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, the populations of many species have since shown a steady decline. It is unclear to what extent changes in biomass cover, predator and livestock numbers, and illegal harvesting, have each impacted game populations. However, in response to the declines, official harvesting through controlled hunting has been reduced since 2014 to assist populations in their recovery. The north-west comprises 4 distinct sub-areas: conservancies south of the veterinary fence, conservancies north of the fence and the concession areas (where no utilisation is permitted): Palmwag and Etendeka and Hobatere. There are clear differences in animal density between these areas with the concession areas normally having highest densities and the southern area having the lowest. The concession areas of Palmwag and Etendeka (which represent only slightly more than 9% of the region) have been important natural refuges for many wildlife species. Trends in these areas often show radical spikes between years reflecting animal movements to and from the concessions, the Skeleton Coast, communal conservancies, and freehold land. In any given year many animals may be missed due to under-sampling in counts; 43% of this area is excluded.