Dirk Reiche gives us a beautiful account of his experiences with the elusvie desert elephants of Namibia
On our CV21 (Cape to Vic) and NB21 (Namibia Botswana Desert and Delta) tours we have the privilege of traveling through the Damaraland and overnighting in the Ugab Wilderness. This area is very special in the fact that Desert elephants are found in this region of northwest Namibia.

On two of my tours I have had these beautiful and gentle giants come through the camp to visit and give my guests a rare experience.

Dirk Reiche gives us a beautiful account of his experiences with the elusvie desert elephants of Namibia. On our CV21 (Cape to Vic) and NB21 (Namibia Botswana Desert and Delta) tours we have the privilege of traveling through the Damaraland and overnighting in the Ugab Wilderness. This area is very special in the fact that Desert elephants are found in this region of northwest Namibia.

On two of my tours I have had these beautiful and gentle giants come through the camp to visit and give my guests a rare experience.

The one visit that will stay in my mind for life was on a CVag21 with 12 guests from Germany and Switzerland. On arrival at the White Lady Camp Brandberg, we checked in and did our briefing explaining that they should not walk around at night due to the fact the elephants sometimes come through the camp. During this briefing one of the Swiss gents started to chirp from the back that we were just trying to scare them and that there could be no way that elephants could live in such a dry area as they require water. Well did he get a surprise that evening!! After dinner we were sitting around the fire when I heard a noise from behind the truck. I asked the guests to be quiet and listen, as I said this I turned to see a young bull standing 2m behind the truck trying to dislodge a small palm in the garden. The guests had not seen him until I turned on my torch to show them, the gent that was chirping earlier was the first to react and was in the truck without touching the floor in a matter of a split second!! After encouraging the young bull off we returned to fire to talk more about these amazing creatures that have adapted to living in such a harsh environment.

The Desert Elephants of Namibia are the same species as the African Elephant but with very different behaviour due to the extremes of their habitats. The Desert Elephant, which belong to the savannah elephant subspecies (Loxodonta africana cyclotis), are a protected species. However there have been incidents of poaching and in the early 1980's the number of desert elephants and rhinos declined to alarmingly low levels. Desert Elephants are apparently very well adapted to living under the particular conditions of the desert. They routinely move great distances between feeding grounds and the scattered waterholes where they drink during the dry season, distances of up to 70 km being regularly traversed. Surface water in Kaokoland and Damaraland is very scarce and difficult to find. Elephants have long been described as the animal that never forgets and this ability is often displayed when it comes to remembering where to find the nearest water supply in a seemingly waterless area. Seasonal rivers are dependent on local rain fall before flowing above ground, however in times of drought, the water still flows, but deep under the desert sand. Desert Elephants feed on a wide range of plants, and like elephants elsewhere they take leaves, shoots, bark, flowers, fruit, bulbs, tubers and roots as well as grass and sedges. They have distinct and practical seasonal feeding preferences. During the rains the elephants tend to use more grass, which then becomes abundantly available, and during the dry season they concentrate on browsing. This allows the woody plants a measure of respite for recovering during the summer. Desert Elephants eat plants like ink bush and the exotic castor oil, which are unpalatable to other animals. They also open up the dense thickets of tamarisk and acacias of the riverbeds, creating paths and shady resting places which are used by other animals. Furthermore, the remains of broken branches or felled trees lying on the ground often create sheltered nurseries for grass plants which are then protected from grazing or trampling by other animals.