Gilman International Conservation

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Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4

Day 1

I am now in Namibia, Africa.  I have the distinct pleasure of helping the efforts to protect Black Rhinos in their natural range.  White Oak offers so much in the way of conservation, research and education, but now they have sent me here to work with these astonishing creatures, in the wild.  Over the next two weeks, I will be working with my host, Dr. Axel Hartmann.  He will be taking me out to join Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) as they conduct census counts in the mountainous region of Damaraland.  Then to Ongava Game Reserve, a southern neighbor of Etosha National Park, to get hands-on field experience with some white and black rhinos, to collect biological data and implant radio transponders into their horns. 

This is my first blog, I will be giving a daily recap of the events that transpire.  I hope I can put the events of the next two weeks into words that will do justice for the beautiful landscape and wildlife that I will be enjoying. 

Day 2

It took us a few hours to drive from Otjiwarongo to SRT’s base camp near the Palmwag Lodge, and then another few hours of hard off-road driving to rendezvous with one of the census teams. 

The landscape is rough, almost unforgiving.  Mountains rise from the riverbed that we have made camp in.  Rocks litter the ground making every step uneasy.  This land is breathtaking!  Golden grass, long and untouched by human traffic, dances in the wind as it rolls over the hillsides.  Acacia trees dot the landscape on the hillsides and follow the riverbed into the valley. 

We sat next to the campfire with the CEO of SRT Rudi Loutit and his wife Jennifer, discussing the plan for the next day while we ate a cut of fine Namibian beef.  Tomorrow will be my first day tracking black rhinos!

Day 3

 As the sun starts to lighten the sky we set out on foot, up the dried riverbed.  About 3km up the riverbed is a natural spring; this is the first spot we will stop to look for tracks.  Once at the spring we find evidences that there has been activity during the night, and we are now on the tracks of several rhinos.  After walking a few more kilometers, we find what we have set out to find.  In the distance, high up on a hillside, moving effortlessly through some shrubs is a rhino.  As we stand there watching it eat, we see a spray which confirms that we are watching a male.  A few of the trackers and an SRT official, armed with a camera, move up the steep gravelly embankment and onto the hillside.  They move as close as possible without trying to disturb the rhino.  They take several pictures for photo identification, and a GPS location.  Once they had the essential data, they signal down; now we move.

Climbing the embankment is slow; caution is used. A bad step could mean the difference between seeing a rhino up close or having to settle with the memory of just seeing him from the riverbed.  Moving through the mid-calf high grasses of the hillside, we hike to a location where he is down hill from us.  We are now just a stones throw away.  I am amazed.  I’ve been around black rhinos; I had my first opportunity as a volunteer at a zoo in Colorado over 10 years ago.  But, this one, this one I will never forget.  No bars, no boundaries, no game preserve, no National Park, this is a free rhino! 

We climb back down the hillside, back to the riverbed.  We rejoin the others, and start to move towards the next spring.  We find and follow a few other tracks, but we did not find any other rhinos today.  However, as we came back around the mountain heading for camp, we see the male from early this morning.  I just had to stop and watch as he moved across the ridge line.  It’s so graceful; to me it feels like I am in a prehistoric time. 

 After walking about 17km, we arrived back in camp.  We sit around talking, planning tomorrow’s trip, telling stories and just having a relaxing evening.  I just hope tomorrow brings us another chance to see more rhinos.

Day 4

Today was a long hot day.  We traveled 19km crossing three ridge lines.  I feel the fatigue in my muscles, but I am really surprised at how well my legs are holding up in this terrain.  It’s been about two years since I moved from Colorado to Florida (for those who have not been to FL…it’s flat, the biggest elevation change occurs on the bridges over the rivers and highways).  I wish I had had more time to break in my boots though, nothing that a little medical tape acting as a second skin can’t fix, but I definitely feel every step I take towards the end of the day. 

 I wish I could say today was as good as yesterday.  We followed some good tracks, but they did not result in spotting a rhino.  We walked in a big loop, and at one point about 7km from camp is a great overlook.  It is also where we will be walking tomorrow as we head for our new camp.  We return to camp at this point. 

The plan for tomorrow: I will go with three trackers and Jason, a graduate student and professional guide from the Palmwag Lodge.  We will be taking the camels and donkeys over the mountains to the new camp.  The others will make the four hour drive around with the gear.  Going by foot is my best chance of seeing another rhino in the wild.