March 2004 at Palmwag Rhino Camp Namibia has been permeated with alot of new beginnings. Most of these have been precipitated by much needed rains in the area this month. Our concession area is looking very green in patches, and where isolated showers have fallen, new shoots of grasses and forbes give the area a beautiful green carpet, with the inflorescence of the grasses blowing like waves in the wind.
The area became home to many new arrivals in the springbok herds at the beginning of the month. The lambs keep us entertained with their pronking and seem to be able to do this from birth.
The Hartman's Mountain Zebra herds are looking very plump and well fed, benefiting from the nutritious green shoots of the bushman's grass.
The numbers of Zebra in the area have increased due to the rains, having moved west out of the area in search of better grazing. The family of giraffe are still in the vicinity of the Uniab River, just west of Palmwag lodge.
The rhinos are doing well in the area. The sightings this month have included: Diana and her calf Takamisa (means "beware" in Herero), Ben, Micro, and Speedy. We have had 100% strike rate at finding the rhinos here this month, and thus all our guests have been able to enjoy rhino sightings (some having to walk a little further than others!).
This is mostly thanks to our excellent Save the Rhino Trackers who are expertly skilled in tracking as well spotting rhino from extremely far distances.
A family of Bat eared foxes, 2 cheetah (on two separate occasions), 2 lionesses and many black-backed jackal have been spotted during the month and enjoyed by the guests.
The area has also the new coloured blooms of the season with the large salmon red flowers of Hoodia currori, white flowers of the Catophractes alexandri, Devil thorn yellows, and a blanket of creamy Heliotropium curassavicum flowers. The pods of the Terminalia prunoides and the cones of the female Welwitchia mirabilis add spots of red to the green landscape.
Out on tracking excursions during the day, the colourful sound of the Bokmakierie, the frog- like croaking of the Ruppells Korhaan, the noisy chatter of the Cape Sparrow and last but not least the ascending call of the Benguela long billed lark can be heard. The evenings next to a blazing campfire under the stars are filled with the sounds of many insects, good conversation, and the eerie call of the jackal in the distance.
Palmwag Rhino Camp is situated in the 1 million acre private Palmwag reserve in Damaraland in north-west Namibia, between Etosha and the Skeleton Coast - few places on the planet can offer this level of privacy and wilderness experience.
This desert reserve has a number of fresh water springs that support healthy populations of animals including desert adapted black rhino and elephants as well as large populations of the rare Hartman's mountain zebra, giraffe, oryx, springbok and kudu. The predator population is the largest outside of the Etosha National Park with over 100 lions, cheetah, leopard, brown and spotted hyena.
Bird life is prolific and diverse with most of Namibia's endemics present. Palmwag Rhino Camp accommodates 14 guests in 7 large East African styled "Meru" tents (but can be sold to 8 tents if required) each with an en-suite bathroom comprising hand basin, flush toilet and a classic bucket shower that is filled with hot water whenever needed.
Lights are powered by solar panels and the tented dining room offers uninterrupted views of the desert and mountains. Welwitschia (ancient desert adapted plants) plants dot the plain in front of the camp. Activities include rhino tracking on foot or by vehicle as well as day and night nature drives. Guests often enjoy full day outings, with a picnic lunch, on the reserve.
Palmwag Rhino Camp is a joint venture between Wilderness Safaris and the "Save the Rhino Trust" - a non-profit conservation organisation that has been working in this area for 20 years. The Trust have been singly responsible for helping to ensure that these rare, desert adapted black rhino survived the slaughter that went on throughout other parts of Africa in the 80s and 90s.
Today this population of black rhino is growing in numbers and the area boasts the largest concentration of rhino anywhere on the planet outside of a national park. Community game scouts who were employed by the Trust to help with the patrolling and monitoring all these years are now seconded to the camp and are the trackers and guides. A portion of every guest's revenue goes to the Trust.
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