DOCSLIB.ORG

Angola Kick-Off Trip Report 22 – 30 September 2018

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

SCIONA: Angola kick-off trip report 22 – 30 September 2018 Rio Cunene/Kunene river near Otjinhungwa (Photo: R. Revermann) 1 Contents 1. Introduction - Introdução .............................................................................................................. 3 Introdução ..................................................................................................................................... 4 2. Programme and itinerary ............................................................................................................... 6 3. List of participants ......................................................................................................................... 8 4. Kick-off workshop .......................................................................................................................... 9 5. Logistics ....................................................................................................................................... 10 5.1 Travelling to Angola ............................................................................................................... 10 5.2 Logistics in Iona National Park ................................................................................................ 11 6. Meetings with communities in Iona ............................................................................................. 13 7. Iona National Park ....................................................................................................................... 15 7.1 Weather ................................................................................................................................ 15 7.2 Geology and soils ................................................................................................................... 15 7.3. Rivers and Water .................................................................................................................. 16 7.4 Vegetation ............................................................................................................................. 18 7.5 Mammals ............................................................................................................................... 23 7.6 Birds ...................................................................................................................................... 24 7.7 Reptiles .................................................................................................................................. 26 7.8 Insects ................................................................................................................................... 28 8. Recommendations for future activities and research ................................................................... 29 8.1 EpiCollect ............................................................................................................................... 29 8.2 Research ................................................................................................................................ 29 8.3 Other ..................................................................................................................................... 30 9. Logistical recommendations ........................................................................................................ 30 10. Conclusions ............................................................................................................................... 31 11. References................................................................................................................................. 32 12. Errata ........................................................................................................................................ 32 2 1. Introduction - Introdução SCIONA or “Co-designing conservation technologies for Iona - Skeleton Coast Transfrontier Conservation Area (Angola - Namibia)” is a project funded by the European Union (EuropeAid/ 156423/DD/ACT/Multi) that started in February 2018 and will last three years. The lead institute is the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST) and the main implementing partner the Instituto Superior de Ciências de Educação da Huíla (ISCED); the Higher Institute of Education Sciences of Huíla, Angola. The SCIONA project aims to strengthen cross-border ecosystem management and wildlife protection in the Iona – Skeleton Coast Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) through co- designing and implementing conservation monitoring technology with the park authorities and surrounding communities. The Iona - Skeleton Coast TFCA was officially established in May 2018 and is one of the larger transboundary conservation areas in southern Africa. It connects the Namib Desert ecosystem’s northern extent in Namibia and southern Angola, providing unique eco-tourism opportunities with its marine and terrestrial wildlife, impressive mountains, sand dunes, and indigenous Himba communities. The Namibian Skeleton Coast National Park and Angolan Iona National Park share several unique species, some found nowhere else on earth, including black-faced impala, desert dwelling elephants, black rhinos and the remarkable Welwitschia mirabilis plant. The two countries and parks are separated by the Kunene/Cunene River, which provides an oasis in this arid ecosystem. The Kunene River mouth which flows into the Atlantic Ocean is the second most species-rich coastal wetland of Namibia (Simmons et al., 1993). Compared to other TFCA’s in the region, the area has little viable agricultural land, lacks industrial development and has a low population density. Surrounding communities, including the Himba, have seen little benefit from their proximity to the TFCA and cross-border management of the conservation area has been limited. The area is remote and inaccessible due to rugged mountainous terrain as well as large sand dune dominated areas. The TFCA mainly relies on basic institutional structures that are insufficient and result in poor ecosystem management and inadequate wildlife law enforcement. This is reflected by overfishing, poaching - including organised commercial rhino poaching, habitat destruction, illegal mining, flooding, animal out-migration and local species extinction, threatening the sustainable future of the transboundary park. Under stable political conditions within an enabling policy environment, Namibia’s Skeleton Coast National Park and the adjacent conservancies have seen a positive growth of wildlife populations over the past 40 years (Nuulimba and Taylor, 2015; Owen-Smith, 2010). As the Namibian communities heavily rely on subsistence cattle and goat farming, they are particularly vulnerable to conflicts with predators such as lion, hyena, leopard, cheetah and crocodile. In contrast, Iona National Park in Angola has reduced wildlife populations and has seen the encroachment of human populations into its sensitive habitats because of the recent civil war and subsequent lack of institutional and financial support. Increased human-wildlife conflict incidents are expected in Iona once biodiversity recovers and wildlife migration takes place from the Skeleton Coast National Park and surrounding communal conservancies. The SCIONA project builds on the Namibian experiences with community involvement in ecotourism and conservation. Namibia has been at the forefront of devolving natural resource management 3 authority to the local communities through the legally mandated Community-based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme. During the first year of the project, an assessment of the current situation and needs in the TFCA is being performed and an integrative ecosystem plan is being developed in cooperation with the stakeholders. Baseline information required for natural resources management is collected and community surveys are performed. This includes multiple field trips into the study area. Two scoping and several field trips have been performed in the Namibian part of the study area in the period May to September 2018. A kick-off trip to Angola was undertaken from 22 to 30 September 2018 and included a workshop in Namibe and a scoping trip to Iona National Park. It concerned an explorative trip with as main objectives: to introduce the project to regional authorities and institutions, to meet and introduce the project to local communities living in Iona National Park to asses terrain conditions in Iona National Park, to validate available geospatial data, especially tracks, to asses potential ecological indicators for the study area, to test and discuss data collection methods and available technology, to reinforce collaboration with the Angolan partners, to initiate transdisciplinary academic research. This report gives an overview of the Angolan kick-off trip, including a summary of community meetings and biodiversity observations, and is based on contributions from participants in the field trip. A selection of photos will be published on the gallery of the SCIONA website: sciona.nust.na . The NUST / ISCED team would like to express its thanks to the Angolan Ministry of Environment, especially the director of INBAC Mr Aristófanes Pontes, for making this trip possible. Thanks to Prof Carmen Santos for offering facilities at the Academy for the workshop. We also thank all participants for their contribution to a successful kick-off trip, especially Dr Bruce Bennett and Prof Norbert Jürgens who volunteered
Recommended publications
  • One of Five West Coast, Low-Latitude Deserts of the World, the Namib Extends Along the Entire Namibian Coastline in an 80-120 Km Wide Belt

