July 22, 2012

Etosha elephants

Nature Notes on Etosha elephants Main photograph – Paul van Schalkwyk. by Amy Schoeman  Before the first Europeans came to Namibia, elephants probably occurred in Etosha […]
July 24, 2012

The African Aardvark

Text and photographs by Gary Newton The 150-pound pork missile We were standing in the back of a lime-green Frankenstein of a farm vehicle. It looked […]
November 14, 2012

Facts on Elephants in Namibia

This post forms part of the monthly “Did you know” column written by Bill Torbitt for Flamingo magazine. It originally appeared in the November 2012 issue. […]
November 14, 2012

Zebra’s in Namibia – Did you know?

A HORSE-LIKE DONKEY OR A DONKEY-LIKE HORSE?  The origin of the word zebra is not certain. It probably comes from an African language via Portuguese (zevra). […]
August 13, 2014

Wild horses of the Namib

Text and photographs Ron Swilling | Main photograph Paul van Schalkwyk ‘The ground trembled, gravel flew, dust rose. Twelve horses galloped past me, so close I […]
April 25, 2018

Birding on the Chobe River

Birding on the Chobe floodplains is like falling into a big bowl of ice-cream, without the negative side effects of eating too much of it. Being a boatman for a bird watcher or bird photographer must be exhausting. Stopping every few metres for yet another bird. Imagine how tiring it must be for the photographer!
April 25, 2018

5 Reasons Why the Okavango River is a Must-Visit Destination

Okay, so it’s true that the north-eastern Kavango and Zambezi regions aren’t the quintessential desert landscapes one may associate with Namibia. They are as lush and green as a southern African region can get, but they are still part of the country and often offer a welcome reprieve from the arid beauty that is a trademark of this special corner of Africa. That said, the first glimpse you catch of the mighty Okavango River as it meanders along the north-eastern edge of Namibia, creating a natural border with our neighbour Angola, will be a sight for dry eyes.
July 13, 2018

Starlings not that Common

If there were a lion behind every second bush, or a leopard in every tree, would they be so special? Would photographers want to shoot them (to protect them), would photographers drive off-road or into a no-entry road to get a better angle on their million dollar picture? I have in fact seen people drive all over each other to get a closer look at a lion, to get to the front of the scene of the crime. Imagine, for a lion! Luckily no photographer will ever do that. The point I want to make about starlings is that they are too common. Most of the starlings have a metallic sheen flashing back when the sun touches their feathers, but unfortunately they are not so special because they are just too common. This might be where this terrible word is coming from: ‘common’, like too many seen too often. Possibly it is also because they are robust and gregarious. Let’s rather call them plebeian.
July 18, 2018

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Cheetahs

Cheetahs are the fastest land animals on earth. Probably one of the most well-known mammals. They even make really cute plush toys. And in Namibia, their populations are on the up and up, due to the fantastic efforts of conservation organisations and government. But cheetahs still have a lot about them to surprise us with.
September 13, 2018

Fuelled by Passion – The RMB Namibia Ride for Rhinos

What does it take to save the rhino? The list is long - tracking teams, vehicles, food, uniforms, binoculars, support staff and supporters, among many other things. But the most essential element needed to save the rhino is passion.