December 1, 2021

Birding with Pompie: What’s in a name

I think the only bird which has been named and featured in a movie is Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Bird on a wire by Leonard Cohen is the song most covered by other artists – about 400 different artists, I think. If this is because it is such a beautiful song or if it is about the bird I do not know. What is important is that I do not know what bird it was, but I think it has been sitting on the same wire for the last 50 years.
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March 4, 2022

FOUR RIVERS – Go slow and experience the depth, wealth and wonder of the northeast

Rièth van Schalkwyk followed the whim of a family member to break the tradition of Christmas at the seaside, packed the camper for two weeks of slow travel and camped on the banks of the Kavango, Zambezi, Chobe and Kwando to discover the magic of looking closer and staying longer.
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March 9, 2022

The story of a dove-hunting black- backed jackal at Chudop

Early one morning at the end of November 2021 at the Chudop waterhole in Etosha National Park, a black-backed jackal bitch appears. Hundreds of Cape Turtle Doves and a few Laughing Doves, now called Palm Doves, come to drink at the water’s edge. In the usual jackal trot the female moves around the waterhole watching the thirsty doves while keeping a distance of two to four metres from the water. The moment a dove starts to drink, with its back turned towards the prowling jackal, the small predator lowers its head and body and tries to sneak up close to the dove. Most potential victims are too wary or warned by nearby doves taking off. Several attacks end with a splash of water and feathers in the mouth while the prey gets away with a big fright and sometimes the loss of a few feathers.
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March 20, 2022

On the Frontlines of PANGOLIN PRESERVATION

Across the vast landscapes of central, northern and northeastern Namibia, the plight of the pangolin, an inconspicuous creature, continues. This small mammal plays a major role in the bushland ecosystems of sub-saharan Africa and, as the most trafficked mammal in the world, lives under an ever-present dark cloud of threat. Enter Namibia’s newest concerted effort trained directly at the preservation of this important species - the Namibian Pangolin Working Group.
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March 20, 2022

Of teeth and claws: Taking stock of carnivore research in the Greater Etosha Landscape

Etosha National Park has a long history of research with a dedicated research centre, the Etosha Ecological Institute (EEI), located at Okaukuejo since 1967. In partnership with the EEI, the Ongava Research Centre conducted a literature review and search for any form of output from research conducted on carnivores within a buffer of 50 km of Etosha. This included scanning online databases, but also spending several days in dusty archive rooms at the EEI.
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March 20, 2022

Birding with Pompie: Lapwings and Plovers

Corgis are highly alert dogs, they react to any sound by barking. They are fearless, aggressive and excellent watch dogs, reacting by sounding the alarm for almost everything. Unfortunately it barks at almost anything, which can get annoying. They also become destructive, chew on furniture or other forbidden things. Separation anxiety can occur when not saying goodbye, and barking all day, getting on everybody's nerves, is a well known trait. Not unlike the Lapwing...
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June 1, 2022

CHEETAH CONSERVATION

When American scientist Dr Laurie Marker launched the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in 1990, she had no idea where this new adventure would take her. A zoologist from California, she learned about threats to a declining wild population while conducting in situ research in Africa in the late 1970s and through the 1980s. Dr Marker routinely travelled to Namibia and other cheetah-range countries from her positions with Wildlife Safari and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo to study the habits of the world’s fastest feline. But it’s what she learned about human behaviour that shocked her. Habitat loss, loss of prey, and conflict with livestock and game farmers put cheetahs on the fast track to extinction. Livestock and game farmers were shooting, trapping and removing hundreds of cheetahs each year – more because of perceived threats than actual predation. She realised if no one would soon intervene, the cheetah might be lost forever.
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June 1, 2022

Birding in Lüderitz

I wonder if any of those pioneers in the early 1900s ever saw Barlow’s Lark (Calendulauda barlowi) at Pomona, or the Dune Lark (C. erythrochlamys) in the dunes near Lüderitz? Looking at the barren ‘killing fields’ those diamond hunters left behind as memories for later generations, I doubt it very much. I suppose the diamond’s blinding effect on your eyes has the same effect on your mind. In the end, it’s the larks that are still around, and not those diamond hunters.
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September 1, 2022

Birding with Pompie: Quelea quelea

Visiting Etosha National Park in early May this year we encountered what might be a once-in-a-lifetime experience: watching a flock, or rather flocks, of Red-billed Queleas at Goas waterhole one morning coming in for their daily drink. Apparently this usually happens twice a day, but my fellow waterhole visitors in the car got a bit fed up with the once-in-a-lifetime experience after a few hours and I had to leave the birds on their own for the rest of the day, to my utter dismay.
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September 1, 2022

BLUE WILDEBEEST FIGHT ENDS IN WATERHOLE

Territorial blue wildebeest bulls can be spotted at several waterholes in Etosha National Park. Establishing their territory around these important drinking places is like hitting the jackpot for these bulls because the females have to come to the water at least once a day. This is the opportunity to mate with many females, but it is equally exhausting to keep all the rivals at bay. For intruding bulls this is also a problem because they will be chased away by the “owner” of the territory.
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September 1, 2022

A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

Crisp winter air hangs over the horizon, creating a soft white filter for every tree and hill. Looking down, you see a veil of yellow and orange mopane leaves crushing softly under your feet. In a single file line, you tread lightly, one foot in front of the other, so as to not disturb the life that surrounds you, or the black rhino spotted at the lodge’s subtly lit waterhole the previous night.
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September 1, 2022

The value and virtue of vultures

I was hoping I would spot a Pygmy Falcon on my last trip to the Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia’s largest conservation area. Small, spirited and snow-white, the bird appeared as misplaced as an Edelweiss flower in the desert. The Pygmy Falcon soared like a white star, in stark contrast to the dry riverbeds, gravel and grassy plains.
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March 7, 2023

Checklist: Namib-Naukluft National Park

Wildlife Delight: Your Comprehensive Checklist for Namib-Naukluft National Park's Birds, Mammals, Reptiles, Insects, and Scorpions. Uncover the park's rich biodiversity, must-see species, and best viewing areas. Prepare for an extraordinary safari experience amidst stunning desert landscapes.
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