Search results

Determining wildlife numbers and their distribution patterns are an important and relevant factor for increasing scientific knowledge, to provide credible information for managerial decisions to conserve and protect biodiversity. This research was aimed at studying the distribution of wildlife species within the Fish River Canyon using different Geographical Information System (GIS) approaches and methods by analysing distribution patterns, slope and aspect analysis on which the animals were counted in, and favourable vegetation type from which different wildlife species were…

The Ongava Research Centre is collecting images of cheetahs and leopards in Etosha National Park in order to provide reliable population estimates of these predators for the first time. Did you know that there is no reliable information about the number of cheetahs and leopards in the Etosha National Park? Last year, the Ongava Research Centre (ORC) therefore called on visitors to the national park to take part in a survey by sharing pictures and sightings of cheetahs and leopards.

So, how many elephants is too many elephants? It's a question people have wrestled with for ages. Kruger National Park, home to one of Africa's largest elephant populations, has seen their numbers grow from just a handful in the early 1900s to over 31,000 by 2020. That's a lot of elephants! A recent study using smarter aerial surveys and fancy math gives us a more clear picture of just how fast these gentle giants are multiplying. Turns out, since 2013, their numbers have been growing by about 5.3% each year.

In 2022, an aerial survey for African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) was conducted over the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) in southern Africa. KAZA is a 520,000-km² network of protected areas in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The aerial survey found that KAZA holds ~228,000 elephants, confirming that this is the world’s largest population of savanna elephants and a critical stronghold for this endangered species.

New research comparing data from the two largest-ever elephant surveys reveals the overall population in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area is stable, but also uncovers some concerning local trends. Elephant numbers in Botswana, home to more elephants than any other country, are stable overall, but declining numbers in areas where hunting is permitted, and increasing numbers in protected areas, suggest underlying issues for Botswana's elephants.

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.

Four species of otter (Carnivora: Mustelidae) occur in Africa, of which the African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis) and spotted-necked otter (Hydrictis maculicollis) are known to occur in Namibia, although very little is known about their biology and distribution. Both species are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because of a reported decline in their numbers.

The desert-adapted lions (Panthera leo) of northwest Namibia inhabit arid and semi-arid habitats, primarily within communal conservancy lands, which they share with semi-nomadic pastoralists. Though of considerable conservation interest, no systematic population survey of these lions has previously been attempted. From 6 November 2022 to 6 January 2023, 45 trained surveyors covered approximately 40,000 km² of conservancy and government-managed lands, identifying individual lions by vibrissae (whisker-spot) patterns and other demographic indicators.

Waterhole counts were undertaken at selected sites in the escarpment zone of north-west Namibia. In 2018,18 waterholes in 7 conservancies were counted but from 2019 onwards, the number of waterholes was increased to more than 25 covering 11 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.

conservancy and 2 in Muduva Nyangana. Counts were undertaken over a period of 2 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. Waterhole counts are therefore best suited to species (like elephants) which need to make regular trips to water points. Estimates are calculated using the number of count days, and the drinking frequency of the species.

Estimates were calculated using DISTANCE. Most transects were foot counts, although some vehicle transects were also counted (5 in Mahango and 3 each in Buffalo and Kwando). While foot transects conform to an evenly spaced regular grid system, vehicle transects follow park roads and are prone to sampling and habitat bias due to the oversampling of boundary tracks and river sections. Consequently, the estimates presented below were derived from analyses restricted to foot transects only.

Estimates were calculated for 2024 using DISTANCE. Due to low numbers of sightings, in most cases, at least the last 5 years of data were used in analyses to generate detection profiles for each species. Only foot transects were used in analyses for Mudumu N.P. Some contiguous conservancies have been grouped in which case estimates are provided for the combined area. The bottom row of hyphenated numbers = 95% Confidence Intervals.

Game counts in Luengue-Luiana N.P. (proclaimed in 2011) were initiated in 2018. Three road section transect routes were initially established. A further two were added in 2021. The transects are limited to the extreme south-eastern portion of the park and represent an area of approximately 2,030 km² . The vegetation of the park is dominated by broadleafed savannah with several riparian networks crossing the park. In total 29 species have been recorded. For large herd species like buffalo, or floodplain species like red lechwe linear density provides the best measure of animal…

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 27 species including 7 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 2024 included wildebeest, elephant and kudu.