    One of Five West Coast, Low-Latitude Deserts of the World, the Namib Extends Along the Entire Namibian Coastline in an 80-120 Km Wide Belt

    N A M I B I A G 3 E 0 O 9 1 L - O Y G E I V C R A U S L NAMIB DESERT Source: Roadside Geology of Namibia One of five west coast, low-latitude deserts of the world, the Namib extends along the entire Namibian coastline in an 80-120 km wide belt. Its extreme aridity is the result of the cold, upwelling Benguela Current, which flows up the west coast of Africa as far as Angola, and because of its low temperatures induces very little evaporation and rainfall (<50 mm per year). It does, however, create an up to 50 km wide coastal fog belt providing sufficient moisture for the development of a specialist flora and fauna, many of which are endemic to the Namib. In addition, the lagoons at Walvis Bay and Sandwich Harbour are designated wetlands of international importance, because of their unique setting and rich birdlife, including flamingo, white pelican and Damara tern. Larger mammals like the famed desert elephant, black rhino, lion, cheetah and giraffe can be found along the northern rivers traversing the Skeleton Coast National Park. Geomorphologically, the Namib includes a variety of landscapes, including classic sand dunes, extensive gravel plains, locally with gypcrete and calcrete duricrusts, elongated salt pans, ephemeral watercourses forming linear oases, inselbergs and low mountain ranges. Along the coast, wind-swept sandy beaches alternate with rocky stretches, in places carved into striking rock formations (e.g. Bogenfels Arch). Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, the “Namib Sand Sea“ between Lüderitz and the Kuiseb River encompasses such well-known landmarks as Sossusvlei and Sandwich Harbour, while the fabled Skeleton Coast north of the Ugab River is notorious for its numerous ship wrecks.
  • NAMIBIA Ere Is a Brief Selection of Favorite, New and Hard-To-Find Books, Prepared for Your Journey

