Desert elephants in Namibia
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Desert elephants, the lowdown
Desert-adapted elephants are found in just two places in the whole of Africa, Namibia and Mali, and Namibia's are under constant threat. During Namibia’s 1966-1990 war for independence, over-hunting and fighting forced the elephants north, and Herero farming communities moved into the herds’ traditional territories in southern Kunene. Since the mid-1990s, good rains have encouraged the elephants to return south, and communities unaccustomed to coexisting with these sometimes not-so-gentle giants are struggling to balance their own needs with the elephants’ voracious demand for food and water. In the early 20th century, this region of Namibia was home to around 3,000 elephants; in 2013 they numbered just 600. Human-elephant conflict is unavoidable, but glimmers of light are emerging. Research projects are offering practical solutions to keep elephants out of crops and villages, and tourism initiatives are starting to help communities understand the value in keeping their giant neighbours alive.
Where to see desert elephants in Namibia
You’ll need to head north, into Damaraland and towards the Skeleton Coast National Park to find desert elephant territory. Here in the little developed, arid and wild Kunene, elephant families roam ephemeral river beds alongside black rhino, zebra and giraffe, and remote desert camps give you access to game drives, and on private concessions, walking safaris.Overshadowed by the Brandberg Mountain, the wilderness surrounding the subterranean Ugab River at the southern boundary of the Kunene region is one of the most accessible places to see desert elephants. While water may only flow above the surface for a few short days each year, the Ugab is still one of Namibia’s major rivers, supporting enough vegetation to sustain the rare elephants as well as Africa’s largest population of free-roaming black rhino.
Further north, the Aba Huab River, also mostly dry year-round, offers basic camps with on-foot safaris, too.
What does this trip entail?
If you’re lucky, you might spot other wildlife as you seek out the elephants, but ultimately these trips are about tracking the herds. And your patience is rewarded with truly wild, intimate encounters with some of Africa’s rarest creatures. Park up, watch and wonder, often for much longer than you would on other safaris, as the elephants interact in family groups, take a dust bath or chomp delicately on the sparse vegetation.
Walking safaris are possible at camps on privately-owned concessions. Less about seeing the elephants themselves and more about enjoying the environment’s smaller details; walking safaris with an armed ranger reveal the sounds, smells, tracks and signs that you might otherwise miss from your vehicle.
How to see desert elephants in Namibia
The Ugab Wilderness Area camps are remote and difficult to access. If you choose a self drive holiday, you’ll likely head north under your own steam from Swakopmund, along the Skeleton Coast, and to the beautifully preserved rock art at Twyfelfontein.Your tour operator will then arrange for you to be met by a private guide and transferred by 4x4 to your camp in the Ugab Wilderness Area. A tour operator will be able to seamlessly arrange transfers, guides and park fees for you, enabling you to sit back and enjoy your adventure into one of Namibia’s wildest and least accessible corners.
If you’ve chosen a self-drive tour of Namibia then your tour operator may give you the freedom to book any game drives or walking safaris directly with your desert camp when you arrive, although they can offer you advice and information in advance. This gives you more control over your daily itinerary and the chance to choose a rest day after a long day of driving if you prefer.
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Namibia and Botswana camping safari
Camping safari to Namib desert, Caprivi, Etosha & Okavango
2021: 16 May, 4 Jul, 18 Jul, 1 Aug, 22 Aug, 12 Sep, 26 Sep, 10 Oct, 24 Oct, 21 Nov, 19 Dec
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Conservation volunteering with desert elephants in Namibia
The volunteer programmes also offer an eye-opening chance for children to play a role in securing the future of some of the world’s rarest elephants, as well as meet their rural Namibian peers at local schools. Families with children as young as five can work together to assist local research teams in tracking the elephants and collecting data on their behaviour, although these trips are probably best suited to children aged eight years plus.
When is the best time to see desert elephants in Namibia?
With over 300 days of sunshine year-round there’s no particularly bad time to visit Namibia. However, while rain is unlikely to stop play, temperatures might, with daytimes in the desert soaring into the 40°Cs. The dry Namibian winter from May to October brings the most pleasant daytime temperatures to the Ugab Wilderness Area, around 25°Cs, and wildlife will congregate around the few remaining waterholes making it (relatively) easy to find and spot.However, winter nights in the desert can be cold – frosty even – so come prepared with warm layers for early morning and evening game drives. This is also peak season, and accommodation in Namibia’s tourist hotspots – for example Etosha National Park – typically combined with a trip to see the desert elephants, will book up quickly. Choose the latter part of the season – around September to October – to avoid the peak crowds and the chilly nights, but be aware that daytime temperatures can start to sky-rocket in October.