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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The lions of Namibia's Kunene Region are sought after by tourists, but they are a local threat to livestock farming, and are still largely unresearched in terms of their ecology and ranging behaviour. Though lions in Kunene have been monitored for more than twenty years, it may come as a surprise that the population has not been systematically counted throughout its range - until now. It is less surprising when one realises that the lion range in Kunene covers more than 51,000 km² of mountainous desert landscape.
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First_ever systematic lion population survey in northwest Namibia.pdf | 1.02 MB |
Nyae Nyae and N#a-Jaqna Conservancies - Full moon water counts 2022.
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Nyae Nyae waterhole 2022 Final.pdf | 597.64 KB |
Line transects were initiated in 2017 and represent almost half of the total area of the conservancy and include most of the waterholes. The area not covered by transects has low animal densities due to reduced habitat suitability and people pressure. Transect counts have recorded 25 species including 6 predator species. Based on average spoor sightings and Event Book records, hyaena are the most common predator, followed by wild dog, leopard and jackal. The top 3 species in terms of sightings between 2017 and 2022 included wildebeest, elephant and kudu.
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Nyae Nyae transect count 2022 Final.pdf | 670.9 KB |
Game counts in north-west Namibia: Conservancies south of the veterinary fence - May 2022.
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North West Game Count_South of Vet Fence 2022 final.pdf | 560.8 KB |
The fundamental purpose of game counts in communal areas is to inform conservancies and MEFT of wildlife trends for the purposes of adaptive management of resources. While estimates of species numbers are provided, these should only be considered as an approximate guide to species abundance.
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Kavango poster 2022 final.pdf | 651.24 KB |
Game counts in Bwabwata N.P. - August 2022.
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Zambezi Game Count_Bwabwata 2022.pdf | 632.72 KB |
Estimates were calculated for the current year using DISTANCE. In most cases at least the last 5 years of data were used in analysis to generate a detection profile for each species. Several conservancies have been grouped due to the low numbers of animals recorded. The bottom row of the table (hyphenated) numbers = 95% Confidence Intervals. In Sikunga, very few sightings have ever been recorded (60 for all species since 2011) and no sensible estimates for any species can be derived for this area.
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Zambezi Game Count_ East 2022.pdf | 522.67 KB |
Counts were undertaken at waterholes in the escarpment zone of north west Namibia. In 2018,18 waterholes in 7 conservancies were counted while in 2019, 2020 and 2021, the number of waterholes was increased to around 26 covering 10 conservancies. Counts were undertaken over a period of 2, 3 or 4 days during which time all animals seen were counted. Game species differ in the frequency with which they need to visit water resources with some able to acquire much of their hydration needs through foraging.
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Waterholes_NW_poster_2022_Final.pdf | 468.62 KB |
Line transects were started in 2017 and represent almost half of the total area of the conservancy and include most of the waterholes. The area not covered by transects has low animal densities due to reduced habitat suitability and people pressure. Transect counts have recorded 23 species including 6 predator species. Based on average spoor sightings hyaena are the most common predator, followed by leopard and wild dog.
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Nyae Nyae Game Count transect 2021.pdf | 765.3 KB |
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Game counts in north_west Namibia_Hobatere Concession_May 2021.pdf | 669.12 KB |
Counts were undertaken at waterholes in the escarpment zone of north west Namibia. In 2018,18 waterholes in 7 conservancies were counted while in 2019, 2020 and 2021, the number of waterholes was increased to around 26 covering 10 conservancies. Counts were undertaken over a period of 2, 3 or 4 days during which time all animals seen were counted. Game species differ in the frequency with which they need to visit water resources with some able to acquire much of their hydration needs through foraging.
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Waterholes_NW_poster_2021_final.pdf | 513.97 KB |
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Game counts in north_west Namibia_Palmwag and Etendeka Conscessions_May 2021.pdf | 735 KB |
The fundamental purpose of these annual game counts is to inform MEFT of general wildlife trends in the parks. While estimates for some species are provided, these should only be considered as an approximate guide to species abundance.
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Zambezi Game Count_Bwabwata 2021 final.pdf | 656.34 KB |
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Game counts in north_west Namibia_Conservancies south of the veterinary fence_May 2021.pdf | 638.72 KB |
The fundamental purpose of game counts in communal areas is to inform conservancies and MEFT of wildlife trends for the purposes of adaptive management of resources. While estimates for some species are provided, these should only be considered as an approximate guide to species abundance.
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Zambezi Game Count_East 2021 final.pdf | 657.33 KB |
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Game counts in north_west Namibia_Conservancies north of the veterinary fence_May 2021.pdf | 599.88 KB |
The fundamental purpose of game counts in communal areas is to inform conservancies and MEFT of wildlife trends for the purposes of adaptive management of resources. While estimates of species numbers are provided, these should only be considered as an approximate guide to species abundance.
