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Namibian Wildlife Surveys archive

This archive of reports of wildlife surveys in Namibia aims to:

  • provide easy public access to published information and statistics
  • enable easy stakeholder access to recent and historical data on wildlife populations
  • provide a comprehensive archive of wildlife survey reports in Namibia

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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Displaying results 1 - 28 of 28
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2019. Game Counts in north-west Namibia: Conservancies north of veterinary fence, May 2019.
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2019. Game Counts in East Zambezi: Dry season - Live sightings, August 2019.

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
Craig GC, Gibson DSC 2019. Aerial survey of north-eastern Namibia - Elephants and other wildlife in Khaudum National Park and neighbouring areas, September 2019.

The 2019 aerial survey of wildlife in Khaudum National Park and Neighbouring Areas, Namibia, was commissioned by KfW on behalf of the Directorate of Scientific Services, Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), Government of Namibia as part of the survey of elephants in north-eastern Namibia.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2019.  Game Counts in north-west Namibia: Hobatere Concession, May 2019.
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North West Game Count_Hobatere 2019.pdf 581.69 KB
Craig GC, Gibson DSC 2019. Aerial survey of north-east Namibia - Elephants and other wildlife in Zambezi Region, September/October 2019.

An aerial survey of wildlife and domestic livestock took place in Zambezi Region from 25 th September to 4 th October 2019 as part of a wider survey including Khaudum National Park and its neighbouring conservancies. A total area of 17 380km2 was sampled at intensities between 10 and 40%. The estimates of numbers of each species are tabulated below. The estimated number of elephants is lower than that from the 2015 survey, but the change is not statistically significant. There were considerably fewer elephant carcasses seen in 2019.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2019. Game Counts in Hardap Game Park: May 2019.
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Hardap Game Count 2019 final.pdf 693.66 KB
Craig GC, Gibson DSC 2019. Aerial survey of north-east Namibia - Elephants and other wildlife in Khaudum National Park and neighbouring areas, September 2019.

An aerial survey of wildlife and domestic livestock took place in the Khaudum National Park and its neighbouring areas from 18th to 23th September 2019 as part of a wider survey including Zambezi Region. A total area of 14029 km2 was sampled at intensities from 5% to 20%. The estimated numbers of numbers of each species are given in the table below. The increase in estimated numbers of elephants since 2013 has been greater than expected from natural reproduction, but the overall trend from 1998 shows an average rate of increase of 4.4% per annum.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2019. Game Counts: Kavango East, August 2019.
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Kavango East poster 2019 Final.pdf 767.43 KB
Amutenya KL 2019. Khaudum National Park's full moon waterhole game count, October 2019.

The waterhole fool-moon game count survey was conducted during the hottest period of the year (October) for a duration of 72 hours (3 days and 3 nights), which ensured that wildlife in the park is solely dependent on artificial water points. The survey was conducted at all the 13 water points (11 artificial and 2 fountains), with each water point having a team of eight people, working in shifts. The counting commenced on 12 October 2019, a day before the full moon and finished on 15 October 2019, a day after the full moon.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2019. Game Counts in north-central Namibia: May 2019.
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North Central Game Count 2019 final.pdf 875.06 KB
Inman VL, Kingsford RT, Chase MJ, Leggett KEA 2019. Drone-based effective counting and ageing of hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. PLoS ONE 14 (12)

Accurately estimating hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) numbers is difficult due to their aggressive nature, amphibious lifestyle, and habit of diving and surfacing. Traditionally, hippos are counted using aerial surveys and land/boat surveys. We compared estimates of numbers of hippos in a lagoon in the Okavango Delta, counted from land to counts from video taken from a DJI Phantom 4TM drone, testing for effectiveness at three heights (40 m, 80 m, and 120 m) and four times of day (early morning, late morning, early afternoon, and late afternoon).

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2019. Game counts - line transect: Nyae Nyae Conservancy, Jul/Aug 2019.
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Nyae Nyae transect count 2019.pdf 705.14 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2019. Game Counts in southern Namibia: May 2019.
Namibian Chamber of Environment (NCE) 2019. Gaining insights into the secret lives of wild animals. Conservation and the Environment in Namibia (2019)

If you have had the privilege of spending plenty of time watching wildlife in Africa's wilderness areas, it is likely that you have spotted an animal wearing a collar. In the context of a safari in the wilderness the presence of a clunky leather collar around the neck of a majestic lion or elephant may seem out of place and even jarring, as it reminds us that man's impact on the environment extends right into the lives of individual animals. This may leave you wondering: why are collars necessary? What benefit do the animals get from humans catching and collaring them?

