights sale, which has caused concern about the possible negative effects drilling could have on the site.

No drilling has been conducted yet, according to the article.

Kgalagadi is a vast wildlife reserve territory, covering a total area of 38,000 square kilometers (23,600 square miles).

Fracking is a technique of extracting shale gas and oil by injecting pressurized toxic liquid into the ground. Experts warn that the process could endanger the environment through the potential leakage of poisonous liquid materials into ground water.