The Quiver Tree Forest (Kokerboom Woud in Afrikaans) is a forest well -known as a tourist attraction of Southern Namibia.
It is located about 14 kilometers north of Keetmanshoop, on the road to Koes, in the Gariganus Farm.
It comprises about 250 specimens of Aloe dichotoma, a species of aloe locally known as "quiver tree" because bushmen use its branches to make quivers.
The forest is spontaneous; the highest quiver tree are 2 - 3 centuries old.
The forest was declared a National Monument of Namibia on June 1, 1995.
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In the surroundings of the forest there is another site of geological interest, the Giant's Playground, a vast pile of large dolerite rocks.
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Congregated at the waterhole, playfully splashing and spouting plumes of water over their wrinkly hides to cool their bodies, or whilst flapping their ears like huge fans as they amble along browsing for food, the majestic African Elephant may seem to have not an enemy in the world.
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All males have tusks, as do most females.
Even at birth, calves have a tiny pair of "milk tusks". At about a year, these are replaced with a permanent pair which continue to grow throughout the animal's life.
Large elephants can attain a mass of about five tons with tusks up three metres in lenght.
They consume huge amounts of food in the form of grass and leaves - often selected from the tops of trees - and depending on availability can digest up to 200 kilograms in a day.
The elephant lacks sweat glands and if it were not for its large ears which constitute about 20 percent of its body surface area it would not be able to cope with the intense heat of the African sun.
The ears are richly supplied with blood vessels and are the ideal avenue for heat loss.
Flapping the ears dissipates body heat, as well as producing a cooling breeze over the skin.
This gentle flapping action has the effect of cooling five to twelve litres of blood flowing through the ears every minute.
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Other methods of keeping cool include spraying the body with water and drinking approximately 150 litres a day, climatic conditions permitting.
In the dry season, elephants may have to travel up to 80 kilometres a day in search of water, which is sucked into the trunk, and then squirted into the mouth.
Highly destructive in their feeding habits, elephant bulls will push down whole trees to reach a few leaves, and will strip the bark from certain species, particularly acacias, sometimes damaging them beyond regeneration.
Male elephants occasionally indulge in serious fighting over a female. Living in a matriarchal society, the females and their young associate in closely-knit groups, combining with other family groups to form the breeding herd.
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A single calf may be born at any time of the year following a 22 month period of gestation and its lifespan will average about 60 years.
These extremely intelligent animals are endowed with a conscious sense of family unit.
The mother, especially, will show great affection for her young, and when danger is imminent the calf will be hidden under her belly.
Elephants have only man as their enemy, since even the lion will only attack a small calf if it has strayed too far from the herd.
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The wild horses of the Namib Desert are steeped in mystery as to how they came to roam the hostile desert plains.
One theory states that they are the descendants of South African Army and German Schutztruppe horses left behind during the First World War, others believe that they stem from the horse stud kept at Duwisib Castle owned by Baron Hans-Heinrich von Wolf.
After his death, the horses were abandoned to their fate in the harsh desert.
The third theory offer a wild explanation; a ship thought to carry Thorougbreds ran aground off the Atlantic coastline.
The ones that survived the treacherous swim through the frigid waters could have survived by reaching the Garub Pan, located 20 kilometers west of Aus.
Whatever their story may be, the wild horses have established themselves and claimed a rightful place in the Namib Naukluft Park.
Surviving extreme weather and sparse grazing, the horses have adapted admirably to their environment.
A permanent watering trough was erected for the horses at Garub in order to ease their survival during extreme periods of drought.
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The Leopard is essentially a shy animal and a sighting can be considered a rare privilege.
The spots, for which he is known, are set in symmetrical rows and combine in rosette-like clusters to form a dappled camouflage.
Food of choice is small buck and baboon but unfortunately, as its natural territory diminishes it has often been forced to poach domestic stock which has resulted in retribution by man.
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Lion, "The King of the Beasts"...... !
His eminence instills fear, awe and respect in both man and beast.
On the prowl The King is in full command and the atmosphere becomes charged with tension as all lessor creatures take on the heightened awareness of danger and the need for self preservation.
Such is the strenght and power of this animal, the largest of all African cats, that even the mighty elephant needs to be on guard.
Large male lions can stand 1,25 meters at the shoulders and have a mass of almost 250 kilograms. This weight is used to great effect when hunting to drag prey to the ground.
His fearsome appearance is enhanced by his large mane which can be almost black, especially in those found in the north -western region of Southern Africa.
The male lions main function is to protect the pride and to fend off predators such as the opportunistic hyena.
The lioness has the greater responsability for hunting and food requirement - even though the hunt is usually a cleverly orchestrated team effort by all members of the pride.
The agile adult females will spread out to enable them to attack from different directions.
They will simultaneously charge at the opportune moment and select one unfortunate animal to relentlessy bear down on until it is brought to ground.
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The larger males will be quick to feed on a successful "kill" and often thoroughly gorge themselves before allowing lionesses and cubs to partake in the feast.
In the meantime it is likely that other predators such as hyena and jackal will have started to gather nearby, not to mention vultures and other birds of prey also quick to fulfil the role Nature gave them in the food chain.
For the smaller members of the lion pride the ravenous hyena can be a serious problem, and though gorging on the carcass the adult male lions will always keep a wary eye on these unwelcome mealtime guests.
It is the size of the lion group, which can number up to about thirty members, that determines how often a "kill" will be necessary.
Lions will usually hunt in the night, cool of early morning, or late in the afternoon as they are loath to exert themselves in the midday heat.
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Founded in 1991, it was not until 1993 that AfriCat was officially registered as a non-profit organization.
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Over the years the foundation has grown from a simple animal welfare organization into a working welfare, education and research center.
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They are dedicated to preserving the conservation of large carnivores in Namibia and currently protect nearly 100 cheetahs and leopards.
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AfriCat is located 48 km south of Otjiwarongo on the farm of Okonjima, just off the B1.
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www.okonjima.com
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