Namibia: Camels in South-West Africa - camels in Kalahari Gemsbok Park

Camels in South-West Africa (Namibia)
Part 2

During 1905/6 the Deutsche Schutztruppe for South-West Africa had imported over one thousand dromedaries from Arabia. Lorenz Hagenbeck, the then 26 year old son of Carl Hagenbeck, owner of the Tierpark Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg Altona handled the purchase and shipping.

More than 1000 camels were brought ashore at Swakopmund and also Lüderitz and taken into the interior. A camel stud farm got established at Aroab in the Kalahari.

After the German defeat during 1915 the remaining camels were used by the South African Police for patrols along the Kalahari - Botswana border. Camels were also used for arduous patrols in the various Sperrgebiet diamond areas west of Sossusvlei and between Oranjemund and Lüderitz until the mid-1950's.

Even until 1955 the Swakopmund policemen did patrols by camel. An elderly Swakopmund lady tells the story that when she moved to Swakopmund in 1953 the police camels were stabled at an open fenced erf across the road from the "Altes Amtsgericht" building.

Only in 1955 were the last camels replaced by heavy American pick-up trucks with thirsty V8 or straight-six engines.

The Postal Services in Ovamboland used a few camels to carry post and parcels between Oshivelo and Ombalantu. It is said that after so many trips, the camels would be sent off on their own, and would reliably reach each and every post office along the way. There were never any problems with lions either.

After 1955 the last remaining camels were rounded up and trucked to the Kalahari Gemsbok Park where they were supposed to go feral and 'become part of the greater Kalahari eco-system'.

For decades, the Kalahari Park was managed by the le Riche family. Sometime in the mid-1970's one of the le Riche game wardens made a remark to one of the San Bushman trackers about all antelope and larger mammals scattering in a frenzy whenever a group of camels approached the waterholes in the park.

Vet Piet, the tracker replied "Well,  obvious! Had none of you ever noticed; the smell of the camel is very much that of the lion!?"

Whereupon around 1976 it was decided to remove the animals from the Kalahari Park.

Since the early 80's a few descendants have found their way back to Swakopmund where they are used to take holidaymakers for a ride.

On occasion these camels nowadays feature alongside world-famous actors in Hollywood or Walt Disney or even European movie productions.

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Namibia: Camels in South-West Africa - A twist of fate

Camels in South-West Africa (Namibia)
Part 1

"A twist of fate"

The first camel to be brought to Namibia was a lone bull which Capt. Curt von Francois had bought at Tenerife and shipped to Walvis Bay with the very first contingent of "Schutztruppe" soldiers in 1889.

It is not quite clear for what purpose he had brought it, but it has been reported that the camel was difficult to handle since it felt lonesome and frustrated. It was soon left to its own devices, and was seen moving down towards the coast on several occasions. It was eventually found dead, drowned in the lagoon of Sandwich Harbour, south of Walvis Bay.

Not the end of that story. Much more transpires.

Von Francois had taken his camel along to meetings between himself and the old paramount chief of the Herero, Maharero, the son of Tjamuaha. The Herero found it a remarkable feature that the camel did not have any horns. Now it needs to be told that Maharero was member of the patriclan of the Kudu.

These people of the "ohorongo oruzo" were, for instance, not allowed to eat meat of animals without horns. Anyone of their clan who had eaten such meat knowingly or unknowingly, was considered doomed - although a shaman might still have worked his magic. To the heathen Herero the camel appeared to be a dangerous animal, especially to those of the Ohorongo clan (Kudu people).

Early one fine morning in 1890, as the sun was rising over Okahandja, the lone camel was seen grazing near the chief's royal palace, which was also the place of the sacred ancestral fire. The meat cooked at this fire was only ever to be eaten by people of the Ohorongo clan.

The Herero noticed the camel trundling along between Maharero's main house and the fire. Even worse, the camel's shadow for a brief moment fell onto the ashes of the "okuruwo" fire, in such a way that the shadow of its head was cast on that spot where the 'Lady of the Fire' was busy rekindling the embers.

(Only once the fire was successfully rekindled in the morning would the other women be allowed to start milking the cows for preparing 'omaere').

This cast of shadows was considered a very bad omen, interpreted as a desecration of the ancestral fire, and it was understood that Maharero would not have much longer to live.

The camel had bewitched, poisoned Maharero.

A few weeks later Maharero's head wife, Kataree, the mother of Samuel, did cook the meat of an unhorned sheep for the chief. He was aware of what he was eating.

Omuhona Maharero died at Okahandja in the early hours of 7th of October 1890. Until this day the Herero in the entire country refer to that fateful year as 'Otyongamero'.

The year of the camel. 

The animal was later found drowned and dead at Sandwich Harbor. Not far from where it had originally been brought to theses shores.

By late 1895 two grandsons of Maharero, Friedrich and Traugott, sons of Samuel, boarded a steam ship at Swakopmund, bound for Hamburg, via Teneriffa. They spent almost two years on an 'educational' in and around Berlin. Together with one son of the Witbooi nobility they also had an audition at the Emperor, Wilhelm II von Hohenzollern.

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