Land of safaris
When you think of Namibia, it is likely that you think of safari. If there are many reserves, farms or game ranches where you can go on safari, the most famous Namibian game reserve is called Etosha. North of the capital, this immense reserve promises a memorable stay to meet the wild animals. The most emblematic are those commonly known as the Big Five: lion, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros and leopard. This nickname dates back to colonial times when they were the five most dangerous animals to hunt. Beyond these emblematic figures of the African savannah, we get to know dozens of other species in Namibia: the roan antelope, the chacma baboon, the African buffalo, the Cape duiker, the jackal, the Cape eland, the giraffe, the blue or black-tailed wildebeest, cheetah, spotted hyena, hippo, impala, kudu, oryx, warthog, white and black rhino, springbok, Hartmann's and Burchell's zebra. Birdwatchers will look up to see the tawny eagle, the martial eagle, Archer's francolin, the tax shrike or the sooty sunbird.
The living desert of the Kalahari
Namibia is rocked by its deserts. The Kalahari desert, cradle of the San people, contrary to what one imagines, is known to be a living desert. Its red earth and its bush are home to a varied fauna and flora. The inescapable inhabitant of the Kalahari is nicknamed the "sentinel of the desert", it was made famous by Timon in The Lion King, it is of course the meerkat and its curious face which observes you in the plain. In the vast expanses of bushland of the Kalahari Desert, one also comes across the oryx. This antelope, very frequently encountered on the great majority of the Namibian territory, is also called gemsbok by the Namibians of Afrikaner origin. With an isabella coat and black banded flanks, the oryx has two long sharp horns, forming a gigantic V shape, which can measure up to 120 cm. The oryx feasts on naras, otherwise known as desert melons. Their spiny appearance is not to be trusted, as naras, like melons, are full of water.
The Namib has many facets
On the side of the Namib Desert, the landscapes vary according to the climate. Watered by the mists of the Atlantic, the succulent plants draw its coast, whereas the great west of Namib is bare, stripped of any vegetation, and invites to the contemplation of this great emptiness inhabited by high moving dunes. It is in this decor that a multitude of small animals reign. While walking on the dunes, one can observe insects like beetles or reptiles like snakes, but also small geckos. On the other hand, the mammals are the big absentees of this part of the desert. It is by going further into the plains and dunes of the eastern Namib that antelopes gallop! Cape Oryx, springboks, zebras and ostriches wait for a generous rainy season so that the steppes are covered with perennial grasses, the dunes with bushes and tall grasses, and the big acacias line the river beds.
The strange welwitschia tree
It looks like an old, slightly dead aloe. This unique tree appears as a short stump from which large leaves emerge, intermingling and intertwining. The leaves grow from the base and perish at the tips, sometimes up to three meters away. This plant endemic to the Namib desert is part of the landscape.
The elephants of the Namibian desert
Let's go to the north of the Namib, in the region of Kunene. Here, especially around the riverbeds, too often dried up, rhinoceroses, lions, jackals, hyenas and elephants live together. We are in the land of an extraordinary elephant population. If we often hear "desert elephants", it is more accurate to say that these elephants are adapted to life in the desert. Genetically, they are African elephants, but with larger feet and smaller bodies that allow them to roam the sandy plains and rocky mountains, sometimes walking up to 70 km overnight in the drylands in search of water. They are able to go up to three days without drinking. During the rainy season, these elephants like to eat sea buckthorn, mopane or myrtle buds. But the last few years have been particularly difficult for the survival of the species in the face of drought. At the beginning of the 20th century, the population numbered around 3,000 elephants, until poaching and hunting reduced the population by a factor of ten in the 1980s. At independence in 1990, conservation measures allowed for the repopulation of the desert wildlife. Today, however, trophy hunting and drought are taking their toll on this unique and rare species of desert-adapted elephant.
