Damaraland

Looking for Black Rhino and Desert Elephant

I really wanted to find some black rhino, and so Clarissa and I spent several months in Damaraland, Namibia, over several seasons. It was rough camping in very remote terrain and with one vehicle - our own!

1/13 : The Barab area was deceptively lush the first time we camped there. The rains had been exceptional.

An image of a vast valley floor with grass plains stretching towards distant hills. Several jiraffe are in the foreground as well as the narrow deseerrt track.

2/13 : We would camp wherever we happens to be when the sun went down.

An image of a 4x4 vehicle parked in the foregroung just after dusk with the clouds illuminated by sun that has already set.

3/13 : We slept on the roof. In the mornings we would glass the surrounding countryside for black rhino.

An image of Clarissa Augustinus on the roof of a camper 4x4 vehicle, she is glassing the surrounding countryside for signs of black rhino.

4/13 : One of the first black rhinos that we tracked down.

An image of a black rhino male with a magnificent horn, walking slowly through the Barab desert landscape of boulders and Euphorbia bushes.

5/13 : By the third season we were very good at finding rhino.

An image of a male black rhino alert and suspicious in some nearby thicket in the desert.

6/13 : The grass hid a desert floor of boulders that was very difficult to walk over. This is near Ecke Mountain.

An image of Paul Augustinus walking through knee length grass that had sprung up after good rains in this desert environment.

7/13 : The desert elephant had made distinct paths through this grass.

An image of Paul Augustinus walking down a narrow path created by elephants walking through the grass.

8/13 : If you keep traveling West in Damaraland, the grass plains are replaced by rocky plains.

An image of Paul Augustinus 4x4 parked on a rocky, boulder strewn plain with some low hills in the background.

9/13 : Even in the most desert like conditions we would find desert elephant. This lone tree was next to the barely visible track that we used. There was always an elephant in it's shade at midday.