Discover key landmarks, trails and natural highlights
Discover a landscape shaped by ancient volcanoes, home to rare wildlife, dramatic granite formations and some of Namibia’s most significant rock art sites. The Erongo Mountains offer quiet trails, cultural encounters and natural landmarks that reveal the deep history and beauty of this protected wilderness.
Although the plant kingdom is often forgotten when one thinks about conservation, the Erongo Mountain Nature Sanctuary and its supporters commit to the protection of the indigenous plant species - especially those indigenous to the Erongo.
The Erongo Mountains have a - due its unique biotope - unique plant life; also species endemic to Namibia occur here.
Although most of the vegetation is decidual in the winter time, the picture is wholly different in the summer when the rainy season begins. At this time of the year everything turns green and even a few “wild flowers” are a welcome visual variation. This, however, is only present for a few months, until everything returns to the region’s characteristic brown and grey tones. Merely along the dry riverbeds the green often persists throughout the year.
After the first Black rhinoceros were reintroduced in the year 2008, the first calves were born in the following years, and moreover new rhinos were also translocated to the Erongo Mountains. The reintroduction of the Black-faced impala is also a huge success story. Originally, the entire north-west of Namibia reaching down to the Swakop River formed the range of the Black-faced impala. At the onset of the millennium however, the endemic impala sub-species had largely been displaced from its range; merely in the Etosha National Park and on a few isolated (game) farms this beautiful sub-species still occurred. Owing to the efforts of the Erongo Mountain Nature Sanctuary the Erongo Mountains today boast the largest free-roaming population outside of the Etosha National Park.
Since the year 2006 Elephants from the neighbouring Damaraland are wandering into the Erongo Mountains again. At first only bull elephants visited the area; later a small herd roamed the north-western project area for a few years.
The endemic Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra occurs in very healthy numbers in the Erongo Mountains. These frugal animals occur in family groups of 5 to 8, resting in the rugged mountain slopes or kopjes during the day to move down into the valleys for grazing in the evening. The Damara Dik Dik, an endemic antelope species, stays in the thickest undergrowth along the riparian forest of dry river beds or in matted thorn-bush thickets. The majestic Greater Kudu and the unassuming Gemsbok are prevalent in the Erongo Mountains; furthermore Eland, Leopard, Warthog and Springbok can be encountered. The rocky ranges are the ideal habitat of the Klipspringer and along the dry riverbeds and in the valleys Duiker and Steenbok occur. While Eland only occur in the lusher north-eastern parts, Giraffe can also be found in good numbers in the sparser south and west of the Erongo Mountains and its forelands.
There is also a variety of smaller mammals to be seen in the Erongo. A peculiar example is the curious Black mongoose (Galerella nigrata), an endemic sub-species to the Slender mongoose, which occurs in very healthy numbers in the granite realms of the Erongo. Furthermore, other species like the Ground squirrel, African wild cat, Lynx and Genet occur in the area. Even the rare Cape fox and Bat-eared fox can be encountered by the lucky observer. Not least a very rich bird life inhabits the Erongo Mountains. On the one hand 7 (Namibian) endemic species occur in the Erongo Mountains - as for example the Hartlaub francolin, the White-tailed shrike or the Damara rock-runner -, on the other hand a number of interesting migratory and water birds visit the Erongo, depending on the season.
The hunting community of the Erongo Mountains was the decisive reason that lead to the founding of this unique nature reserve. Thus hunting is still practiced in the Erongo and continues to be an important part of the conservation success story of the EMNS.
In order to be able to justify hunting as applied conservation, the Erongo Verzeichnis for African game animals was established through the Erongo Mountain Nature Sanctuary. The Erongo Mountain Nature Sanctuary is therefore the ideal supporter and carrier of the Erongo Verzeichnis, which serves as the official organ of the Trust. The Erongo Verzeichnis aims at preserving, through hunting, pristine, spacious wilderness areas inhabiting the natural and indigenous array of game animals. The goal must be to protect indigenous game animals, including predators, in their respective habitats; and to keep these wilderness areas as pristine and spacious as possible, to allow for natural migrations of wildlife and an escape from the hunter.
