Types Of Animals In Namibia
Namibia has 26 parks and reserves making it's abundant wildlife one of its greatest tourist assets. The most famous of these parks is the Etosha National Park which harbours 114 mammal species. There are 8 mammal species endemic to Namibia, including the Black faced Impala, several mice, gerbils and bats. The Black faced Impala is similar to the common Impala except for the distinctive black stripe down its face. The desert is well known for its large number of endemic dune dwellers, especially lizards, of which there are 30 endemic species. Namibia is also home to many bird species.
Namibia's endangered species include Wild Dog, Black Rhino, Oribi and Puku. The Puku antelope is limited to about 100 individuals along the Chobe River in Botswana and the Linyati marshes in Namibia. The Black and White Rhino have suffered the most from poaching and are on the verge of extinction. If there had been no moves to save them in the last 20 years they probably would have disappeared form the wild altogether. Although both species occur naturally in Namibia, today you will find in many of the reserves that they have been reintroduced. The country also has the largest population in southern Africa of cheetah not contained within National Parks. There are over twenty species of antelope in Namibia ranging from largest, the Eland, to smallest, the Damara dik-dik. The Gemsbok, a striking antelope with long symmetrical horns and distinctive black and white markings is featured on the coat of arms. Namibia also harbours a wealth of small mammals including Mongoose, Jackal as well as the less common Antbear and Honey Badger, these are not often seen as they are solitary and nocturnal.
Namibia's parks and reserves range from the open bush of the centre and the north where wildlife is relatively plentiful, to the barren and inhospitable coastal strip with its huge sand dunes. The three main tourist attractions for wildlife in Namibia are Etosha National Park, Waterberg Plateau National Park and Cape Cross Reserve.
Namibia Wildlife Holidays In Africa
Etosha's name translates as 'Great white place of dry water'. The wildlife is typical of southern savannah in Africa with large herds of 'plains game' such as Springbok, Burchell's Zebra, Gemsbok and Blue Wildebeest, as well as smaller numbers of Red Hartebeest and Mountain Zebra. It's also home to Lion, Cheetah and the elusive Leopard. Some 300 Black Rhino live in Etosha as well as an Elephant population that fluctuates between 750 -1500 as they migrate between Kaokoveld, Etosha and the Caprivi Strip. Waterberg Plateau was proclaimed for the purposes of breeding and maintaining population of rare and endangered animals, such as Tsessebe, Roan and Sable antelope. Buffalo were introduce from the east and White Rhino were reintroduced from South Africa. It is the only such White Rhino population in Namibia. Cape Cross is Seal reserve which covers 60sqkm. The seal numbers fluctuate between 80, 000 and 100, 000, with only one in four seal pups surviving as they often fall prey to jackals and hyena.
One of the best ways to see the wildlife is on a guided safari, we also help plan self drive holidays through Namibia and can offer a wide selection of lodges in Namibia which offer easy access to various wildlife areas
Become a citizen scientist & contribute to the long-term survival of Namibia's wild carnivores by logging your sightings on the Carnivore Tracker AppThere are so many wild animals in Namibia to encounter and see when going on safari or when simply exploring this huge country.
Which Animals Can You See In The Desert?
In Namibia, you will encounter game and many wild animals. They live mainly in national parks and private games reserves, where the wildlife is protected from hunters, but you can spot many of the animals also when you just drive in the countryside.
Among the many animals which you can see in Namibia are: lions, elephants, giraffes, hippopotamus, cheetas, black and white rhinos, wildebeest, hyenas, vultures, black backed jackals, ostriches, zebras, seals, dikdiks (a tiny antelope species), baboons, springboks, wild dogs, kudus and oryx (or oryxes).
The most likely wild animals to see when visiting Namibia are the many kinds of antelopes or bucks. Among the most prominent is the oryx.
