News
Times of Hardship
Saturday 1 May 2021
The desert-adapted lion population of Northwest Namibia is facing starvation and increased levels of human-lion conflict. Due to below average rainfall for several consecutive years and aggravated by recent adverse weather conditions, such as extreme heat combined with sand and dust storms, the Northern Namib has experienced hyper-arid conditions. ..read more >>
Evaluation of environmental conditions
Tuesday 20 April 2021
Understanding the movements of the Orphan lionesses Below average rainfall during recent years have resulted in hyper-arid conditions in the Northern Namib. The conditions have had severe impacts on the local communities, livestock farmers and wildlife alike. A large proportion of the lion population have struggled to find find sufficient prey and many individuals have moved excessive distances in search food. Some lions have moved towards human settlements that resulted in numerous incidents of human-lion conflict ..read more >>
Extensive rainfall
Saturday 10 April 2021
When the two Orphan lionesses left the flooding Hoaruseb river on 26 March 2021 they spent several days feeding on a gemsbok on the Hoanib Floodplain. Due to the rains and flooding most of the prey animals have, however, vacated the area. The lionesses crossed the dune-belt and visited the coast where they killed a Cape fur seal. ..read more >>
Rainfall and Floods
Wednesday 31 March 2021
The research vehicle was stranded on the northern side of the Hoaruseb river for two days as rainclouds continued to build before a successful crossing was made at the river mouth. The Hoanib river was also in flood and access to the Orphan lionesses was not possible. ..read more >>
Orphan lionesses return to Hoanib
Saturday 27 March 2021
When the floodwaters arrived during the night of 19/20 March 2021, the two lionesses had to abandon the remainder of their two zebra carcasses. Early on 26 March 2021 the lionesses swam through a fast flowing river and moved back to the Hoanib Floodplain. ..read more >>
Hoaruseb flood
Wednesday 24 March 2021
Rain clouds continued to build during the afternoons following the flooding of the Hoaruseb river on 19/20 March 2021. This resulted in rising floodwaters and the Hoaruseb river turned into a fast flowing river. ..read more >>
Hoaruseb floods reaches the Atlantic
Monday 22 March 2021
A second wave of floodwaters reached the border of the Skeleton Coast National Park at midnight on 19 March 2021. This was a significantly larger flood that ran from bank to bank and carried large tree stumps and debris through to the ocean. ..read more >>
Seasonal floods
Saturday 20 March 2021
Over two days of towering rain clouds visible from the Skeleton Coast National Park during the late afternoons, the Hoaruseb river came down in flood on the morning of 19 March 2021. ..read more >>
