For the last part of our trip, we indulged in a more traditional wildlife safari in a reserve north of Windhoek. The two previous entries of the trip can be found here and here.

The trip from Bullsport to Okonjima was long, covering more than 450 kilometers and taking most of the day. Fortunately, most of the trip was on the paved B1, with a few interruptions for construction.

The scenery was different from what we saw in the south. The trees and brush were denser, and the areas around Windhoek and Okahandja were more urban.

After arriving at the entrance to the reserve, we had to pass three gates to reach the reception area, with the outer fence to keep poachers out and the inner fence to keep predators from eating the guests. Okonjima is home to the Africat Foundation, dedicated to preserving large predators and pangolins. Compared to the other places we stayed, it served a much higher volume of visitors. Nonetheless, the accommodations were excellent, and the staff, guides, and trackers were all kind and welcoming.

We had barely arrived before it was time to climb onto a Land Cruiser and look for leopards. Most of the leopards are radio collared, so they can be tracked and monitored. Our guide was focused on one particular female, and found her relatively quickly.

The adult leopards are completely habituated to the vehicles, and let us get very close. This leopard had a several-month old cub, and we all loved watching them relax and groom each other.

At one point, they stopped relaxing and started watching something in the opposite direction from us. Not too long after, the cub ran past us, followed by mom.

Our guide pointed out that a brown hyena was lurking nearby. A hyena is not a threat to an adult leopard, but the cub was wise to run for the safety of a tree. When a gathering storm started dousing us with wind and rain, it was time to head home. Quite the contrast to the extreme aridity of Gobabeb.

After breakfast, we joined our guide to drive north for a “rhino walk.” Given their size and defensive nature, one might think that walking with rhinos was not the best idea. It turns out that white rhinos tend to be peaceful and respond well to human voice commands.

On the way, the guide tracked down a male leopard.

He was drowsy from his activities the night before, and appeared completely indifferent to our presence.

When we arrived, the trackers had found two rhinos. At first, one of them wanted to get a closer look at us, but the trackers shooed it gently in a different direction. Quite amazing. The rhinos seemed unconcerned, wandering and grazing as we followed along.

Along the way, we encountered plenty of wildlife, including antelope and birds of prey.

Later in the day, we took a hike near the campground. The scenery alone was worth the hike.

We also got closeup views of kudu and zebras.

Our last stop in Namibia was the Daan Viljoen Game Reserve, a small reserve about an hour outside of Windhoek. It was established in 1968, and has comfortable accommodations for travelers and conferences.

There was plenty of wildlife, including giraffes, wildebeest, hartebeest, and baboons.

We were surprised to find a large pond just up the road from our cabin. It was the first open water we had seen on the trip, and was populated by all sorts of waterfowl.

Geese and their goslings cruising the pond.

Perhaps naively, we had not expected to see pelicans on the trip.

That is the end of the travelogue. The trip home was long, but uneventful. The trip was full of excitement and surprises, and we would recommend a drive in Namibia to anyone.

Future posts will return to beetles and ecology at home and abroad.