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Kavango poster 2021 final.pdf | 711.16 KB |
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Game counts in north_central Namibia_Total number of animals seen_last 5 years_July 2021.pdf | 865.86 KB |
Wildlife populations in north-west Namibia were severely impacted in the 1980s by a combination of severe drought and poaching. Community conservation, formalised in 1996 through conservancies facilitated an increase in wildlife numbers through controlled utilisation and effective control of poaching. Between 1996 and 2012 most species experienced stable or growing population trends. However, a subsequent prolonged dry phase has resulted in a steady decline in populations of many game species. It is unclear how much illegal harvesting has contributed to this decline.
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Game counts in north_west Namibia regional summary_May 2021.pdf | 897.11 KB |
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Game counts in southern Namibia_May 2021.pdf | 786.81 KB |
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.
Leopards are among the most enchanting big cats in the world. Their beauty, raw power and elusiveness have fascinated humans through the ages. Our fascination with leopards is a double-edged sword for the big cat, however. The value we place on seeing this beautiful big cat draws tourists and provides funding for conservation.
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Counting Cats_An updated national leopard survey for Namibia.pdf | 2.58 MB |
Knowledge of a population’s abundance is of primary importance for conservation management. However, robust estimates of abundance are often difficult to obtain, especially for cetaceans which spend most of their lives submerged. Cetacean abundance is commonly estimated using aerial or vessel-based line transect surveys and distance sampling methods. During 2012–2014, the first line transect surveys to estimate cetacean abundance were conducted in Namibian waters.
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First Abundance Estimates of Heavisides and Dusky Dolphin off Namibia.pdf | 5.23 MB |
Knowledge of the occurrence and distribution of cetaceans is particularly important for conservation and management, but is still limited within Namibian waters. We collated 3211 cetacean records from the Namibian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) for the period 2008 to 2016 and applied the principle of minimum cross entropy (MinxEnt) to predict habitat suitability. MinxEnt is a generalised form of maximum entropy modelling that allows incorporation of additional information such as sampling bias.
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Predicting large_scale habitat suitability for cetaceans off Namibia using MinxEnt.pdf | 2.91 MB |
From 2016 onwards Bamunu (2) was included in counts. In 2018 the two Protected Areas Mudumu (7) and Nkasa Ruparo (8) were not included in counts. It is important to bear this in mind when interpreting tables, charts and a time series of posters.
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Zambezi Game Count_East 2019.pdf | 544.93 KB |
The coastal population of common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus found in Namibia is regionally isolated and unique. This population faces several potential anthropogenic threats, especially in Walvis Bay, including boat-based tourism, a commercial harbour undergoing expansion, and aquaculture for oysters and mussels. Between 2008 and 2012, 238 boat-based surveys were conducted, resulting in 170 encounters with bottlenose dolphins. Overall, group sizes varied from 1 to 45 individuals (mean 10.7).
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Tursiops truncatus in Walvis Bay.pdf | 2.67 MB |
The African Leopard (Panthera pardus pardus) is one of Africa's most distinguishable big cats. As the leopard has such a broad geographical range combined with its cryptic activities there is a limited amount of empirical evidence that exists which in turn can be applied to adaptive management strategies, through practical conservation methods and monitoring across Namibia and Southern Africa.
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The Namibian leopard_National census and sustainable hunting practices.pdf | 4.25 MB |
Summary of game counts in north-central Namibia: Total Numbers of animals seen: last 5 years.
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Game counts in north_central Namibia_Total Numbers of animals seen_last 5 years_2018.pdf | 850.88 KB |
A total of 250,786 Cape Cormorants, of which 16,038 were individuals on nests in 349 colonies, and 15,831 Cape Fur Seals were counted during a complete aerial photographic census of the island of Tigres and part of the adjacent coast in Angola in March 2017. Such a concentration of birds and seals and the large number of breeding Cape Cormorants highlights the need to protect Tigres and its rich surrounding waters. Keywords: aerial census, Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus, Baía dos Tigres, Cape cormorant, Cape fur seal, Phalacrocorax capensis.
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Aerial census of Cape Cormorants and Cape Fur Seals at Baia dos Tigres.pdf | 3.54 MB |
Carnivore populations face threats from increasing human populations and rapidly diminishing, suitable habitat. Large carnivores such as African lions (Panthera leo) commonly attack livestock on lands adjacent to protected areas. This can lead to human-wildlife conflict (HWC) events that result in retaliatory lion killings. Conflict is a primary driver of wild lion population declines which are estimated to have decreased by 43% in the last 20 years.
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Etosha National Park Carnivore Monitoring Project_Lion GPS_Satelllite Monitoring.pdf | 2.09 MB |
Assessing the numbers and distribution of threatened species is a central challenge in conservation, often made difficult because the species of concern are rare and elusive. For some predators, this may be compounded by their being sparsely distributed over large areas. Such is the case with the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus. The IUCN Red List process solicits comments, is democratic, transparent, widely-used, and has recently assessed the species.
