KHAUDUM NATIONAL PARK Namibia’s WILDKhaudum is all about elephants. home to prolific herdsCHILD of these gregarious pachyderms, the 3 842- square-kilometre national park is, even by Namibian standards, little known and remote. Intrigued by tall tales of evil elephants with anger-management issues, Stephen cunliffe set off to explore the meandering sandy tracks that criss-cross this wild conservation area in an attempt to discern fact from fiction. TEXT & PhOTOGRAPhS BY STEPhEN c UNLIFFE 48 africa geographic • march 2013 www.africageographic.com 49 KHAUDUM NATIONAL PARK KHAUDUM NATIONAL PARK ucked away in the Kavango stories I heard and read about its ‘badly adrenalin-charged encounters with region on the border with behaved behemoths’. The park’s ele- angry elephants that had turned bad. I Botswana, the gloriously wild and phants were portrayed as ‘unpredictable could scarcely believe my ears and made undeveloped Khaudum National scoundrels’ and I was told on more than a mental note to treat Khaudum’s fiend- Khaudum campsite Park is the only conservation area one occasion that driving past these ish pachyderms with extreme caution inT Namibia that protects the northern crazed herds would involve ‘risking life during our week-long reconnaissance of Burkea Doringstraat Kalahari sandveld biome. Characterised and limb’. Chatting to the local rangers Namibia’s isolated Bushmanland region. by broken woodland and grassy savanna, when we arrived did little to appease my Digging a little deeper, I slowly unrav- Khaudum Tsau NP the arid terrain is peppered with natural feelings of trepidation. elled the background to this scary – yet NAMIBIA Leeupan clay pans (which remain dry for much of ‘Elephants are the most abundant and strangely alluring – phrase, ‘vein opener’. the year) and a network of ancient river- probably the most deadly animals you’ll Evidently the legend of Khaudum’s Elandsvlakte beds, locally known as omiramba – one of encounter in our park,’ a field ranger at demented elephants traces its roots to which, Kaudom, gave the park its name. Sikeretti camp told me before nonchal- one particularly terrifying nocturnal With two natural springs and 12 artificial antly throwing out the phrase ‘vein open- encounter with a breeding herd a few Tari Kora BOTSWANA waterholes providing the only reliable er’. My immediate thought was that this years ago. Some Ministry of Environment Omuramba surface water during the dry winter must be some kind of a joke or transla- and Tourism staff were travelling back to months, these life-giving fountains tion error – after all, English wasn’t his camp one evening when they saw an become veritable magnets for the wildlife first language. But the weathered park elephant herd crossing the road up Soncana – especially elephants – that inhabit this ranger standing before me was deadpan ahead. Coming to a stop, they dimmed Tsoana Sikeretti campsite parched wilderness. and deadly serious. their lights and waited for the elephants N While researching Khaudum ahead of The old-timer went on to explain that to move off. Unbeknown to them a U 15 km our trip, I lost count of the number of the term was indeed coined to describe young bull – not visible to the vehicle’s D3315 occupants – loitered in the bush close by. aBoVe ostriches thrive in the golden Without warning he charged and grasslands of Khaudum National park and the nearby Nyae Nyae conservancy. rammed the 4x4, flipping it over and leaving its occupants stranded. A rescue LefT elephants take to the mud for a lengthy party eventually found them, along with wallowing session at Tsoanafontein waterhole. Mud-bathing is a much-enjoyed and necessary their smashed vehicle, the next day. They ritual in this arid environment. were severely shaken but otherwise preVioUS SpreaD a herd of Khaudum’s unhurt and their major blood vessels, prolific pachyderms take advantage of one of despite the bull’s best efforts, remained the park’s 14 perennial water points to slake intact. their thirst at the end of another hot, dusty day. We spent a week exploring the sandy byways of Khaudum and our innumerable elephant encounters revealed three in- of Khaudum into the sprawling sights. Firstly, Khaudum’s elephants are 444 000-square-kilometre Kavango– properly wild. Secondly, although the grey Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area giants were undeniably wary of our 4x4s (KAZA TFCA) entrenches corridors and (which I imagine they seldom encounter affords formal protection to the park’s during their wanderings in this desolate large elephant herds as they migrate region), it appears they may have got a beyond its boundaries. Only its border bad rap over the years. And, finally, we with Botswana and a 55-kilometre section avoided any vein-opening encounters! of its western boundary are fenced, so the animals are able to follow