Namibia’s golden hour

I n a story entitled ‘Namibia – Land of contrasts and endless horizons’, which was published in the 2012 edition of HuntiNamibia, we wrote about the exceptional rainy seasons of 2006, 2008 and 2011 and said that in 2012 visitors to Namibia could expect to benefit from large game populations as a result of the plentiful rain. We must not forget, however, that Namibia is an arid country where drought is part of nature in the same way that snow is part of the northern winter. In 2016 rainfalls were ‘bad’. But it is in years of meagre rainfalls that nature reveals extraordinary splendour to anyone with a love for its less obvious qualities. Among the most memorable experiences in Namibia is the magical atmosphere of the golden hour of dusk at a waterhole in the desert when birds the size of pigeons are silhouetted against the evening sky as they rush in from all sides as swift as an arrow and flock down on the bare desert floor close to the water for their evening drink. All around the waterhole the air is filled with a thousand chortling calls of double-banded sandgrouse, amid the wistful howl of a distant jackal. This spectacle is never more impressive than during years of drought. The gemsbok, the symbol of Namibian game, never appears more magnificent, the kudu more majestic and the dik-dik more enticing than during dry periods when their beauty stands out against hostile, hot and thorny surroundings. This year, visitors to Namibia will experience our country in its typical, very own way and despite the rigours of nature they will experience the famous hospitality of its easy-going people. Sustainable hunting and years of effective game keeping ensure good game populations even if the next rainy season should again happen to be poor against all expectations.