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. In 2024: populations of the main game species showed positive or stable trends and numbers of gemsbok and kudu were at more typical levels compared with 2023. The only species showing a downward trend was steenbok. Elephant numbers were similar over the past 3 counts.

Boat counts were undertaken along the Kwando River from the Angolan border to the southern boundary of Mudumu National Park (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and along the Okavango River from the northern part of the Buffalo core area to the Botswana border (2023, 2024). Total river length counted is approximately 190 km. Within Namibia, animals on each side of the river were counted while, in the case of hippo, animals in the river were also counted.

In 2012, a simplified territory mapping method was employed to study the distribution and numbers of all birds breeding in the Ogongo Game Park (OGP). OGP is situated approximately 50 km north-west of Oshakati, in the Outapi district, Omusati region, North-Central Namibia. The area of the park is approximately 1000 ha. The vegetation of OGP comprises mainly mopane savanna Colophospermum-Acacia nilotica. In total, 142 bird species were recorded: 101 breeding residents, 19 regular visitors, 10 irregular visitors, 3 vagrants, 10 Palaearctic migrants.

Following several years of preparation, the KAZA Elephant Survey (2022) commenced on 22 August 2022 and ran until 28 October 2022. The primary objective of the survey was to obtain a relatively precise and accurate estimate of the number of African savanna elephants (hereafter elephants) in the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA), by synchronising data collection, particularly in areas of transboundary elephant movement.

The first flight to begin an elephant survey covering parts of Angola, Botswana, Namibia,Zambia and Zimbabwe took off from a dirt strip in Zimbabwe on 22 August 2022. The survey area, known as the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA), hosts over half of Africa's savanna elephants, which underlines the importance of the survey.

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.

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. The 2023 data suggest: populations for 4 of the main game species (Roan, Eland, Steenbok and Duiker) showed positive or stable trends. There were however sharp drops in the numbers of gemsbok and kudu seen. Estimates suggest that these populations are still well balanced in number.

Estimates were calculated using DISTANCE which takes account in drop-off in detectability of animals with distance from the transect line. Where there are no values too few observations were recorded to allow for meaningful estimates to be derived. Attempts should be made to fill these gaps. Kwandu conservancy differs from the other 3 more strictly protected areas in that it contains a significant human presence. It is not expected to have the same species densities, but it is an important wildlife corridor between the national parks.

Game counts in Luengue-Luiana N.P. (proclaimed in 2011) were initiated in 2018. Three road section transect routes were initially established. A further two were added in 2021. The transects are limited to the extreme south-eastern portion of the park and represent an area of approximately 2,030 km². The vegetation of the park is dominated by broad-leafed savannah with several riparian networks crossing the park. In total 28 species have been recorded. For large herd species like buffalo, or floodplain species like red lechwe, extrapolation is not appropriate.

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 prolonged dry phase after 2013 resulted in a steady decline in populations of many game species. It is unclear how much illegal harvesting contributed to the drop in animal numbers.

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 27 species including 7 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 2023 included wildebeest, elephant and kudu.

Annual game counts have been undertaken in Sioma-Ngwezi National Park since 2017 using road-route sections covering the western boundary, the southern area, and central area of the park. The vegetation of the park is dominated by miombo broad-leafed savanna but with some marshland associated with the Kwando river in the west (Sinjembela road and Mufulani road A). In 2021 several new routes were driven, however data from all except Namulilo road were discarded as they overlapped existing routes. Only a portion of Mulamba road route was counted.

Waterhole counts were undertaken at selected sites in the escarpment zone of north-west Namibia. In 2018,18 waterholes in 7 conservancies were counted but from 2019 onwards, the number of waterholes was increased to more than 25 covering 11 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.

Annual counts were extended to include Ai-Ais Hot Springs in 2022. Three transects were counted representing an area of around 407 km² . More years of data are required before any trends or estimates can be generated.