This archive of reports of wildlife surveys in Namibia aims to:
Public access to information is a vital component of ensuring community engagement in prevalent issues. Wildlife surveys are critical to determine the health of wildlife populations and determine trends over time to guide conservation and management actions.
Wildlife surveys are done for different species using methods that are suited to counting them (e.g. by air or road) in their natural habitats. Such surveys need to be repeated over time to detect long-term trends and inform conservation managers. The Namibian government, non-governmental organisations and private reserves all conduct regular surveys covering different parts of Namibia and targeting different species. This archive will thus serve as a repository of our collective knowledge of the trends and status of a variety of species occurring throughout Namibia.
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This year's game count results showed the drastic decrease in game numbers, with gemsbok numbers being down 86% compared to 2019 and plains zebra and wildebeest down 93% and 97% respectively. Red hartebeest have all disappeared from the park as most of them died, a few were harvested, and a few got onto neighbouring properties. Only giraffe managed to increase, as 4 more calves were born over the last year, bringing the total to 22. Naturally, successful reproduction in the other game species over the past season has been very low.
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Gondwana Kalahari Park Game Count 2020.pdf | 965.72 KB |
The year’s results show a significant decrease in animals counted (-37%) and overall population estimate (-19%). The game harvesting operations done in the preceding year would have contributed to the lower game numbers. The northern sections of the park (zone 6, 7, 8 and 9) received the most rain and thus an overwhelming majority (53%) of the animals were counted in this area. For the first time in 8 years the park’s modelled carrying capacity is higher than the total grazer biomass (stocking rate).
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Gondwana Canyon Park Game Count 2020_poster.pdf | 1.7 MB |
Robust abundance estimates of wild animal populations are needed to inform management policies and are often obtained through mark–recapture (MR) studies. Visual methods are commonly used, which limits data collection to daylight hours and good weather conditions. Passive acoustic monitoring offers an alternative, particularly if acoustic cues are naturally produced and individually distinctive. Here we investigate the potential of using individually distinctive signature whistles in a MR framework and evaluate different components of study design.
We counted waterbirds along a fixed route in the panhandle of the Okavango River in Mahango Game Reserve in the dry season during two seven-year periods (1991–1997 and 2000–2006). Palearctic migrants represented by 11 species in 1991–1997 and nine species in 2000–2006 together composed only a small percentage of all birds recorded in both periods. The two most numerous foraging guilds were birds foraging in shallow water and those foraging in deep water. The former guild was more numerous in 2000–2006, while the latter guild was more numerous in 1991–1997.
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Waterbirds in the panhandle of the Okavango Delta_2019.pdf | 3.73 MB |
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Gondwana Kalahari Park Game Count 2018.jpg | 3.15 MB |
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Gondwana Canyon Park Game Count 2018.jpg | 3.01 MB |
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Gondwana Canyon Park Game Count 2016.jpg | 6.98 MB |
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Gondwana Kalahari Park Game Count 2016.jpg | 5.56 MB |
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Gondwana Kalahari Park game count 2016.jpg | 2.05 MB |
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Gondwana Namib Park game count June 2015.pdf | 1.04 MB |
Numbers of most species dropped during 2015 due to the effects of the drought & the lack of grazing. Although there were a few mortalities, many animals have moved to areas outside the park where conditions are more favourable. This is to be expected in an open system.
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Gondwana Canon Park game count 2015.pdf | 1.1 MB |
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Gondwana Kalahari Park annual game count 2015.pdf | 919.17 KB |
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Gondwana Namib Park game count 2014.pdf | 2.29 MB |
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Gondwana Kalahari Park game count 2013.pdf | 1009.24 KB |
The Okavango River system, about 480 kms of which constitutes the border between Namibia and Angola, has previously been largely neglected in the annual wetland water-bird counts programme conducted throughout Namibia. The exceptions have been the Mahango Game Reserve and a section of the river at Shamvura Camp where voluntary wetland water-bird counts have however been conducted over a consecutive period of 15 years and 11 years respectively. The remainder of the river had been left uncounted until 2012.
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KOAR Winter July Wetland Water_bird Counts Okavango River 2012.pdf | 259.43 KB |
Mountain Zebra numbers were up in 2013 due to movement into the park from the west to take advantage of the artificial waters and better grazing.
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Gondwana Canon Park game count 2013.pdf | 954.13 KB |
Springbok numbers were down during 2012 due to dispersal into broken hilly country to the west of the park. Where they were present, they were only found in small groups which could have resulted in under counting.
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Gondwana Canon Park game count 2012.pdf | 680.93 KB |
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Gondwana Kalahari Park game count 2012.pdf | 950.46 KB |
Numbers of some species were up in 2011 due to the effect of good rains. This also caused a decrease in Mountain Zebra numbers as they moved westwards out of the park.
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Gondwana Canon Park game count 2011.pdf | 955.49 KB |
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Gondwana Kalahari Park game count 2011.pdf | 570.52 KB |
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Gondwana Canon Park game count 2010.pdf | 763.08 KB |
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Gondwana Namib Park game count 2009.pdf | 539.94 KB |
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Gondwana Kalahari Park game count 2009.pdf | 451.66 KB |
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Gondwana Kalahari Park game count 2008.pdf | 758.78 KB |
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Gondwana Namib Park game count 2008.pdf | 962.06 KB |
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Gondwana Canon Park game count 2008.pdf | 981.19 KB |
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2004 Game Count in Gondwana Canon Park.pdf | 1.11 MB |
A vehicle-based road count method is used. This method works well for common plains game but will not give good results for all species; especially smaller secretive animals, nocturnal animals, and animals in mountainous areas. Other monitoring methods (e.g. aerial census, foot patrols, specialist species monitoring) and local knowledge are also important. This means that the road counts will provide part of the information rather than replace these other methods - i.e. the methods all work together each providing a piece of the 'pie'.
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2003 Game Count in Gondwana Canon Park_Methodology.pdf | 2.17 MB |
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Mahango bird count January 2002.pdf | 353.37 KB |
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Mahango wetland bird count_January 2001.pdf | 292.11 KB |
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July wetland bird count_Mahango Game Park.pdf | 400.34 KB |
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January wetland bird count in the Mahango Game Reserve_Kavango.pdf | 291.82 KB |
Report on an elephant count in the Cunene province, Namibia. Keywords: Namibia, Kunene River, aerial survey, wildlife management, wildlife density, elephant census, elephant distribution, wildlife conservation.
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Report on an elephant count in the Cunene province.pdf | 12.25 MB |