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2019. Game Counts in north-west Namibia: Conservancies south of the veterinary fence, May 2019.
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2019. Game Counts in Bwabwata N.P.: Dry season - Live sightings, August 2019.
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Zambezi Game Count_Bwabwata 2019.pdf 748.18 KB
Craig GC, Gibson DSC 2019. Aerial survey of north-eastern Namibia: Elephant and other wildlife in Zambezi Region, September/October 2019. An aerial survey of wildlife and domestic livestock took place in Zambezi Region from 25th September to 4th October 2019 as part of a wider survey including Khaudum National Park and its neighbouring conservancies. A total area of 17 380km2 was sampled at intensities between 10 and 40%. The estimates of numbers of each species are tabulated below. The estimated number of elephants is lower than that from the 2015 survey, but the change is not statistically significant.  There were considerably fewer elephant carcasses seen in 2019. However as a result of the policy of MET to remove carcasses from the field, mortality can no longer be estimated from the aerial survey results. Illegal hunting of elephants continues to take place in the area.
Craig GC, Gibson DSC 2013. Aerial survey of elephants and other wildlife in Khaudum National Park and Nyae Nyae, September 2013.

An aerial survey of wildlife and domestic livestock took place in the Khaudum National Park and surrounding conservancies from 17th to the 22nd September 2013. A total area of 15200 km2 was sampled at an average intensity of 7.1%.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2013. Game counts in Bwabwata and Caprivi: Dry Season 2013 .

Game counts in Bwabwata and Caprivi; dry season, live sightings. showing Numbers seen by conservation area, habitat, compared to 2012, population estimates and trends.

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Caprivi_game_count_poster_2013.pdf 717.55 KB
Kolberg H 2013. Report on a mountain zebra aerial survey in the Naukluft and Khomas Hochland, 19 to 24 June 2013.

An aerial survey specifically aimed at mountain zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae) was carried out by the survey unit of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism from 19 to 24 June 2013. The survey covered the Naukluft Mountains in the Namib-Naukluft Park and a large area of the Khomas Hochland west of Windhoek, between the Swakop River in the north and the Naukluft Mountains in the south (Figure 1). The survey was carried out using a Bell Jet Ranger 206 helicopter (V5-HIR) with a crew of four using standard aerial survey methodology.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2013. Game counts in Hardap Game Park, May 2013 .

Poster summarising the results of the 2013 Hardap game count.

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Hardap_game_count_poster_2013.pdf 630.9 KB
Hartung Q, Hartung V 2013. Results of the annual game count for the NamibRand Nature Reserve and Pro-Namib Conservancy 1 June 2013.

This report provides summarised results and analysis of the annual game count held on the NamibRand Nature Reserve and Pro-Namib Conservancy on the 1st of June 2013- for the ninth consecutive year since the count was initiated in 2005. This was also the second year running that the farms Springbokvlakte and Saffier were included in the count since they joined to the reserve in 2012. Teamwork was once again the essence of the day as all concessionaires, landowners, neighbours and NRNR staff joined in to participate in the event.

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Game count report 2013_Namib Rand.pdf 1.29 MB
Craig GC, Gibson DSC 2013. Aerial survey of elephants and other wildlife in the Caprivi May/June 2013.

An aerial survey of wildlife and domestic livestock took place in the Caprivi from 29 May to 8 June 2013. A total area of 16733 km2 was sampled at an average intensity of 12.7%. The estimates of numbers of each species (with their 95% confidence range) are given in the table below. The population of elephants has increased at an average rate of between 1.4% and 8.3%.per annum. However, the ratio of carcasses to live elephants indicates a possibly unsustainable number of animals being killed in much of the Caprivi.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2013. Game counts in north-west Namibia, June 2013 .

Poster summarising the results of the 2013 North West game count.

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NW_game_count_poster_2013.pdf 2.2 MB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2013. Game counts in southern Namibia, May 2013 .

Poster summarising the results of the 2013 south game count.

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South_game_count_poster_2013.pdf 476.3 KB
Gondwana Collection Namibia 2013. Gondwana Kalahari Park game count 2013.
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Gondwana Kalahari Park game count 2013.pdf 1009.24 KB
2013. Project proposal: A study of the population densities, movement patterns and land uses of oryx, springbok and mountain zebra in and around the Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape (31 May 2013) .

The Greater Sossusvlei-Namib Landscape (GSNL; Figure 1) promotes collaborative management between the owners and custodians of land, both private and public, for the purpose of improved ecosystem and biodiversity management and socio-economic development (Anon. 2013).

Gondwana Collection Namibia 2013. Gondwana Canon Park game count 2013.

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

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