The land surrounding Orapa forms part of the broader Central Kalahari ecosystem, and the game management area bordering the town sees elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, and the full range of Kalahari predators — lion, leopard, cheetah, and wild dog. The Kalahari is a semi-arid fossil desert, not the sand desert most people imagine: in the rains (November–April) the vegetation greens dramatically and the wildlife disperses across an enormous area. In the dry season animals concentrate around any available water.
Access to the game management area does not require the same permit as entry to the town itself, and a 4WD vehicle is essential given the sandy track conditions. The area is remote and self-sufficient travel is for experienced bush travellers only. Most visitors who encounter Orapa's wildlife do so on organised safaris that use this region as a transit between the Central Kalahari Game Reserve to the south and the Makgadikgadi Pans to the north.