Animals, Birds, Insects, Namibia

Coming from Luderitz to Aus, at the main road, we stoped in a little waterhole in the middle of the desert, call Garub waterhole, where wild horses where resting and drinking water.
Nobody knows the origin of these horses, beautiful animals in the middle of the desert.
There you will find a wooden stand where you can sit and observe the horses.
This is a must if you are near the zone.

One of the most beautiful animals throughout Namibia are the graceful springbok. Like small deer, these hooved creatures roam throughout the country, from Etosha in the north to the southern desert and grassy areas.

One especially entertaining phenomenon of springbok behavior is "pronging". When these creatures are excited or startled, they spring straight into the air as if launched on tiny pogo sticks or rockets. It's almost a seizure type of behavior, and it's both funny and very pleasing to see. You'd better look fast, though....they don't do it for long. Within a second or two, they regain their composure and simply run away.

Seeing springboks is a treat, but if you're NOT a vegetarians, I'll suggest another treat.... Springbok is also a tasty meat, served in many Namibian restaurants. It also finds its way into many bush menus. Beefy in taste, yet a bit more lean, it is a most satisfying main course, especially when barbecued.

All over rural Namibia, you can find the world's largest bird, the common ostrich. These gangly birds generally travel in small or larger groups, and seem to prefer the dustier scrub areas of the desert area.

Now, you can find ostriches on the menu of many Namibian eating establishment, and they're a welcome sight there, as well. But, that's another story.

So, like they used to say on "Sesame Street".....follow that bird!

Another lovely animal that you'll see in great quantities on your visit to Namibia, and especially near Etosha, is the magnificent and graceful kudu. Somewhat "deerlike", this hooved animal possesses an interesting pattern of subtle vertical stripes on its side. Older adult male kudu do have large, spiralling horns.

These animals are able to blend into a grassy or bushy environment, almost disappearing before your eyes. They're quite fast, too.

And, although it may bother some folks, kudu DO appear on many menus in Namibia. The meat is quite tasty, and prepared in a variety of ways. It's a lot like a very lean beef.

We were very lucky to see the wild horses. My children went there after us, and they did not see them.

In Maltehohe we came across this man feeding the meerkats. Lovely site