"Save the rhino
Two species of rhinoceros are present in southern Africa: the white rhinoceros and the black rhinoceros. Contrary to what the two adjectives that differentiate them would suggest, these two species of rhinos are the same gray color! The name "white rhino" is a translation of the English word white rhino, which is phonetically derived from the Afrikaans word witrenoster. In fact, the white rhino differs from the black rhino by its stronger build, a low head carriage and especially square lips, because it is a herbivore. namibia is the only country in the world where the endangered black rhino population is increasing. Present in Damaraland, black rhinos generally live alone on arid lands and are very difficult to observe. There are about 1,800 individuals out of a global population of less than 5,000. The black rhino, smaller than the white rhino, lives in a more hostile environment and feeds mainly on leaves and branches, which it can easily catch thanks to its extremely mobile upper lip. Its mouth, narrower, reminds that of a turtle. It is able to travel great distances each day to provide for its food needs. It is a solitary animal, and only the females and their young live together. The young usually walk behind their mother. Of the 103 species of plants found in the Damaraland region, black rhinos consume nearly three quarters, including the famous Welwitschia mirabilis. They are particularly attracted to Euphorbia virosa, as it has the highest concentration of fat and especially water, a precious commodity, despite its high concentration of tannin, which can be toxic for the youngest. The work of the non-governmental organization Save the Rhino to protect black rhinos from poaching and to study their behavior in order to ensure effective conservation of the species is recognized and appreciated throughout Namibia.
Two million sea lions!
On the west coast of Namibia, you can't hear yourself talk anymore. Sea lions, as numerous as the country's inhabitants, bleat on the shores. Sea lions can be found on the Namibian coast on the way to Cape Cross, on the Skeleton Coast. Unlike seals, sea lions move quickly in small jumps on land, even on rocks, thanks to their hind legs transformed into large flippers. Fur seals are distinguished from other pinnipeds by the presence of external ears. During the breeding season, sea lions live in colonies on beaches where males fight to ensure the possession of the greatest number of females.
Once slaughtered for their fur, sea lions are no longer threatened with extinction... so much so that fishermen blame them for harming marine wildlife. Therefore, the Namibian State has set up a system to control the sea lion population on its coasts: each year, a certain percentage of the "overpopulated" colonies is legally slaughtered.
Looking up to the sky to watch the birds
Flamingos, pelicans, cormorants, storks and penguins inhabit the coastal area. Around Walvis Bay, the sunsets on the lagoon frequented by pink flamingos is a real spectacle. Birdwatching enthusiasts will be delighted by the treasures of Southern Africa. This natural sanctuary is home to over 900 species of birds, of which just under 700 live in Namibia. Once you have flushed out and photographed the major mammals, once you are able to recognize the several dozen different types of antelope, then it is time to turn your attention to the countless colorful little flying creatures. From that moment on, you will observe the nature that surrounds you in a completely different way! It is usually in these moments that nature will give you its most moving shows. Quietly installed on your perch, contemplating a magnificent and rare Balearica pavomina, of the family Gruidae, commonly called "crowned crane", you will perhaps have the chance to see appearing from nowhere a superb male lion, ready to pounce on a wildebeest drinking at the waterhole... in which your crowned crane was fishing!
A hundred birds of prey
It is impossible to describe exhaustively the multitude of birds that can be observed in Southern Africa... Namibia has nearly a hundred different species of birds of prey, and only specialists are able to recognize them all. There are half a dozen vultures: the oricou, the white-headed vulture, the African vulture, the carrion vulture and the rare Cape vulture. Among the numerous eagles, the easiest to identify are the savannah eagle - with a black crest, glasses and red legs - and the fish eagle, whose white head, body covered with brown plumage and above all a characteristic cry ensure him an irresistible love rating... Be careful, you will only find it in the north of Namibia, near the permanent waterways. Finally, the martial eagle is the biggest eagle in Africa. With a size of nearly 1.30 m, from head to tail, its wingspan reaches 2.50 m. This powerful bird of prey is able to kill and carry away small antelopes!