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The distribution and numbers of cheetah in southern Africa_2017.pdf | 6.63 MB |
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Aerial count of the roan antelope and other wildlife species in Khaudum National Park_2016.pdf | 2.56 MB |
Summary of game counts in north-west Namibia: Hobatere concessions area, June 2017.
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Game counts in north_west Namibia_Hobatere concessions area_June 2017.pdf | 1.06 MB |
Summary of game counts in Bwabwata NP, Dry season - Live sightings, 2016.
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Game counts in Bwabwata NP_dry season_Live sightings_2016.pdf | 1.04 MB |
Summary of game counts in north-west Namibia: Conservancies south of the veterinary fence, June 2016.
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Game counts in north_west Namibia_Conservancies south of the veterinary fence_June 2016.pdf | 893.65 KB |
Summary of game counts in north-west Namibia, July 2016.
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Game counts in north_west Namibia_July 2016.pdf | 988.19 KB |
After the initial and in-depth assessment of the leopard population in the Okonjima Nature Reserve via the use of remote camera traps that provided a detailed insight of their demography as well as temporal and spatial distribution patterns, a long-term monitoring program has been introduced. This aims to observe and monitor fluctuations in the composition of the population, as well as shifts and overlaps of home ranges and territories.
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The assessment of leopard density and population size via a capture.pdf | 1.45 MB |
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Game counts in eastern Zambezi_Dry season_live sightings_2015.pdf | 692.79 KB |
Game counts in Bwabwata and Zambezi (Caprivi); dry season, live sightings. showing Numbers seen by conservation area, habitat, compared to 2013, population estimates and trends.
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Zambezi_game_count_poster_2014.pdf | 770.48 KB |
In 2011, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism conducted a questionnaire to various stakeholders to determine relative abundance of large carnivores throughout Namibia. The results of this questionnaire were quantified and mapped to establish the current range and relative abundance of the six Namibian large carnivores. Recent population estimates for leopards are used here, however, the remaining species we used estimates from the previous Atlas as our best estimates to date.
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Namibia Large Carnivore Atlas_2012.pdf | 3.87 MB |
Leopards are the most widely-distributed wild cat on earth. They are found throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa and in smaller populations within the Middle East, southwest Asia, southeast Asia and north to the Amur peninsula of the Russian Far-East. Throughout this distribution, leopards have persisted in hostile areas outside of protected areas due to their secretive nature and adaptable ability to live in a variety of habitats including sub-urban environments.
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Namibian National Leopard Survey_2011.pdf | 565.33 KB |
Game counts in Bwabwata and Caprivi; dry season, live sightings. showing Numbers seen by conservation area, habitat, compared to 2009, population estimates and trends.
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Caprivi game count poster 2010.doc | 380 KB |
Game counts in north-west Namibia, June 2010.
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NW_game_count_poster_2010.pdf | 2.27 MB |
This report presents the results of the third fixed-wing aerial wildlife census of the Caprivi River systems in Namibia conducted during September 2009. The purpose of this survey is to provide recent information on the distribution, abundance and trend of wildlife species including comparisons between protected areas and conservancies. The report compares the results of this survey with earlier fixed-wing aerial surveys conducted in September 2007 and August 2004.
Knowledge of a species' ranging behaviour is both fundamental to understanding its behavioural ecology and a prerequisite to planning its management. Few data exist on the spatial ecology of cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus outside protected areas, but such areas are particularly important to their conservation. Cheetahs on Namibian farmlands occupied exceptionally large home ranges, averaging 1651km2 (1594km2), with no detectable effect of sex, social grouping or seasonality.
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Spatial ecology of cheetahs.pdf | 1.27 MB |
Summary of game count in north west in 2007: route statistics, animals seen, population estimates, trends.
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NW game count poster 2007.pdf | 155.13 KB |
Namibia is one of few African countries that support six species of large carnivore. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyaenas, brown hyaenas and wild dogs occur primarily in the northern and western sections of Namibia. With the possible exception of lions and leopards we have a poor understanding of the exact distribution and density of these species, although available information suggests that the populations are stable. The Namibia Large Carnivore Atlas was launched to involve the tourism industry and the Namibian public in collecting baseline data on the six large…
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Namibia Large Carnivore Atlas_12_2003.pdf | 1.29 MB |
Namibia is one of few African countries that support six species of large carnivore. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyaenas, brown hyaenas and wild dogs occur primarily in the northern and western sections of Namibia. With the possible exception of lions and leopards we have a poor understanding of the exact distribution and density of these species, although available information suggests that the populations are stable. The Namibia Large Carnivore Atlas was launched to involve the tourism industry and the Namibian public in collecting baseline data on the six large…
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Namibia Large Carnivore Atlas_July 2004.pdf | 770.46 KB |
Namibia is one of few African countries that support six species of large carnivore. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyaenas, brown hyaenas and wild dogs occur primarily in the northern and western sections of Namibia. With the possible exception of lions and leopards we have a poor understanding of the exact distribution and density of these species, although available information suggests that the populations are stable.