{"id":1806,"date":"2025-12-01T11:11:33","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T12:11:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/?p=1806"},"modified":"2025-12-02T15:19:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T15:19:56","slug":"nat-hab-in-namibia-rhino-tracking-conservation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/2025\/12\/01\/nat-hab-in-namibia-rhino-tracking-conservation\/","title":{"rendered":"Nat Hab in Namibia: Rhino Tracking & Conservation"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the heart of one of Africa’s last great wildernesses, a rare and extraordinary experience awaits. Damaraland<\/a>, a remote and untamed landscape tucked away in northwest Namibia\u2014a country already known for its undulating red sands and ancient basalt mountains\u2014can be arid and unforgiving; a place where many species have had to adapt, just to survive. Here among Damaraland\u2019s vast open plains, granite kopjes and prehistoric river beds exist an array of wildlife, from Hartmann’s mountain zebra to desert lions and elephants, all of which have learned how to live under extreme conditions. Among them is one of the largest free-roaming populations of black rhinos on the continent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Black Rhinoceros\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

The black rhino is a two-horned rhinoceros that\u2019s also an endangered icon. Smaller than the greater one-horned rhino <\/span>(rhinoceros unicornis), <\/span><\/i>this three-toed ungulate with hairless skin and a prehensile lip adapted for grasping branches and leaves as food has an estimated 6,788 remaining in the wild. It\u2019s a startling number, since just over half a century ago, it was believed that there were more than 100,000 of these impressive creatures still roaming throughout Africa. But due to such factors as illegal poaching, habitat loss and ongoing drought, their numbers dropped by a whopping 98% between 1960 and 1995, with less than 2,500 wild black rhinos remaining at one point. However, thanks to ongoing conservation efforts continent-wide, including those of <\/span>Save the Rhino Trust Namibia<\/strong><\/span><\/a> (SRT), their numbers have since been increasing steadily.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

Working to Protect Black Rhinos<\/b><\/h2>\n

In collaboration with Namibia\u2019s Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), the country\u2019s police force and local Namibian communities, SRT has been working to protect the country\u2019s rare, desert-adapted rhinos since the organization\u2019s founding in 1982. Today SRT trackers from these local communities use their knowledge of the region\u2019s landscape and wildlife to patrol 5.7 million acres of Namibia\u2019s Damaraland and Kunene region, which sits between the stark Skeleton Desert coast and Etosha National Park, the country\u2019s most popular nature reserve, protecting the endangered black rhinos that live in this desolate and unfenced area.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their multifaceted conservation efforts include joint patrols with law enforcement officers to assist with investigations of poaching incidents and monitoring the existing rhino population, as well as engaging the local public in ways that help shed light on the species and its importance in the lives of other wildlife species. Through sustainable ecotourism, SRT not only gives back to local communities by providing residents with increased employment opportunities, but it also helps unify these communities in a cooperative effort to protect and maintain habitats for their wildlife.<\/span>
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\n<\/span>The more eyes on the ground, the better.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Much of SRT\u2019s rhino tracking is done on foot, covering large swaths of rocky plains and otherwise rough terrain that\u2019s outside the boundaries of traditional parklands. This means travelers get to track rhinos on foot as well\u2014that is, in the company of an expert and knowledgeable guide.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Rhino<\/p>\n

\u00a9 Franco Morao<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Rhi<\/b>no Tracking in Namibia\u2019s Palmwag Concession<\/b><\/h2>\n

Northwestern Namibia\u2019s enormous and primeval basalt landscape, known as the Palmwag Concession, emerged 125 million years ago through a series of massive magma eruptions. It\u2019s a truly impressive million-acre space and one that\u2014along with visits to the shape-shifting sand dunes of the country\u2019s Sossusvlei, and Etosha National Park\u2014Nat Hab’s <\/span>Great Namibia Wildlife Safari<\/a><\/strong> offers an opportunity to explore. However, the trip\u2019s real kicker is the rare chance to also track black rhinos on foot. It\u2019s one of the most exhilarating experiences around: following in the footsteps of these huge creatures that can weigh between 1,750 and 3,000 pounds, and be up to 5.5 feet tall and 12.5 feet long, and viewing them up close. While your guides are the go-to sources for what to do and when while tracking rhino, there are a few standard tips that can be helpful to know.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Tips for Rhino Tracking on Foot\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

1: Stay downwind. <\/b><\/h3>\n

Essentially, you want to be where the wind is blowing into <\/span>your <\/span><\/i>face and away from the rhinoceros. Rhinos use their sense of scent to alert them of predators and other potential threats, and while you may be neither, the wildlife doesn\u2019t quite know that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2: Keep Quiet. <\/b><\/h3>\n

Any unusual noises may cause the rhinos to flee, and\/or potentially charge if they feel threatened. Rhinos have a well-adapted sense of hearing (and are especially sensitive to noise when they\u2019re pregnant), and some sounds may be up to twice as loud to them as they are to us.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3: Patience is key. <\/b><\/h3>\n

Seeing rhinos up close may take time, so revel in the experience. Take in your surroundings, pay attention to scents and sounds, and just enjoy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

Desert Rhino Camp\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

Nat Hab\u2019s extraordinary Namibia wildlife adventure is limited to seven guests and includes overnight lodging at the extremely remote Desert Rhino Camp, with contemporary canvas and stone guest suites overlooking a vast plain dotted with the country\u2019s national plant, Welwitschia\u2014a bizarre-looking living fossil identifiable by its two large and slow-growing, ground-lying leaves. Desert Rhino Camp<\/a> is among a handful of lodges situated directly within the Palmwag protected area. It works in partnership with SRT, as well as local communities and the Palmwag Concession, in developing responsible ecotourism initiatives (and in doing so, supporting black rhino and other wildlife populations) in the region.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tracking Other Wildlife\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

There\u2019s plenty of wildlife to see in Palmwag Concession in addition to black rhinos, including desert-adapted elephant, <\/span>giraffe and zebra and sometimes even predators such as cheetah, leopard and spotted hyena. Set out on a 4×4 game drive for the best opportunity to get a sense of Palmwag\u2019s immense landscape\u2014an array of flat-top mountains and red, rocky terrain dotted with large, endemic Euphorbia damarana<\/em> bushes, a flowering bush with slender gray stems\u2014and spot the most wildlife, much of which can be found gathered around the concession\u2019s freshwater springs. The area is also known for its birdlife, which includes the endemic Benguela long-billed lark, <\/span>grey-backed sparrow-lark and booted eagles, \u200b\u200bwhich have legs that are fully covered in feathers. Guided nature hikes are a great way to take in the concession\u2019s avian species.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The post Nat Hab in Namibia: Rhino Tracking & Conservation<\/a> first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the heart of one of Africa’s last great wildernesses, a rare and extraordinary experience awaits. Damaraland, a remote and untamed landscape tucked away in northwest Namibia\u2014a country already known for its undulating red sands and ancient basalt mountains\u2014can be arid and unforgiving; a place where many species have had to adapt, just to survive. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1808,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1806"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1806"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1806\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1812,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1806\/revisions\/1812"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1808"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.braceducation.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}