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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 - 44 of 44
Mendelsohn J, Haraes L 2018. Aerial census of Cape Cormorants and Cape Fur Seals at Baía dos Tigres, Angola. Namibian Journal of Environment (2) 1-6

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.

Brown C 2018. Status of the Rock Pratincole in the Kapako area of the Okavango River, Kavango East, Namibia. Namibian Journal of Environment (2) 9-11

A boat survey conducted on 30 December 2017 along an 8.6 km stretch of the Okavango River revealed 45 adult Rock Pratincoles and 20 young birds. This brings the estimated number of Rock Pratincoles in the Okavango system in Namibia to about 361 birds, and for all river systems in Namibia to about 410 birds. Keywords: Glareola nuchalis, Namibia, Okavango river, Rock Pratincole, status.

Kolberg H 2018. Summary of the 2017 winter wetland bird counts in Namibia. Lanioturdus (51) 34-37
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2018. Game counts in Hardap Game Park, July 2018.
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2018. Game counts: Kavango East.
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Game Count Kavango East 2018.pdf 590.73 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2018. Game counts in north-west Namibia: Regional Summary.
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2018. Game counts in north-west Namibia: Conservancies north of the veterinary fence, June 2018.

Summary of game counts in north-west Namibia: Conservancies north of the veterinary fence, June 2018.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2018. Game counts in north-west Namibia: Conservancies north of the veterinary fence, June 2018.

Summary of game counts in north-west Namibia: Conservancies north of the veterinary fence, June 2018.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2018. Game counts in north-west Namibia: Palmwag and Etendeka, June 2018.
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2018. Game counts in north-west Namibia: Hobatere concession, June 2018.
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2018. Game counts in north-central Namibia: Total Numbers of animals seen: last 5 years.

Summary of game counts in north-central Namibia: Total Numbers of animals seen: last 5 years.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2018. Game counts in southern Namibia, June 2018.
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2018. North Central Game Count data 2018.
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North Central Game Count data 2018.xlsx 146.33 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2018. South Game Count data 2018.
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South Game Count data 2018.xlsx 91.93 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2018.  North West Game Count data 2018.
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North West Game Count data 2018.xlsx 434.86 KB
Gondwana Collection Namibia 2018. Gondwana Canyon Park Game Count 2018.
Gondwana Collection Namibia 2018. Gondwana Kalahari Park Game Count 2018.
Goelst C, Moeller M, Kilian W 2018. Etosha National Park Carnivore Monitoring Project Update, Unofficial Report Re: Lion GPS-Satellite Monitoring, 2018 Lion Population Call-Up Survey.

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.

Goelst CE 2018. Assessing patterns of spatial occurrence and human-carnivore conflict for African lions (Panthera leo) in and around Etosha National Park, Namibia .

Carnivore populations face threats from increasing human populations and rapidly diminishing, suitable habitat. Large carnivores such as African lions (Panthera leo) commonly range outside of their protected areas and attack livestock on adjacent farmlands. This can lead to human-carnivore conflict (HCC) events often resulting in retaliatory lion killings. HCC retaliation by poisoning the offending animals is highly costly to lions due to the species’ group hunting and feeding habits.

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).

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
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 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
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. Summary of the 2013 Summer Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 46 (4) 27
Paxton M 2013. KOAR Winter (July) Wetland Water-bird Counts, Okavango River 2012. Lanioturdus 46 (1) 21-24

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.

Kolberg H 2013. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 9: Waders and Shorebirds - Part 1. Lanioturdus 46 (1) 27-44

The following is a summary of waterbird count data for selected species in Namibia, covering the period 1977 to December 2008.

Kolberg H 2013. Summary of the 2012 winter wetland bird counts in Namibia. Lanioturdus 46 (3) 34
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.

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%.

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
Gondwana Collection Namibia 2013. Gondwana Kalahari Park game count 2013.
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Gondwana Kalahari Park game count 2013.pdf 1009.24 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
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.

Brown CJ, Stander P, Mayes S, Conradie L, Haredoeb P, Singwangwa M, Cilliers W 2004. Status of Wattled Cranes on the floodplains of north-east Namibia: Results from an aerial survey during August 2004 .

Areas surveyed: The Okavango River in Namibia, from just northwest the bridge on the Trans-Caprivi highway south to the Botswana border; the entire length of the Kwandu-Linyanti-Lake Liambezi-Chobe system, including the Mamili National Park; and the Zambezi river for its entire length on Namibia's border, including parts of the adjacent East Caprivi floodplains.

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Wattled Crane Survey_2004.pdf 1.02 MB
Brown CJ, Stander P, Meyer-Rust R, Mayes S 2004. Results of a Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus survey in the river systems of north-east Namibia during August 2004 .

This study has provided baseline data on crocodile numbers from aerial and spotlight counts. These data can be used with the results of future counts to determine population trends. The census has also provided information on their distribution of crocodiles in the Kavango and Caprivi regions. And third, it has resulted in the first population estimate for crocodiles in the north-east wetlands of Namibia.

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Crocodile Survey in NE Namibia_2004.pdf 404.87 KB
Brown CJ, Meyer-Rust R 2004. Winter counts of wetland and floodplain birds in the Kwando River and floodplain system, Caprivi .

Human and, increasingly, elephant pressure on Namibia's wetlands and riparian belts are a major cause of conservation concern. Many wetland birds are listed in Namibia's Red Data Book (Simmons & Brown in prep) because of population declines caused by the degradation and destruction of wetland habitats, and because of high levels of disturbance. Good information on the status of major wetlands and their avifauna is important for their conservation management. Birds provide one of the best indicators of wetland health.

Hanssen L, Stander P 2004. Namibia Large Carnivore Atlas, July 2004 .

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…

Hanssen L, Stander P 2004. Namibia Large Carnivore Atlas, December 2003 .

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…

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2004. Game counts in north-west Namibia, June 2004 .

Summary of game count in north west in 2004: route statistics, animals seen, population estimates, trends.

Attachment Size
NW game count poster 2004.pdf 483.95 KB
Hanssen L, Stander P 2004. Namibia Large Carnivore Atlas .

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.

Gondwana Collection Namibia 2004. 2004 Game count in Gondwana Canon Park .
Stander P 2004. Aerial survey of wildlife in the Nyae Nyae Conservancy, Namibia - September 2004.

An aerial wildlife survey of the Nyae Nyae Conservancy in Namibia was conducted between 27 August and 5 September 2004. Using stratified systematic transect sampling techniques the 8,900km2 area was samfled at an average intensity of 33 %, during 54 hours of flying. The survey produced population estimates with relatively narrow confidence intervals for some of the abundant species, like kudu, gemsbok and ostrich. Wildlife numbers, as a whole, appeared to have increased when compared with the previous survey in 1998. An abbreviated summary of the numbers of wildlife is listed…

Stander P 2004. An analyses of the spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns of lions destroyed along the borders of Etosha National Park over a 20-year period. 1982 to 2001.

The conflict between lions and pastoralists bordering Etosha National Park is a well known and documented problem. Every year lions move beyond the borders of Etosha National Park (Etosha) and prey on domestic livestock. In protection of their livestock, pastoralists shoot, trap, or poison lions. Data on these lion mortalities have been collected since 1982. Many individuals, including staff of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and visiting researchers, have collected these data.

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