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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 - 50 of 59
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.
Attachment Size
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.

Kolberg H 2015. Summary of the 2015 Summer Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 48 (3) 31-33

Summary of the 2015 Summer Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2015. Game counts in southern Namibia .

Poster summarising the results of the 2015 south game count.

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South Game Count 2015.pdf 504.29 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2015. Full moon waterhole counts in northern Kunene .

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

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North West Waterhole Count 2015.pdf 736.97 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2015. Game counts in north-west Namibia: Conservancies south of the veterinary fence .

Poster summarising the results of the 2015 North West game count - Southern areas.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2015. Game counts in north-west Namibia: Conservanciies north of the veteriinary fence .

Poster summarising the results of the 2015 North West game count - Northern areas.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2015. Game counts in north-west Namibia: Palmwag and Etendeka concession areas .

Poster summarising the results of the 2014 North West game count in Concession areas.

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North West Game Count_Concessions 2015.pdf 785.63 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2015. Game counts in north-west Namibia .

Poster summarising the results of the 2015 North West game count.

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North West Game Count_Overall 2015.pdf 839.26 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2015. Game counts in north-central Namibia .

Poster summarising game count results for the north Central conservancies in 2015.

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North Central Game Count 2015.pdf 910.13 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2015. Game counts: Khaudum North Complex .

Game counts in Khaudum North Complex showing numbers seen by conservation area, habitat, compared to previous years, population estimates and trends.

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Khaudum North Complex Count 2015.pdf 680.98 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2015. Game counts in east Zambezi .

Game counts in East Zambezi (Caprivi); dry season, live sightings. showing Numbers seen by conservation area, habitat, compared to 2014, population estimates and trends.

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Zambezi Game Count_East_Zambezi 2015.pdf 692.79 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2015. Game counts in Bwabwata .

Game counts in Bwabwata; dry season, live sightings. showing Numbers seen by conservation area, habitat, compared to 2014, population estimates and trends.

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Zambezi Game Count_Bwabwata 2015.pdf 761.7 KB
Simmons R, Kolberg H, Braby R, Erni B 2015. Declines in migrant shorebird populations from a winter-quarter perspective: State-Space Models for Shorebird Trends . Conservation Biology 29 (3) 877-878

Many long-distance migrating shorebird (i.e., sandpipers, plovers, flamingos, oystercatchers) populations are declining. Although regular shorebird monitoring programs exist worldwide, most estimates of shorebird population trends and sizes are poor or nonexistent. We built a state-space model to estimate shorebird population trends. Compared with more commonly used methods of trend estimation, state-space models are more mechanistic, allow for the separation of observation and state process, and can easily accommodate multivariate time series and nonlinear trends.

Gibson DSC, Craig GC 2015. Aerial survey of elephants and other wildlife in Zambezi Region, September/October 2015.

An aerial survey of wildlife and domestic livestock took place in Zambezi Region from 25 th September to 4 th October 2015. A total area of 17474km2 was sampled at an average intensity of 13%. The estimates of numbers of each species are tabulated below. The number of elephants estimated has decreased since the 2014 survey, although the change is notstatistically significant. However there has been a very highly significant increase in the estimated number of elephant carcasses since 2014. Other observations suggest that illegal hunting of elephants continues to take place in the…

Gibson DSC, Craig GC 2015. Aerial survey of elephants and other wildlife in Khaudum National Park and neighbouring conservancies, October 2015.

An aerial survey of wildlife and domestic livestock took place in the Khaudum National Park and its neighbouring conservancies from 6 th to 14 th October 2015. A total area of 12851km2 was sampled at an average intensity of 9%. The focus of the survey was on obtaining good estimates of elephant numbers. Other species were recorded although it is likely that their numbers would be underestimated (Craig and Gibson, 2013a).

Kilian JW 2015. Aerial survey of Etosha National Park. Internal Report to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

Aerial stratified sample counts have been conducted since 1995 in Etosha. The 2015 aerial count of Etosha was conducted from 4 September till 21 September. Including the latter survey, a total of eight comparable multi-species counts have been completed since 1995.

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Etosha NP_Aerial census 2015.pdf 1.91 MB
Gondwana Collection Namibia 2015. Gondwana Canon Park game count 2015.

Numbers of most species dropped during 2015 due to the effects of the drought & the lack of grazing. Although there were a few mortalities, many animals have moved to areas outside the park where conditions are more favourable. This is to be expected in an open system.

