News
Survey and Monitoring
Saturday 15 May 2021
Extensive rain showers that reached some of the more barren parts of the Skeleton Coast National Park late in the rainy season may have turned the tables for the wildlife populations. But is is yet unclear how broadly and how much precipitation the desert received and how quickly the wildlife and lion populations will recover from the hyper-arid conditions that prevaled. ..read more >>
Brandberg Human Lion Conflicts
Friday 7 May 2021
A story by Helge Denker: " Sometime after 11 O'clock at night, I am abruptly woken from deep sleep. My wife, Irene, suddenly sits up next to me. I also sit up and through the mosquito gauze of our tent door see an animal facing us in the moonlight, perhaps five metres away but partly obscured by a knee-high shrub. I think it's an inquisitive spotted hyaena. The animal only looks at us for a short moment, then fades into shadow as it walks towards and past the side of the tent. There it turns, pauses – and attacks with a chilling growl. " ..read more >>
Times of Hardship
Saturday 1 May 2021
The desert-adapted lion population of Northwest Namibia is facing starvation and increased levels of human-lion conflict. Due to below average rainfall for several consecutive years and aggravated by recent adverse weather conditions, such as extreme heat combined with sand and dust storms, the Northern Namib has experienced hyper-arid conditions. ..read more >>
Evaluation of environmental conditions
Tuesday 20 April 2021
Understanding the movements of the Orphan lionesses Below average rainfall during recent years have resulted in hyper-arid conditions in the Northern Namib. The conditions have had severe impacts on the local communities, livestock farmers and wildlife alike. A large proportion of the lion population have struggled to find find sufficient prey and many individuals have moved excessive distances in search food. Some lions have moved towards human settlements that resulted in numerous incidents of human-lion conflict ..read more >>
Extensive rainfall
Saturday 10 April 2021
When the two Orphan lionesses left the flooding Hoaruseb river on 26 March 2021 they spent several days feeding on a gemsbok on the Hoanib Floodplain. Due to the rains and flooding most of the prey animals have, however, vacated the area. The lionesses crossed the dune-belt and visited the coast where they killed a Cape fur seal. ..read more >>
Rainfall and Floods
Wednesday 31 March 2021
The research vehicle was stranded on the northern side of the Hoaruseb river for two days as rainclouds continued to build before a successful crossing was made at the river mouth. The Hoanib river was also in flood and access to the Orphan lionesses was not possible. ..read more >>
Orphan lionesses return to Hoanib
Saturday 27 March 2021
When the floodwaters arrived during the night of 19/20 March 2021, the two lionesses had to abandon the remainder of their two zebra carcasses. Early on 26 March 2021 the lionesses swam through a fast flowing river and moved back to the Hoanib Floodplain. ..read more >>
Hoaruseb flood
Wednesday 24 March 2021
Rain clouds continued to build during the afternoons following the flooding of the Hoaruseb river on 19/20 March 2021. This resulted in rising floodwaters and the Hoaruseb river turned into a fast flowing river. ..read more >>
