Namibia: Waterberg Rich in Animal Variety
Wezi Tjaronda
10 September 2009



Windhoek — A game count of the Waterberg Conservancy has established that the areas have a variety of wildlife, including rhino.

The game count conducted last month found that the area has caracal, honey badgers, giraffe, zebra, jackal as well as lots of kudu, eland, warthog, oryx, hartebeest and many smaller animals.

The Waterberg Conservancy waterhole counts are held in August during the new moon.

This year, 60 volunteers counted game at approximately 40 waterholes on Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) and conservancy farms around the Waterberg Plateau Park.

The members of the conservancy held their 14th annual waterhole game count, during the new moon. At each waterhole two or more counters are positioned in a hide allowing them to view animals coming to the waterhole without themselves being spotted.Counters record time of day the animals come to the waterhole, whether they drank or not, sex and age structure of the animals and groups.

The strip counts take place for three days before the waterhole counts from vehicles on a specified route.

Starting at the same time and from the same location each day, the route is followed with counters noting any animals spotted, recording distance travelled and the distance from the vehicle. The counts are then averaged for an estimated number of animals by the distance travelled and these numbers are then extrapolated to the size of the farm.

According to CCF Senior Research Assistant, Matti Nghikembua, "This time of the year (the dry season), game counts are conducted throughout Namibian in most communal and freehold conservancies."


The game counts numbers assist conservancy members with their cooperative wildlife management plans and is presented to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET).

He added that the game counts help determine how many animals are on their farms, and through cooperation with MET and the Conservancy Association of Namibia (CANAM) game numbers in Namibia can be better estimated.

Along with the waterhole counts, CCF staff conduct strip counts for three days before the actual waterhole counts on CCF's research farms in order to get more accurate game census results and compare these results to the waterhole counts.

Among the volunteers who assisted with the game count were learners from the Otjiwarongo Art Centre, game rangers from the four Eastern Communal Conservancies, as well as volunteers from Peace Corps, Earthwatch and CCF students and conservancy farm staff.