The battle for a life in freedom
Fascination with the wild horses in Namibia’s south-western Namib Desert is compelling. Their origin was shrouded in mystery for decades. Their habitat, the inhospitable plains around Garub, is anything but a paradise. Nevertheless the horses have managed to adapt to the harsh conditions. Their descendants, once in the service of man, regained their freedom. They chose a life in the vastness of the desert, far away from human civilisation, following the laws of their herd.
In more recent times they have become a tourist attraction. Every year thousands of visitors watch in awe as the horses arrive with thundering hooves and flying manes to quench their thirst at the trough at Garub. They are all the more touched when in years of drought they see emaciated tired creatures... Why? Does nobody come to the rescue?
Answers are provided by the Namibia Wild Horses Foundation which was established in 2012 to raise and strengthen awareness of the horses. The driving forces behind this initiative are biologist Dr Telané Greyling and the Gondwana Collection with managing director Mannfred Goldbeck and its partners at Klein-Aus Vista. As an advisor to the Ministry of the Environment the foundation is ready - if need be - to take gentle anticipatory action for the preservation of the wild horses.
The wild horses have survived in their area on the fringe of the Namib for close to 100 years. They have adapted their behaviour to the meagre conditions and have developed social structures of their own. Man only provides water for them but does not interfere otherwise. There have always been periods of droughts and weaker animals did not survive. It is the principle of natural selection which helps to maintain a strong gene pool.
Human intervention should be limited to situations when the entire population is at risk. If, for example, the number of animals is dropping to such an extent that the gene pool becomes too small – or if, after years of good rains, their numbers rise to a level which exceeds the capacity of their grazing area and would result in widespread deaths at the onset of drought. The foundation’s first priority is to limit human intervention to the absolutely necessary and to preserve the horses’ life in freedom in the long term.
Dr Telané Greyling determined sustainable minimum and maximum numbers (80-250 animals) in her thesis as a basis on which gentle corrections can be made in good time. Currently some 200 horses live in the vicinity of Aus. They are still in a good condition but grazing is sparse.
More on the history, background and behaviour of the wild horses can be learnt from the book Wild Horses of the Namib Desert by Telané Greyling, Mannfred Goldbeck and Ron Swilling. It will be available (in English and German at the Namibia Tourism Expo from 4 to 7 June in the Gondwana Hall (former Karakul Hall). Part of the proceeds as well as 50 percent of the earnings from Gondwana’s “Wild horse of the year” expo competition will be donated to the foundation. Participants stand a chance to win their share of 100 night plus breakfast at any Gondwana lodge.
The Namibia Wild Horses Foundation welcomes any horse lover who wants to support the wild horses.
Fascination with the wild horses in Namibia’s south-western Namib Desert is compelling. Their origin was shrouded in mystery for decades. Their habitat, the inhospitable plains around Garub, is anything but a paradise. Nevertheless the horses have managed to adapt to the harsh conditions. Their descendants, once in the service of man, regained their freedom. They chose a life in the vastness of the desert, far away from human civilisation, following the laws of their herd.
In more recent times they have become a tourist attraction. Every year thousands of visitors watch in awe as the horses arrive with thundering hooves and flying manes to quench their thirst at the trough at Garub. They are all the more touched when in years of drought they see emaciated tired creatures... Why? Does nobody come to the rescue?
Answers are provided by the Namibia Wild Horses Foundation which was established in 2012 to raise and strengthen awareness of the horses. The driving forces behind this initiative are biologist Dr Telané Greyling and the Gondwana Collection with managing director Mannfred Goldbeck and its partners at Klein-Aus Vista. As an advisor to the Ministry of the Environment the foundation is ready - if need be - to take gentle anticipatory action for the preservation of the wild horses.
The wild horses have survived in their area on the fringe of the Namib for close to 100 years. They have adapted their behaviour to the meagre conditions and have developed social structures of their own. Man only provides water for them but does not interfere otherwise. There have always been periods of droughts and weaker animals did not survive. It is the principle of natural selection which helps to maintain a strong gene pool.
Human intervention should be limited to situations when the entire population is at risk. If, for example, the number of animals is dropping to such an extent that the gene pool becomes too small – or if, after years of good rains, their numbers rise to a level which exceeds the capacity of their grazing area and would result in widespread deaths at the onset of drought. The foundation’s first priority is to limit human intervention to the absolutely necessary and to preserve the horses’ life in freedom in the long term.
Dr Telané Greyling determined sustainable minimum and maximum numbers (80-250 animals) in her thesis as a basis on which gentle corrections can be made in good time. Currently some 200 horses live in the vicinity of Aus. They are still in a good condition but grazing is sparse.
More on the history, background and behaviour of the wild horses can be learnt from the book Wild Horses of the Namib Desert by Telané Greyling, Mannfred Goldbeck and Ron Swilling. It will be available (in English and German at the Namibia Tourism Expo from 4 to 7 June in the Gondwana Hall (former Karakul Hall). Part of the proceeds as well as 50 percent of the earnings from Gondwana’s “Wild horse of the year” expo competition will be donated to the foundation. Participants stand a chance to win their share of 100 night plus breakfast at any Gondwana lodge.
The Namibia Wild Horses Foundation welcomes any horse lover who wants to support the wild horses.
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