Namibia Mammal Safari
In the image above, you can see an oryx with its long spiky horns. The oryx is also the national animal of Namibia. You can see these beautiful antelopes everywhere in the country, even freely roaming the parks and greens in small towns and villages.
In many parts of the country, animals in Namibia roam freely also outside the big game reserves, therefore people have to be extra careful when they drive on the roads. Many roads are gravel roads or sand pistes.
We have seen many interesting traffic signs like this one which stands near the town of Oranjemund in Southern Namibia. This is the traffic sign which warns to look out for oryx and other antelopes.
Wildlife Of Namibia
Kudus are big antelopes with beautiful horn spirals. These antelopes live in the savannah regions and eat leaves and fresh plant shoots. Kudus are very shy. When they feel threatened they will rather flee than fight.
The springboks are numerous as well and can be encountered on any drives in the countryside. This antelope species is not tall, but easy to distinguish by their white belly and medium brown coat as well as the white spot on their bottoms.
These animals got their name from their way of jumping and running which looks really funny. They can leap up to 2m/6ft. in hight! Did you know the springbok is also the national animal of South Africa? Read more about South Africa here.
Keep Namibia's Wildlife On The Land
African elephants are mainly confined to the Namibian national parks and will not be encountered outside game parks exept in the Damaraland, the desert area in north-western Namibia. Did you know that African elephants are much larger than Asian elephants? You can easily distinguish African and Asian elephants also by the size of their ears. African elephants have much bigger ears, their shape looks almost as displaying the shape of the African continent - You can spot this the photo!
The largest and most popular Namibian National Park is the Etosha National Park in the north of Namibia. Etosha is home to the majority of the Namibian elephant herds. Other elephant herds live in the desert in the northern parts of Namibia. Did you know that elephants cannot see well, but they have an excellent hearing and a great sense of smell?
Zebras are easy to spot in the bushland, due to their bold black and white striped coat. They are single-hoofed and are close relatives to horses. Zebras live in large herds. Did you know that the skin of zebras is dark and that the stripes of the zebras can be compared to fingerprints? This means all zebras can be distinguished by their individual stripe pattern and so can be easily identified by rangers and scientists!
Caring For Wildlife, Namibian Style
The rhinoceros are an endangered species as they sadly still are hunted for their beautiful horn. Did you know that there are white and black rhinos? They are not much different in their coat colour, but they are different in size and in behaviour. In general, white rhinos are considered as less dangerous, even friendly. And you can distinguish them according to the shape of their mouth. The white rhino with the broad mouth seems to be always smiling while the black rhino has a pointed mouth and the horn thus also looks even more threatening.
In Namibia, you can also encounter wild horses. One herd is located near Aus, between Windhoek and Swakopmund and can be often seen grazing in the arid region. The wild horses are such an amazing sight! The horses are most likely to stem from a herd which was brought into Namibia in the early 20th century, after the first world war, when the first railway line was constructed in the region. Read more here.
As you would expect in Africa, you can encounter the majestic lions in Namibia too. In the northern Namib desert, there are several lion conservation projects. No, there are no lions roaming the streets of the towns at night - however these ferocious animals can be seen roaming nearby some campsites in the national parks!
Wild Animals In Namibia [wildlife In Namibia]
The Skeleton Coast of Namibia is home to a large seal colony. Visitors to Cape Cross can view the Cape fur seals from a walkway on the beach. However, be prepared, this is a smelly adventure! It is interesting to note, that the Cape fur seals are the only seal species in the world which has external ears! This you can also spot on the image above!
Many endangered animal species can be found in Namibia: the African Wild Dog, the Black and White Rhino, the Oribi and the much smaller Puku.Thanks to its beautiful, ever-changing landscape, a safari in Namibia is unique and differs greatly from anything else you’ll experience in Africa. From the gigantic dunes of Sossusvlei and the shores of the Skeleton Coast to the wildlife-rich region of Etosha National Park, Namibia offers the same standard
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