There is a seemingly endless list of diverse and exotic wildlife in Namibia, which makes it one of the most popular destinations in the world for ecotourism and luxury safaris. That list includes elephants, giraffe, rhinoceros (both black and white), lions, leopards, water buffalo, wart hogs, wildebeests, cheetahs (more than anyplace else in the world), hippopotami, porcupines, impala, wild dogs, jackals, kudu, springbok, antelope, oryx, zebra, pangolins, baboons, seals, hyena, spider monkeys, penguins, flamingos, meerkats, and countless species of exotic birds, reptiles and insects. The constitution of Namibia was the first to expressly provide for protection of the environment. Additionally, when faced with the threat of wildlife poachers in extremely remote areas with high unemployment rates, Namibia came up with a very unique way to employ people and protect the wildlife, both without the expenditure of the government’s financial resources. Legislation was passed to allow the creation of quasi-governmental “communal conservancies” covering vast expanses of land.
The conservancies are operated by and for the benefit of the people who live in those areas. The people are charged with responsibility to protect the wildlife within the conservancy territory and, in exchange, a few licenses are issued by the government each year to big game hunters. The funds derived from issuing those licenses go to the communities within the conservancies for health initiatives, education, anti-poaching programs and other community services. Since the communal conservancy program was implemented in 1996, poverty has been alleviated and there has been a resurgence of the once near extinct black rhinos, a tripling of elephant populations and steady expansion of cheetahs, lions and other native wildlife populations. Etosha National Park is 8,600 square miles in size and located in north central Namibia. Wildlife exists without fences there in an untouched environment. The “pan,” the dried bed of a vast saltwater lake believed to have been formed over 100 million years ago, is the central feature in the park and covers 23% of its entire area. There many beautiful luxury camps in and around the park, and plenty of watering holes around the pan which serve as ideal spots for the quiet observation of wildlife in its natural habitat. But you don’t have to go to Etosha to see wildlife in Namibia, it is everywhere! I will never forget the thrill of seeing baboons, warthogs and giraffe upon my arrival for the first time as I drove myself from Hosea Kutako International Airport to downtown Windhoek!