Gondwana Collection Namibia 2015. Gondwana Kalahari Park annual game count 2015.
Gondwana Collection Namibia 2015. Gondwana Namib Park game count June 2015.
2015. Terms of Reference: Aerial survey and census of elephant and other large herbivore populations in the Zambezi Region, Khaudum National Park and Nyae Nyae Conservancy .

The work of this consultancy continues an overview of elephant populations that were recently surveyed in the Zambezi Region (Caprivi), Khaudum National Park and Nyae Nyae. That survey was a response to the escalating killing of elephants across the African elephant range (CITES 2012)1 including southern Africa. This illegal activity is being driven, both internally within Africa and externally by an illegal wildlife trade. Such trade has become highly criminalized involving corrupt politicians, private sector syndicates and inept &/or corrupt bureaucrats.

2015. Game counts in eastern Zambezi; Dry season, live sightings - 2015.
Hanssen L, Singwangwa M, Kukuwa V 2015. Camera trap survey to determine the status of leopards in the Mudumu-North Complex, Zambezi Region, Namibia Report July 2015.

As part of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) the Mudumu Complexes of the east Zambezi Region of Namibia are important areas for wildlife connectivity and dispersal. The national parks of the east Zambezi Region, i.e. Mudumu and Nkasa Rupara, are too small to maintain viable populations of some wildlife species, which depend on being able to move across a network of landscapes, such as the conservancies and woodland areas to connect to protected areas in neighbouring countries such as Angola, Botswana and Zambia.

Kolberg H 2012. Report on the Winter 2011 Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 45 (1) 31-40

The winter wetland bird counts were conducted during July and August 2011 at 32 sites throughout Namibia. The abnormal rainy season experienced in most parts of the country had resulted in plenty of water still being in the field and this was evident in the counts. Lower numbers than usual were recorded at most sites and the Walvis Bay count was the lowest since regular counts were started. The low numbers are due to an almost complete absence of flamingos, lower than usual numbers of geese and ducks and the absence of certain waders e.g.

Kolberg H 2012. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 6: Spoonbill, Hamerkop, Flamingos and Cranes . Lanioturdus 45 (1) 17-21

The sixth article in the series on trends in Namibian waterbird populations summarises count data for African Spoonbill, Hamerkop, Greater and Lesser Flamingo and Wattled Crane for the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Kolberg H 2012. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 7: Ducks and Geese (1) . Lanioturdus 45 (2) 17-22

This article continues the series on trends in Namibian waterbird populations and summarizes count data for ducks and geese for the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Kolberg H 2012. Trends in Namibian Waterbird Populations 7: Ducks and Geese (2) . Lanioturdus 45 (3) 15-19

This article continues the series on trends in Namibian waterbird populations and summarizes count data for ducks and geese for the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Kolberg H 2012. Summary of the 2012 Summer Wetland Bird Counts in Namibia . Lanioturdus 45 (4) 21

Wetland bird counts were once again conducted throughout Namibia during the months of January and February 2012. A total of 33 sites were covered resulting in 262 833 birds of 112 species. For the first time since 2007 counts were also conducted in the Caprivi, on the Okavango and the Kwando Rivers. The effects of the good rainy seasons over the past few years are still very evident with low numbers of especially flamingos and ducks recorded at the coast.

Kolberg H 2012. Trends in Namibian waterbird populations: Rails, Gallinules, Coot and Jacana . Lanioturdus 45 (4) 13-17

The eighth article in the series on trends in Namibian waterbird populations summarizes count data for six species for the period 1977 to December 2008. For each species the Red Data Book (RDB) status, both global and Namibian, is given, the population trend as per Wetlands International, the number of times the species was counted, the number of times it has passed the 1% population criterion, the maximum count and the sites where it has passed the 1% population criterion.

Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2012. Game counts in southern Namibia, May 2012 .

Poster summarising the results of the 2012 south game count.

Attachment Size
South_game_count_poster_2012.pdf 252.2 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2012. Game counts in north-west Namibia, June 2012 .

Poster summarising the results of the 2012 north west game count.

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NW_game_count_poster_2012.pdf 738.1 KB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2012. Game counts in north-central Namibia, July .

Poster summarising the results of the 2012 north central game count.

Attachment Size
NC_Game count poster 2012.pdf 1.07 MB
Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organisations (NACSO) 2012. Game counts in Hardap Game Park, May 2012 .

Poster summarising the results of the 2012 Hardap game count.

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Hardap_game_count_poster_2012.pdf 494.97 KB

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