    NAMIBIA Ere Is a Brief Selection of Favorite, New and Hard-To-Find Books, Prepared for Your Journey

    READING GUIDE NAMIBIA ere is a brief selection of favorite, new and hard-to-find books, prepared for your journey. For your convenience, you may call (800) 342-2164 to order these books directly from Longitude, a specialty mail- Horder book service. To order online, and to get the latest, most comprehensive selection of books for your voyage, go directly to reading.longitudebooks.com/D9693. ESSENTIAL ALSO RECOMMENDED Item EXNMB03A. Buy these 4 items as a set for $92 The Africa Adventure Company including shipping, 15% off the retail price. With free Safari Planning Map, East & Southern shipping on anything else you order. Africa Vincent Carruthers (Editor), Kenneth Newman 2014, MAP, PAGES, $11.95 (Illustrator) This large-scale, colorful map covers the top safari countries and important wildlife The Wildlife of Southern Africa reserves of East and Southern Africa. With 2008 PAPER 320 PAGES, $28.00 , , enlargements of key regions like Northern With 1,200 color illustrations by a range of Tanzania, Southern Kenya and Northern experts, this compact field guide includes Botswana to Victoria Falls, the map includes all the birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, information on planning your safari and insects, fish and plants that a traveler is likely to climate graphs. (Item SAF340) encounter in southern Africa. (Item SAF59) Sharri Whiting Richard Estes The Safari Companion Culture Smart! Namibia 2008, PAPER, PAGES, $9.95 1999 PAPER 459 PAGES, $30.00 , , A concise and practical guide to local customs, An invaluable encyclopedic guide to Africa’s etiquette and culture with a short overview of mammals by a noted scientist, this perennial the land and people along with practical travel bestseller includes black-and-white drawings, advice.
  • Skeleton Coast National Park 2013

    Skeleton Coast National Park 2013

    Management Plan Skeleton Coast National Park September 2013 Republic of Namibia Ministry of Environment and Tourism Author: MET Ministry of Environment and Tourism Troskie House, Uhland Street P/Bag 13346, Windhoek Tel: (+264 61) 284 2111 Directorate of Regional Services and Park Management PZN Building, Northern Industria P/Bag 13306, Windhoek Tel: (+264 61) 284 2518 © MET 2013 Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-cormmercial purposes without prior permission from the copyright holder is authorized, provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes without prior written permission of the copyright holder is prohibited. Cover Photo: FOREWORD National parks are a vital tool for conserving Namibia’s essential biodiversity. By managing parks, their irreplaceable assets and unlimited potential will be conserved for future generations. In addition, every year Namibia’s National Parks draw large numbers of tourists, generating employment and stimulating development nationwide. National Parks also provide unique opportunities to benefit local communities through rural development while providing research, education and recreation opportunities. One of the protected areas in Namibia is the Skeleton Coast National Park. The name Skeleton Coast suggests a dramatic history and difficult conditions for human survival. These qualities make the park an attractive destination for eco-tourists. Similarly, its fine angling reputation attracts large numbers of fishermen from southern Africa and elsewhere. Altogether it is an area of international significance, set within a larger transboundary landscape that covers the length of the Namib Desert. This management plan sets out the objectives and guidelines for the management and development of the Skeleton Coast National Park.
  • The Gambia: a Taste of Africa, November 2017