For more information, please visit the Erongo Verzeichnis website here: www.erongo-verzeichnis.com.
At the bottom of this page you will find a video that was filmed in the Erongo Mountains with the support of hunter Henrik Lott and filmmaker Sebastian Steinbrink-Minami to show-case the work of conservation through hunting in the Erongo Mountain Nature Sanctuary and through the Erongo Verzeichnis. Enjoy!
Here we would like to now introduce the hunting areas in the Erongo Mountains.
African Hunting Safaris with Kai-Uwe Denker and son Hagen offer true mountain hunting in the southwestern Valley of the Erongo Mountains. Hunting is done exclusively on foot searching for the typical game species of the Namibian escarpment, with special emphasis on big old Kudu bulls. www.kaiuwe-hagen.com
Due to the varied and beautiful scenery and landscape the Erongo Mountains have become a popular tourism destination. Most of the members of the Erongo Mountain Nature Sanctuary derive their income through one or other form of tourism. This can on the one hand be purely photo tourism, on the other hand sustainable conservation hunting is an integral part of the conservation story of the EMNS. Therefore, both types of tourism are offered on some land units, while other parts have specialised on either hunting or photo tourism.
Often the venison for lunch or dinner comes directly from the particular farm. Through this - and through the practicing of all types of tourism - a balance is created in the bigger picture to ensure the sustainable use of nature in all parts of the project area. The diversity of the Erongo Mountains and its forelands indeed invite for a longer stay in the EMNS. One can visit the different attractions in ample time, and be able to sleep somewhere else every or every other night.
The Erongo Mountains have much to offer, beginning with the geology of the former volcanic structure; or the unique landscape with its indigenous living creatures; up to the plentiful pre-historic rock paintings and engravings, most of which are estimated to be older than 2000 years.
The different accommodations also hold something for every soul. Luxurious lodges in breath-taking mountain backdrop, tasteful guesthouses in modern as well as traditional style as well as camping sites are all to be found in the Erongo Mountain Rhino Sanctuary Trust area.
The efforts of conservationist land owners to establish a 180 000 hectare nature reserve in all its originality in and around the Erongo Mountains, has since led to a non-profit, legal framework through the foundation of the Erongo Mountain Nature Sanctuary (EMNS). Yet, this project is still establishing itself, and the organisational and financial challenges often exceed the capacities of a small group of idealists by far.
The reintroduction of a number of rhinos was made possible through the bottle-top campaign of Omaruru Beverages. A percentage of the proceeds of every sold bottle of Oasis mineral water and the other drinks from the assortment of Omaruru Beverages went directly towards the protection of rhinoceros in the Erongo Mountains for the first years of the project. Through this, it was possible for the EMNS to bear the veterinary and translocation costs of seven Black rhinoceros.
With the current rhino poaching crisis that has by now also reached Namibia, it is becoming more and more important to ensure the best protection for these pachyderms. Poaching is however also evident with other game animals; in the Erongo mostly snaring is the preferred method of poaching, where these snares are placed indiscriminately in game trails. When an animal steps into one of the snares in a game trail, it quickly tightens around the ankle. The other end of the snare is fastened to the next bigger bush; the animal cannot escape and dies an agonising death. The poachers control the snares and sell the meat of the captured animal.
Further support, also in the general scope of nature conservation in the Erongo Mountains, would therefore provide further upwind for an ambitious ideal.
Meanwhile a Support Organisation of the Erongo Mountain Rhino Sanctuary Trust of Namibia has been founded in Germany. This charitable association was established in 2013, to also allow interested conservationists in Germany (and Europe) to easily support the EMNS with donations. As this is a registered non-profit support organisation, donation confirmations (certificate) can be acquired. More about this EMNS support organisation on the website: www.foerderverein-emrst.de
Furthermore, the Erongo Mountain Nature Sanctuary has introduced donation categories. Through this support membership of the EMNS, one can financially support the endeavours and projects of the EMNS with a onetime or annual donation.
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