Conservation the Namibian way

A Namibian wildlife park is aiming to balance tourism with conservation, says Sarah Sands.

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ES Lifestyle

The demands that tourists make of safari lodges are paradoxical. We want to see animals in their natural habitat and at their most wild. Yet we also want pretty much guaranteed sightings, at close quarters and in safety. Okonjima reserve in Namibia, which lies between the capital Windhoek and the famous Etosha national park, has been trying to navigate its way between genuine conservation and tourism.

The place began as a cattle farm but the Hanssen family became increasingly interested in the conservation of wildlife. Namibia does not have the reputation of Botswana for its range of wildlife but it has a high population of cheetahs.

To some of the cattle farmers in the north of the country, cheetahs have traditionally been a nuisance and they were either shot or brutally trapped.

The Hanssens promised to collect the animals from neighbouring farms and have, to date, rescued nearly 1,000. Some were released into the wild, others proved unable to hunt so they were semi-tame.

Okonjima could have become a home for pet cheetahs but the Hanssens were preoccupied by dignity. So the outcome is a unique wildlife reserve of approximately 55,000 acres, in which some animals will never be seen by tourists, while others are forensically tracked with radar devices and collars.

Meanwhile, an education programme is under way in earnest for local children in the hope that they will convert an older, more sceptical farming population to preserve the wildlife on their land.

No wonder Okonjima is beloved of the Discovery channel and of African idealists such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. It is a far cry from Kruger Park in South Africa. You can travel for miles without seeing another safari vehicle. There are far more warthogs than people.

The vision is more Hemingway than Out of Africa: simple local design and stunning views. Go for the Bush suite if you can, where you can sit by the fire on your terrace and watch the jackal trot round the porcupine in an artful shaft of electric light. You will get your own guide, who can understand every rustle and identify the myriad bird life.

We spent two nights at the lodge, which felt about right. On our first drive, we spotted, within half an hour and with the help of the radar device, a leopard. Thrillingly, it crossed an open patch of land before disappearing back into the bush. We followed it through brambles and found it again, this time looking down at us from a branch. The green eyes were mesmerising. The guide warned me, mildly, that the trick with wild animals is not to catch their gaze.

Seconds later, we reversed sharply. The leopard had become irritated by our proximity.

On the next drive, the following morning, we saw sibling cheetahs. Even with the guide’s knowledge of the place, and the tracking device, they are devilishly hard to spot. You can stare at the high grass for minutes before making out their clear shape. On the evening outing, we found a family of wild dogs, which are rarer than cheetahs in these parts.

Guests who stay at Okonjima tend to develop a stake in the place. They donate money to the upkeep. The person who recommended the place to me ended up buying land here. It is hard to forget the hyacinth sunsets, or the line of baby warthogs and the light-footed jackals. It is not quite a holiday, more an African Arcadia.