    The Gambia: a Taste of Africa, November 2017

    Tropical Birding - Trip Report The Gambia: A Taste of Africa, November 2017 A Tropical Birding “Chilled” SET DEPARTURE tour The Gambia A Taste of Africa Just Six Hours Away From The UK November 2017 TOUR LEADERS: Alan Davies and Iain Campbell Report by Alan Davies Photos by Iain Campbell Egyptian Plover. The main target for most people on the tour www.tropicalbirding.com +1-409-515-9110 [email protected] p.1 Tropical Birding - Trip Report The Gambia: A Taste of Africa, November 2017 Red-throated Bee-eaters We arrived in the capital of The Gambia, Banjul, early evening just as the light was fading. Our flight in from the UK was delayed so no time for any real birding on this first day of our “Chilled Birding Tour”. Our local guide Tijan and our ground crew met us at the airport. We piled into Tijan’s well used minibus as Little Swifts and Yellow-billed Kites flew above us. A short drive took us to our lovely small boutique hotel complete with pool and lovely private gardens, we were going to enjoy staying here. Having settled in we all met up for a pre-dinner drink in the warmth of an African evening. The food was delicious, and we chatted excitedly about the birds that lay ahead on this nine- day trip to The Gambia, the first time in West Africa for all our guests. At first light we were exploring the gardens of the hotel and enjoying the warmth after leaving the chilly UK behind. Both Red-eyed and Laughing Doves were easy to see and a flash of colour announced the arrival of our first Beautiful Sunbird, this tiny gem certainly lived up to its name! A bird flew in landing in a fig tree and again our jaws dropped, a Yellow-crowned Gonolek what a beauty! Shocking red below, black above with a daffodil yellow crown, we were loving Gambian birds already.
  • Namibia | 2019 10 Days by Helicopter Namibia Highlights

    Namibia | 2019 10 Days by Helicopter Namibia Highlights

    Marienfluss Valley, Kunene Region @RichardSkeleton Roberts Coast namibia | 2019 10 days by helicopter namibia highlights Namibrand Nature Reserve - one of Africa’s largest private reserves with a diversity of desert wildlife Sossusvlei sand dunes The small harbour town of Luderitz - southern Namibia Brunch in the fascinating seaside town of Swakopmund Damaraland - untamed, ruggedly beautiful with prehistoric water courses, open plains and massive granite kopjies Brandberg - ancient rock art sites Damaraland’s free roaming black rhino population. Skeleton Coast - remote and scenically spectacular - shipwrecks and bleached whale bones Cape fur seals at Möwe Bay Wildlife experience - unique desert- adapted elephant, lion & rhino Kunene region on the Angolan border and the stunning Epupa Falls. Himba cultural encounter Marienfluss valley TUN ISIA MORO CCO WE STERN ALGE RIA SAH ARA LIBYA EGYPT Day One - NamibRand Nature Reserve | Southern Namibia A classic safari with chances to see Oryx MAUALRIGETANIARIA and springbok, along with indigenous MALI species, newly introduced including Giraffe, NIGER red hartebeest and cheetah. A great base SU DAN S ENEGAL from which to explore the giant dunes of CHAD ER ITREA THE G AMBIA Sossusvlei. Wolwedans Private Camp GUINEA BURKINA D JIBOUTI B ISSAU GUIN EA Day Two - Luderitz | Southern Namibia BENIN NIG ERIA Visit the small harbour town of Luderitz, SIERRA TOGO LE ONE COTE SOUTHERN famous for its colonial architecture as well as D’I VOIRE GHANA CEN TRAL ETH IOPIA AFRICAN LIBE RIA SUDAN its beautiful coast - a designated Important REPUBLIC Bird Area. Wolwedans Private Camp CAMEROON SO MALIA Day Three & Four - Damaraland | UGANDA EQUATO RIAL REPUBLIC North-western Namib Desert GUINEA OF C ONGO DEMOCRA TIC KENYA LAKE Early start to the seaside town of Swakopmund GA BON RE PUBLIC VICTORIA following the coastline.
  • ENVIRONMENTAL and SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ANNEXES Public Disclosure Authorized REPORT VOLUME III for the PROPOSED

