Lion tracks
November 4, 2012
By Kristen Valerio (University of Vermont ’13)
Saturday morning was our last in the Sesfontein Conservancy, where we had spent the past three nights in the Hoanib riverbed.We packed up camp early that morning and began heading back down to the village of Sesfontein.As we drove, we continually stopped to observe recent tracks that lions had left, likely in the past 24 hours.The tracks were parallel to our route home, and when we reached the mouth of the river, two mountains nearly met where the riverbed narrowed.A few of us climbed up the rocky slope, and scanned the view from the top.In front of us was an open clearing of green vegetation, with a single giraffe grazing in the middle.
Suddenly, we heard a roar, and quickly hurried to the cars to find the source of the rumble.Within five minutes of driving towards the roar, we spotted a male lion on a nearby hillside.On the other side of the hill, we found a female as well.The pair gave our cars a few backwards glances before heading over the hill and getting lost in the horizon.Though a few of us had seen lions earlier that week, many of us (myself included) had not – and the experience was breathtaking.
We stopped in Sesfontein for lunch, before heading back through Anabeb towards camp at Wereldsend.In Anabeb, we stopped at a Himba village.Though we did not share a language, we had a great time together; the Himba let a few of us play with and hold their babies. They made room for us on their blankets in the shade, near the back of the village. The women were beautiful, their skin red from daily application of ochre as our Namibian instructor Vehi translated for us and described their way of life.As guests, we could not cross between the livestock kraal and the holy fire, where the sunshine burning would bring good luck (the path ran east-west).The kraal was in the center of the village, a large circle made of tree branches.During our visit, all of the livestock must have been out with the shepherds, since we did not see cattle, goats, or men.Miles brought out his springbok hide, and it was passed among the Himba women, as their experienced hands worked the leather.After talking with Miles, one of the women referred to Miles as a ‘child-man,’ a name which brought immediate laughter when Vehi translated (and has continued to stick).Rather reluctantly, we left to continue our long drive back to Wereldsend.
Once back at Wereldsend, we had a couple of days to regroup and rest.We checked up on the three camera traps in the area, to ensure they were working properly and to switch their memory cards.One of the traps was brought back to camp, and the following night Aileen set up the trap outside of her tent.She has been concerned with a nighttime visitor stalking her (and peeing on her sandals).This was not helped when one night, a few weeks prior, she heard what was likely black-backed jackals gnawing on bones at our campfire.
The next morning, the camera trap revealed that a genet visited her tent late at night!A genet is just slightly larger than a house cat (you should look them up).Photos from the camera trap nearest to camp had taken more than 500 photos, including a leopard drinking from the spring at night!Leopards are very elusive and difficult to see, so it is great to know that there is one that has at least visited the spring and is in the area.
Annie, Molly, and Maggie check a camera trap
On Tuesday, we headed to Ehi-rovipuka Conservancy (our fourth conservancy so far).The scenery change was drastic; the mountains were rolling hills, covered in dense shrub and tree growth.The shock of green was like nowhere we had been yet in Namibia.We spent the first night camping outside of the conservancy office, where we met Success, the conservancy’s treasurer, and an IRDNC employee who was working with the local people to harvest resin from the Commiphora plant, which Himba women use for perfume and is now being sold to a French perfume company from which many perfumes and soaps are made locally.
The following day, we headed to a hunting camp in a small ephemeral riverbed.The camp is otherwise inhabited by hunters looking to collect a trophy.We did not encounter any hunters, though the hunting camp itself was designed interestingly, with many decorative Namibian plants growing throughout the grounds.After doing a day’s worth of game counts, it was clear that the abundant vegetation in Ehi-rovipuka probably hid many animals from view, although there were many birds flying around.
Kristen and Annie conducting point counts
On the Thursday, we camped outside of Palmfontein, where a freshwater stream ran through many small pools, and many towering palm trees encircled the camp.For the first time in Namibia, I spotted a few turtles in the stream.Maggie (our group’s Herpetology enthusiast) caught one of the turtles to identify (it was a Marsh Terrapin), and it hung out by the campfire long enough to be named ‘Stinky.’
Friday morning we finished all of the game routes in the conservancy, wrapping up Ehi-rovipuka in just three days.That afternoon (one of the hottest yet) we packed up camp, to head back to the Ehi-rovipuka conservancy office.With only one conservancy left to do (Omantendeka), the time and work has been flying by.The Ehi-rovipuka conservancy was completed in less than a week, which will leave us quite a chunk of time to really get familiar with the Palmwag Concession.
Maggie and Annie look at hyena tracks near a spring