news&events

September 2008

Dear Reader

The buck that seems to jump for joy

Early settlers knew most Karoo springbok as 'trekbokke' because of periodic migrations in which perhaps thousands of them came together to move from one area to another in a single body. Those that stayed put were known as 'houbokke' and treated as a distinct species. The last of the great migrations took place in the Prieska district (in South Africa) in 1806, and the phenomenon is not likely to be seen again (today's biologist suggest that the migrations were prompted by drought). Instead, the 'trekbok' of the early days has become the 'springbok' of today in reference to a more playful side of its character. Like the impala, the springbok is able to leap three meters into the air and seems for a moment to hover there, like a bird, unlike the impala, the springbok also 'pronks' (prances) by leaping with its legs held stiff, unfurling the snowy folds on their haunches so as to display around the elevated scut, a broad white gossamer disk, shaped like the spread tail of a peacock.

Himba - Namibias Nomads

The Himba are semi-nomadic herders, living in the northwest of Namibia, the Kaokoveld (known as Kunene Region today). Their environment is hard and dry, but one of harsh beauty, too. Their living is influenced by the hostile skeleton coast at the edge of the Namib Desert, impassable landscapes and the uncertainty of sufficient rainfalls. At approx. 1750 most of the Herero therefore decided to migrate southeast, to the rank centre of Namibia. One group stayed behind, from which today's Himbas partly derive. Between 1850 and 1870 the Nama, which were part of the Swartbooi and Topnaar tribes, started to steal huge amounts of cattle in the Kaokoveld, killing everyone that tried to oppose. The Himba were now forced to make a living as hunter-gatherers. They were then called 'Tjimba' Herero. 'Tjimba' means 'aardvark', since that animal is digging its food out of the ground, too. 1870, when those robberies reached their peak, a lot of the impoverished Tjimba flew the Kaokoveld to the Hereros living in Angola, where the refugees were then known as 'ovaHimba' or beggars. After World War l and the Versailles convention, South-West-Africa was put under South African mandatory. Kaokoveld was proclaimed a reservation, managed by 4 'chiefs'. In1928, the area was even proclaimed a game reserve. The commissioner was stationed in Opuwo, the administrative capital of the Kaokoveld. Opuwo means 'not anymore' or 'done with' in Herero. In 1970 the proclamation as game reserve was revoked and it was declared a homeland for approx 13 000 people - mainly rich, herero-speaking cattle owners, farmer and herders- instead. As a result of a research, conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1972, the number of cattle in the Kaokoveld were put as 160 000, an average of 12 head per person, small stock excepted. The Himba therefore were some of the wealthiest Bantu-speaking herders in Africa. During the eighties, the world of the ochre coloured tribe, peacefully living there for more than 60 years, changed drastically At the beginning of the decade, 80-90 percent of the livestock died due to the most dreadful drought since time memorial. Those three nearly rainless years are since called "the time people had to eat their leather clothing" up there, At the same time, SWAPO shifted the west front in their war against the South African army into the Kaokoveld, and soon the Guerilla war influenced the daily living of the Himba in northern Kaokoveld. Some families left, since they had the (justified) fear that their kids would be kidnapped and trained as guerilla warriors in Angola. When the drought ended in 1982, they carried on with their semi-nomadic life style. 16 years after the drought the number of cattle in the Kunene region (Kaokoveld) had increased from 20 000 to more than 60 000 again. According to the Himbas, those circumstances have had a lasting effect on them. "In the hearts of my grandson there is no more place for cattle. He is dreaming of a radio and a pocket watch these days. He is putting his hands into his pockets and turns his head when his father is calling on him to herd the sheep. Actually a young Himba should wear a loincloth (oruhira) and no trousers. Then he would have had no pockets to put his fainéant hands in".

The weirdest plant on earth

When the Austrian doctor Friedrich Welwitsch stumbled over an untidy-looking plant that resembled nothing he had ever seen before, he knew at once that he had discovered the weirdest plant in the World. His find, made near Cabo Negro in Angola on 3 September 1859, aroused immediate interest among scientists, including Charles Darwin whose description of the Welwitschia as the 'platypus of the plant kingdom' is amusingly apt. The botanist Friedrich Welwitsch handed the description of his discovery in at the Botanic Society in London, where the plant got registered under name Welwitschia mirabilis. At the same time, the scientist Thomas Baines made the same discovery at the Swakop River, close to Swakopmund in Namibia. But he only handed in his descriptions about 10 years later. By error, the plant was registered newly and when the mistake came to light, the plant was renamed Welwitschia bainesii, in honor of both scientists. After a court decision it is renamed again to Welwitschia mirabilis, since the 'botanical law' indicates that a plant needs to keep its foremost given name. 2 leaves only grow on its stem, which get torn through the wind and give the impression of lots of single leaves thereafter. Although the Welwitschia (Welwitschia mirabilis) has been categorized among the Gymnosperm (non-flowering), it is more advanced than other members of this division, displaying many features intermediate between gymnosperms and angiosperms (flowering). For instance, the reproductive structures of the female plant are more like the cones of conifers, which are typical gymnosperms. But the strangest of all the plant's characteristics can be seen during fertilization: instead of the male sperm making its way into the ovary of the female plant to unite with the egg, the egg moves up to the male sperm through a special tube which grows from pollen grains adhering to a sticky substance on the female cone. Welwitschias are found only in the Namib Desert, where between 5 000 and 6 000 exist.

'Coal Oil'

Petroleum was discovered in 1859. By heating this oil in a closed vessel, a thin colorless product known as kerosene is obtained. This became the oil most commonly used for lamps. In fact, it was first called 'coal oil', because people thought petroleum was associated with coal.

Bird & Birder friendly accredited establishments

When planning your next Namibia trip, why not support the Bird & Birder friendly establishments registered through BirdsConTour? They have committed themselves to responsible tourism practices and aim to also please the birdwatching enthusiasts. For bookings either contact them directly or through BirdsConTour on:

Windhoek

Imanuel Wilderness Lodge Tel: +264 (0)61 260 901 Fax: +264 (0)61 260 903 E-mail: lodge@iway.na

Southern Namibia

Betesda Lodge Tel: +264 (0)63 693 253 Fax: +264 (0)63 693 252 E-mail: betesda@iway.na

Erongo

Hohenstein Lodge Tel: +264 (0)64 530 900 Fax: +264 (0)64 530 931 E-mail: info@hohensteinlodge.de

The Editor

Stefan Rust

Cell: +264 (0)81 129 84 15

E-mail: birdscontour@iway.na