their age-old roclaimed a game reserve in 1989 migration routes to and from the water- and given national park status in rich Kavango River and floodplains to the PFebruary 2007, the recent inclusion north-east. 50 africa geographic • march 2013 www.africageographic.com 51 TOP T KHAUDUM NATIONAL PARK A reliable 4x4 IP KHAUDUM NATIONAL PARK is essential and travelling in convoy is recommended. The soft-sand driving is heavy on steenbok. The untamed wildlands of and more sensitive birds? Or was there through our campsite in the evening. The fuel and there is no petrol or diesel Khaudum are also a treat for birders, another reason for the deaths? local camp staff informed us that a pride available in the park. The nearest supporting around 320 bird species such Relaxing in a well-located observation of lions had also been hanging out in the filling stations are in Grootfontein as Bradfield’s hornbill and the sharp- tower watching mud-wallowing wart- area, and the primordial sound of distant (360 kilometres from Sikeretti), Rundu tailed starling. hogs dodge herds of cavorting elephants roaring corroborated this as we sat around and Bagani/Divundu (170 and 150 kilometres respectively from Khaudum After a fruitless detour to the waterless provided hours of ethological entertain- the fire later that night. Sadly the felines camp). Supplies and fresh pro- Elandsvlakte in the west of the park, we ment, but at least half the fun of dis- refused to show themselves during our duce can also only be reliably negotiated our way through a runaway covering Khaudum’s secrets came from stay, but there can be no better way to sourced in these centres. grass fire before arriving ravenous, sooty conquering the soft sand and mastering drift off to sleep than listening to their and reeking of smoke at the picturesque the rugged 4x4 trails that meander guttural calls resonating across the Tari Kora waterhole. Enjoying a tasty through this arid park. Khaudum wildlands. brunch of bacon and eggs while warthogs The pick of the game-drive options in the next moved in, eager to quench its and elephants wallowed barely 50 metres fter three rewarding days in the the north was a full-day circuit from thirst. The procession of thirsty animals from our table was a special experience. south, we left our hyaena-frequented Khaudum campsite along the predom- visiting Tsoanafontein was a spectacle After appeasing my rumbling stomach, Acampsite at Sikeretti and headed inantly dry Tclabasche drainage line, reminiscent of Etosha, but in a far lone- I opted to forgo a siesta in favour of a stint north. Khaudum campsite, thoughtfully taking in Doringstraat, Leeupan (we saw lier context. in the shady hide overlooking the water- located on a ridge overlooking the dry plenty of tracks, although the lions The next morning we refilled the cool- hole. A slender mongoose darting out of Kaudom watercourse, was a spectacular themselves eluded us), Tsau and Burkea This makes Khaudum one of the few After spending the morning settling er box, packed a picnic and made our its hole to retrieve a dead dove caught my place to spend a couple of nights. Game before returning to the grassy Kaudom wildlife refuges where large herds of ele- into the basic campsite at Sikeretti, we way north from Sikeretti, taking in the attention and got me thinking… Over the sightings in the omuramba were better riverbed and camp. These last two water phants, along with endangered species opted for a short drive to a nearby water- waterholes at Soncana, Shiambi and course of our first days in the park we had than those further south and these, com- points were especially productive for like African wild dog, can still roam free- hole. As we whiled away the afternoon in Omuramba. Aside from the ubiquitous seen an inordinate number of dead doves bined with the sensational views from our elephant viewing, with almost obscene ly. It’s worth noting though that this the well-positioned hide overlooking the elephant herds, we came across inquis- and starlings around the water points and elevated site, gave the northern camp an numbers congregating around the trough. ‘open-park system’ means that game Tsoanafontein water point, I was over- itive giraffes, families of stately kudus, drinking troughs. Seeing yet more evid- intoxicating feel that demanded we Watching the grey giants jostle for posi- numbers fluctuate seasonally in accord- come by the reserve’s strong feel of wild- numerous small groups of the rare roan ence of this at Tari Kora made me wonder extend our stay for an extra few nights. tion and assert their dominance over ance with when and where the most ness. Large herds of elephants, roan, antelope (Khaudum is considered a whether something might be wrong with Herds of blue wildebeest, gemsbok and each other as well as any thirsty antelope recent rains have fallen.