Note

Services subject to availability at the time of booking.
Rates subject to change without prior notice due to circumstances beyond our control e.g., fuel increases, currency fluctuation etc.
Given the nature of this safari, the age restriction is a minimum of 12years paying full fare.
PLEASE NOTE that whilst we endeavor to accommodate guests at the above stipulated lodges/camps, Wanderers reserves the right to replace such with one of a similar standard and location.
Terms and conditions apply

Our safaris have elements that require a degree of mobility in order to get the best out of them. These include tracking for desert adapted black rhino across rough terrain on foot, sometimes for up to three or four hours, and climbing some of the free standing dunes in the Sossusvlei area. If you are not sure you are able to do this, it may be better to look at a less active programme such as our Namibia Safari which does not include rhino tracking on foot. Please note that both of these are group departures and your guide cannot change the advertised programme to suit individual needs unless all participants agree, so everyone needs to keep up or risk being left out on occasion. Please
therefore make an honest assessment of your fitness levels before deciding to take part. You don’t need to be a marathon runner, but you do need ‘level three’ mobility which means you can walk for two or three kilometres over fairly rough ground where necessary. When you make your assessment, please also consider other medical conditions such as
recent injuries to back or neck, or difficulties in hearing, as these can also adversely affect your enjoyment. None of this should be a deterrent to most potential participants, but we feel duty-bound to ensure that guests are aware of what they may need to be able to do before making booking. Assuming all is well with that, you are very welcome to join in, and you are also pretty much guaranteed a great safari experience.

RHINO TRACKING
Camp Doros offers a genuine “back to nature” experience, with the main emphasis being the tracking of desert adapted black rhino. Being out on the edges of the Namib Desert on foot and observing these critically endangered animals in their natural habitat offers an extraordinary experience. We accept that it is easier to view black rhino in National Parks or private game reserves, but the North West of Namibia is the only place in the world where black rhino still occur completely naturally in areas devoid of fences or anything which would limit their movement. This makes it one of the last great wilderness areas left in Africa that supports the last truly wild population of black rhino on earth. Black rhino occupy massive home ranges, and by protecting them we are also protecting the rest of the fauna and flora of the region,
allowing entire ecosystems to prosper. Tracking black rhino in a completely unfenced area takes skill and patience, and
viewing them in this terrain is truly life enriching.

The initial number of rhinos re-introduced was small, but they have been constantly monitored by the Conservancy Rhino Rangers to ensure they remain safe and that this confirms the sustainability of the project.
The introduction of light footprint tourism has provided more funding, increased the protection of rhino, and paved the way to increase numbers. This brings higher tourism demand and therefore more revenue generated from rhino tourism which then goes to the custodians of this area, the communities that live here.

DESERT ADAPTED BLACK RHINO IN NAMIBIA
The black rhino population of Namibia’s north western Kunene region is unique in that it is one of the world’s most important groups to have survived outside a formally protected National Park or Game Reserve. Historically, desert adapted black rhino (Diceros bicornis bicornis) were found across almost all of Namibia and the western parts of South
Africa but, as a result of droughts and poaching, they are now limited to just northwest Namibia where 90% of this subspecies occurs. Their distribution stretches across 23 000 square kilometers (5.7 million acres) of arid communal rangelands in the Kunene region.
This particular population survives in the most extreme conditions, generally with less than 100mm of rainfall per year on a sparsely vegetated landscape. Black rhino are exclusively browsers and use their prehensile lips to clip vegetation from bushes, shrubs and trees, showing a preference for the Euphorbia damarana, Euphorbia virosa and Terminalia prunoides found in this region.