    ENVIRONMENTAL and SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ANNEXES Public Disclosure Authorized REPORT VOLUME III for the PROPOSED

    ZAMBIA WORLD BANK SFG2988 V1 Public Disclosure Authorized MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK Public Disclosure Authorized ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ANNEXES Public Disclosure Authorized REPORT VOLUME III FOR THE PROPOSED IRRIGATION SCHEME IN LUSITU IN CHIRUNDU DISTRICT Public Disclosure Authorized DECEMBER 2016 Annexes - Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Lusitu ISDP Group 1 sites CP&CB Provider, IDSP TABLE OF ANNEXES LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................ 3 LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................. 4 1 ANNEX 1: MAPS FOLDER ....................................................... 5 2 ANNEX 2: INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN (IPMP) ..................................................................................... 16 2.1 Principles of IPM ................................................................................ 16 2.2 IPM in World Bank funded projects ................................................. 17 2.3 Implications for the IDSP .................................................................. 17 2.4 IPM strategy for Lusitu ...................................................................... 18 2.4.1 Main pest challenges ........................................................................... 18 2.4.2 Training ................................................................................................ 18 2.4.3 Cultural practices ................................................................................
  • South Africa Mega Birding III 5Th to 27Th October 2019 (23 Days) Trip Report

    South Africa Mega Birding III 5Th to 27Th October 2019 (23 Days) Trip Report

    South Africa Mega Birding III 5th to 27th October 2019 (23 days) Trip Report The near-endemic Gorgeous Bushshrike by Daniel Keith Danckwerts Tour leader: Daniel Keith Danckwerts Trip Report – RBT South Africa – Mega Birding III 2019 2 Tour Summary South Africa supports the highest number of endemic species of any African country and is therefore of obvious appeal to birders. This South Africa mega tour covered virtually the entire country in little over a month – amounting to an estimated 10 000km – and targeted every single endemic and near-endemic species! We were successful in finding virtually all of the targets and some of our highlights included a pair of mythical Hottentot Buttonquails, the critically endangered Rudd’s Lark, both Cape, and Drakensburg Rockjumpers, Orange-breasted Sunbird, Pink-throated Twinspot, Southern Tchagra, the scarce Knysna Woodpecker, both Northern and Southern Black Korhaans, and Bush Blackcap. We additionally enjoyed better-than-ever sightings of the tricky Barratt’s Warbler, aptly named Gorgeous Bushshrike, Crested Guineafowl, and Eastern Nicator to just name a few. Any trip to South Africa would be incomplete without mammals and our tally of 60 species included such difficult animals as the Aardvark, Aardwolf, Southern African Hedgehog, Bat-eared Fox, Smith’s Red Rock Hare and both Sable and Roan Antelopes. This really was a trip like no other! ____________________________________________________________________________________ Tour in Detail Our first full day of the tour began with a short walk through the gardens of our quaint guesthouse in Johannesburg. Here we enjoyed sightings of the delightful Red-headed Finch, small numbers of Southern Red Bishops including several males that were busy moulting into their summer breeding plumage, the near-endemic Karoo Thrush, Cape White-eye, Grey-headed Gull, Hadada Ibis, Southern Masked Weaver, Speckled Mousebird, African Palm Swift and the Laughing, Ring-necked and Red-eyed Doves.
  • Protected Area Management Plan Development - SAPO NATIONAL PARK

