Damaraland

Wildlife & Animals

Expert

Anthony is the author of the 'Botswana & Namibia' Lonely Planet guide.

Damaraland is not a classic wildlife destination; wildlife is sparse and the main attraction is the arid desert environment. Desert elephant and black rhino are the animals most people come to see, but other wildlife includes gemsbok, greater kudu, eland and springbok. Giraffe and Hartmann’s mountain zebra are nomadic visitors to the area.

ElephantOccasional

GiraffeRare

HippoNone

BuffaloNone

ZebraRare

WildebeestNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoRare

LionVery Rare

LeopardVery Rare

CheetahVery Rare

HyenaVery Rare

Wild DogNone

Wildlife Highlights

The Save the Rhino Trust, in cooperation with Desert Rhino Camp, has set up a program for black rhino tracking to protect the only truly free-roaming (outside national parks and reserves) black rhino left in the world. Rare desert elephant are the other prime species, while a pride of desert-adapted lions is quite a prize if you see them. The endemic black-faced impala and Damara dik-dik can also be found in the area.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Damaraland can be visited any time of the year, although the Dry season (May to October) is the most productive for wildlife watching. At this time animals tend to seek out limited water sources and can be more easily seen. During the Wet season (November to April), animals tend to scatter and become harder to locate.