As a result of the harsh environment and the limited resources, home ranges can be up to ten times the size of those of other rhino populations, making space and habitat some of the key conservation variables for the species in these conditions. Desert adapted black rhino are known to be shy and easily agitated, and therefore liable to move out of protected areas to get away from people. This can make them hard to protect and it means the conservation efforts directed towards helping them to survive in these remote areas are especially important.
POACHING THREAT IN NAMIBIA
The greatest threat to rhino worldwide is poaching, where demand for the perceived medicinal benefits from their horn has seen prices exceed US$ 65,000 per kilogram. This makes it the most expensive commodity on earth, worth more per kilogram than gold, diamonds or cocaine. There are no easy solutions or ‘silver bullets’ here. Rhino poaching is complex but our role is to be creative and collaborative in our efforts to combat poaching at a local level. Long term success will require the support from local people living alongside the rhino, ultimately ensuring that a live rhino is worth more to them than a dead one. This is a unique Namibian approach to this challenge and your presence here is part of the solution
TRACKING THE ELUSIVE DESERT ADAPTED BLACK RHINO
Unlike the majority of game viewing you might do while in Namibia, the tracking of desert adapted rhino needs to be done on foot. The rhino in these dry parts of Namibia can seldom be seen from roads as they prefer the protection of hills and small tree-lined dry runoff lines. This means you can’t just see them from a vehicle, you need to go out to look for
them, and the distances that have to be covered to do so can vary.
Black rhinos are large animals, and potentially aggressive on account of their fairly poor eyesight. As a result, going out to look for them is not an activity that should be taken lightly. Added to that, our aim is to have as little impact on the animals as possible, so our hope is to enjoy a sighting and then leave without them ever being aware of our presence.
On the Doros Joint Management Area we have two teams of highly trained and experienced rhino rangers, all of whom hail from the local area. Namibia currently has sixty full time rhino rangers, five of whom operate here. The presence of these rhino rangers has increased field patrols by 750%, rhino sightings by 450%, and is estimated to have helped reduce poaching by 80% between 2013 and 2018. The rhino ranger teams head out into the field at sunrise to visit the limited
water sources in the area, mostly natural springs, where rhino drink frequently. Desert adapted rhino drink mostly at night as there is then more water available at the natural springs than there is during the day when evaporation levels are higher. Rhino rangers therefore start to track from here if they find fresh signs.
One team will normally be taken out and dropped off by your guide while the other team heads out on their solar mountain bikes which allow them to cover far greater distances than they could when patrolling on foot. When a rhino is located they communicate with your guide via radio to let him know where they are and he will then take you out to join them.
Unfortunately, the character of these rhino means that it is not safe for untrained individuals to be part of the tracking procedure, and your safety has to be our priority. Added to that, untrained participants in the actual tracking could compromise a potential sighting. As a result, guests will join the trackers once they have confirmed a sighting, and once the viewing is complete, the rangers will spend time retracing their tracking experience for guests to give them an insight into the art of tracking in this terrain.
The rhino rangers have to take charge of this experience as they know each individual animal and their habits. They will therefore decide how close you can approach with safety, how long you can stay, and when you need to move away.
During this time, they also have to complete their observation tasks as the rhino rangers are financially incentivized when it comes to sightings.
For them, the sightings must also include a number of tasks which include documenting observations, photographing the rhino and, most importantly, not disturbing the rhino whilst doing all of this. Photo opportunities might be limited but, unlike other rhino sightings you may have had elsewhere in Africa, this is an experiential activity which also has a very positive conservation impact. Sightings are not guaranteed, and this is influenced by many factors, including weather
conditions. Sightings are also not always perfect, but being part of a genuine conservation effort and having a bond with these a specific rhino assists us in protecting these animals whilst offering you a truly life enriching experience.
TRACKING PREPARATION
Here are some important points that need to be taken into account when preparing yourself, both mentally and physically, before embarking on the rhino tracking activity:
• The three most important factors to take into consideration; firstly, your SAFETY, secondly, CONSERVATION
CONCERNS and not disturbing the rhino, and thirdly, your ENJOYMENT.
• The rangers are in control of the sighting and guests should follow all their instructions.
• The viewing distance and time spent with the rhino is determined by a viewing protocol, which takes into
account terrain and conditions but, on average, this is approximately 15 minutes at 300 feet.

• Once you get out of the vehicle your guide will give you a safety briefing.
• Everybody should approach the sighting in single file. The rangers will position you for the best possible viewing
and you should remain there unless instructed otherwise.
• Guests should avoid wearing perfume and aftershave as rhino have excellent smell.
• Although the rhino does not have good eye sight, guests must wear natural colored clothing as the rhino can be
disturbed by movement of brighter colored clothing.
• Bring hats, sunglasses, cameras and wear trousers as well as comfortable walking shoes.
• Should you need to take any medication during the morning ensure you bring it along with you.
• Each tent is supplied with a pair of Swarovski Binoculars, the perfect equipment for optimal viewing.
• All questions should be kept until you have returned to the vehicle as rhino have very good hearing and can be
alarmed by the sound of voices.
This rhino tracking experience is designed to give you an understanding of the needs of this unique rhino species, as well as the conservation issues faced in this area and the value of the partnerships between the Doros Joint Management Area, Save the Rhino Trust and our safari who all assist with the protection of this population and the long term
sustainability of this project