    Protected Area Management Plan Development - SAPO NATIONAL PARK

    Technical Assistance Report Protected Area Management Plan Development - SAPO NATIONAL PARK - Sapo National Park -Vision Statement By the year 2010, a fully restored biodiversity, and well-maintained, properly managed Sapo National Park, with increased public understanding and acceptance, and improved quality of life in communities surrounding the Park. A Cooperative Accomplishment of USDA Forest Service, Forestry Development Authority and Conservation International Steve Anderson and Dennis Gordon- USDA Forest Service May 29, 2005 to June 17, 2005 - 1 - USDA Forest Service, Forestry Development Authority and Conservation International Protected Area Development Management Plan Development Technical Assistance Report Steve Anderson and Dennis Gordon 17 June 2005 Goal Provide support to the FDA, CI and FFI to review and update the Sapo NP management plan, establish a management plan template, develop a program of activities for implementing the plan, and train FDA staff in developing future management plans. Summary Week 1 – Arrived in Monrovia on 29 May and met with Forestry Development Authority (FDA) staff and our two counterpart hosts, Theo Freeman and Morris Kamara, heads of the Wildlife Conservation and Protected Area Management and Protected Area Management respectively. We decided to concentrate on the immediate implementation needs for Sapo NP rather than a revision of existing management plan. The four of us, along with Tyler Christie of Conservation International (CI), worked in the CI office on the following topics: FDA Immediate
  • Chapter 15 the Mammals of Angola

    Chapter 15 the Mammals of Angola

    Chapter 15 The Mammals of Angola Pedro Beja, Pedro Vaz Pinto, Luís Veríssimo, Elena Bersacola, Ezequiel Fabiano, Jorge M. Palmeirim, Ara Monadjem, Pedro Monterroso, Magdalena S. Svensson, and Peter John Taylor Abstract Scientific investigations on the mammals of Angola started over 150 years ago, but information remains scarce and scattered, with only one recent published account. Here we provide a synthesis of the mammals of Angola based on a thorough survey of primary and grey literature, as well as recent unpublished records. We present a short history of mammal research, and provide brief information on each species known to occur in the country. Particular attention is given to endemic and near endemic species. We also provide a zoogeographic outline and information on the conservation of Angolan mammals. We found confirmed records for 291 native species, most of which from the orders Rodentia (85), Chiroptera (73), Carnivora (39), and Cetartiodactyla (33). There is a large number of endemic and near endemic species, most of which are rodents or bats. The large diversity of species is favoured by the wide P. Beja (*) CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal CEABN-InBio, Centro de Ecologia Aplicada “Professor Baeta Neves”, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal e-mail: [email protected] P. Vaz Pinto Fundação Kissama, Luanda, Angola CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal e-mail: [email protected] L. Veríssimo Fundação Kissama, Luanda, Angola e-mail: [email protected] E.
  • Namibia Mountain Bike Expedition 25Th September - 1St October 2020 Join Us… on an Unforgettable, Active Adventure Exploring Remote Northern Namibia by Mountain Bike

    Namibia Mountain Bike Expedition 25Th September - 1St October 2020 Join Us… on an Unforgettable, Active Adventure Exploring Remote Northern Namibia by Mountain Bike

    Namibia Mountain Bike Expedition 25th September - 1st October 2020 Join us… On an unforgettable, active adventure exploring remote northern Namibia by Mountain bike. Our five night expedition takes us through the spectacular 450,000 hectare private concession in Damaraland. We will spend 3 nights in the most exclusive locations camping under the stars in this wild landscape. The private mobile camp is fully serviced with simple dome tents, bucket showers and an amazing camp crew that prepares delicious, simple meals while making sure that you will enjoy an ice cold beer and a G & T at the end of every day. Finish at one of Africa’s unique safari camps, the epicenter of desert adapted wildlife which includes….elephant, springbok, oryx, cheetah, giraffe, brown and spotted hyena, jackal, leopard, lion…… Itinerary Overview 25th September 2020 AM Weinberg Boutique Hotel | Windhoek | Namibia 26th to 29th September 2020 Wild camping in the Palmweg Concession | Damaraland 25th September to 1st October 2020 | Namibia Namibia Mountain bike Expedition th st 29 September to 1 October 2020 • 1 night Am Weinberg Boutique Hotel Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp | Skeleton Coast | Namibia • 3 nights Wilderness camping • 2 nights Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp Windhoek Situated in Central Namibia, the cosmopolitan city of Windhoek serves as the capital of the country. It is home to an international airport and a plethora of restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and accommodation options. The city is clean, safe and well-organised, with a colonial legacy that is reflected in its many German eateries and shops, and the widespread use of the German language.
  • Namibia Giraffe Conservation Programme

    Namibia Giraffe Conservation Programme

    Namibia Giraffe Conservation Programme QUARTERLY UPDATE May – July 2018 At our home base in Namibia, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) runs a comprehensive programme across the country with a focus on giraffe conservation research and environmental education. While this report focuses on the conservation side, you can read more about the environmental education programme in the regular KEEP Update reports online at https://giraffeconservation.org/programmes/keep/. The past few months have seen some exciting developments in our Northwest Namibia Programme, as well as a continuation of our countrywide giraffe assessments. If you follow our updates regularly, you might want to skip forward to the brand-new updates and give the background information a miss, but you might also find some interesting information that you were not aware of. Background In partnership with University College Cork (UCD, Ireland) and the Namibian University of Science and Technology (NUST), GCF’s Northwest Namibia Programme focuses on monitoring and supporting the long-term conservation and research of Namibia’s desert-dwelling giraffe. These giraffe roam throughout the northern Namib Desert in the country’s northwest. Our work has focused on the ephemeral Hoanib and Hoarusib Rivers, covering an area of approx. 4,500km2, but is slowly expanding north to include a total area of >10,000km2. The area extends across communal conservancies in the east (which support both wildlife and domestic livestock) into the Skeleton Coast National Park bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west. With only a few millimetres of annual rainfall, the programme area is arid to hyper-arid and the wildlife is well adapted to this harsh environment.
  • Bird Species I Have Seen World List

    Bird Species I Have Seen World List

    bird species I have seen U.K tally: 279 US tally: 393 Total world: 1,496 world list 1. Abyssinian ground hornbill 2. Abyssinian longclaw 3. Abyssinian white-eye 4. Acorn woodpecker 5. African black-headed oriole 6. African drongo 7. African fish-eagle 8. African harrier-hawk 9. African hawk-eagle 10. African mourning dove 11. African palm swift 12. African paradise flycatcher 13. African paradise monarch 14. African pied wagtail 15. African rook 16. African white-backed vulture 17. Agami heron 18. Alexandrine parakeet 19. Amazon kingfisher 20. American avocet 21. American bittern 22. American black duck 23. American cliff swallow 24. American coot 25. American crow 26. American dipper 27. American flamingo 28. American golden plover 29. American goldfinch 30. American kestrel 31. American mag 32. American oystercatcher 33. American pipit 34. American pygmy kingfisher 35. American redstart 36. American robin 37. American swallow-tailed kite 38. American tree sparrow 39. American white pelican 40. American wigeon 41. Ancient murrelet 42. Andean avocet 43. Andean condor 44. Andean flamingo 45. Andean gull 46. Andean negrito 47. Andean swift 48. Anhinga 49. Antillean crested hummingbird 50. Antillean euphonia 51. Antillean mango 52. Antillean nighthawk 53. Antillean palm-swift 54. Aplomado falcon 55. Arabian bustard 56. Arcadian flycatcher 57. Arctic redpoll 58. Arctic skua 59. Arctic tern 60. Armenian gull 61. Arrow-headed warbler 62. Ash-throated flycatcher 63. Ashy-headed goose 64. Ashy-headed laughing thrush (endemic) 65. Asian black bulbul 66. Asian openbill 67. Asian palm-swift 68. Asian paradise flycatcher 69. Asian woolly-necked stork 70.