The wild horses of Namibia have roamed the long-abandoned mining fields outside Aus for over a century. These fascinating creatures are found where no horse should be. Their origins are steeped in debate, and their survival has hung in the balance for at least a decade.
Is this the End for the Wild Horses of Namibia?
The horses are no strangers to drought and hardship, but it seems nature is eventually taking its course for them.
Concerned Citizens Powerless to Help
The nearby community of Aus relies heavily on tourism for their livelihoods. Well over 10% of the local community depends directly on tourism for their survival, and the wild horses form a significant part of this.
Now, with the horses’ numbers reduced from 286 to just 65 in the space of 8 years, and their future resting on the shoulders of only a few foals, things are looking worse than ever for this impoverished community.
Over the years, the wild horses of Namibia have suffered blow after blow. In recent times, only one foal has survived past the first year of its life.
The Long Hard Road
First, during the 1980s, they were shut off from their grazing lands by new park boundaries.
During the 1990s an horrific drought slashed their numbers, and ever since then, hyenas have been eating into the herd, killing the foals off one by one.
Now, the hyenas are becoming more brazen than ever before, by hunting and killing adult horses too.
This predatory behaviour places locals in a precarious Catch 22 situation and in the midst of a conservation controversy. Hyenas themselves are on the brink of extinction in Namibia, their numbers having dropped from well over 3 000 individuals to less than 1 000 in the last two decades.
In 2019, the Ministry of Tourism (MET) killed three hyenas after attempts to relocate them away from the horses failed. This caused a huge controversy in the country, since hyenas are native to Namibia, while the horses are not.
Last year, the MET came up with a supplemental feed, watering and predator management program for the horses. This arrangement included methods to scare the hyenas away from the horses instead of killing or capturing these predators.
The plan includes steps to fence off the horses from predators in the event of a drought.
An Ongoing Struggle
While recent rainfall has brought some relief to the horses during 2020, the battle is far from over for this year’s crop of 6 foals.
Thanks to all these past issues, there’s a seven-year generation gap threatening the future of the wild horses too. By 2026, there won’t be any mares in the 7 to 15-year age group, which is their prime breeding time. So even without predation, the herd has trouble ahead.
Now, thanks to worldwide travel bans, tourism has dwindled in the area, putting added pressure on the people who are trying to help the horses survive.
Secretary of the Namibia Wild Horse Foundation, Christine Swiegers, is hopeful that when visitors return to Aus after the coronavirus pandemic, they’ll still be able to enjoy the unusual sight of Namibia’s wild herds.
There are no guarantees though, and only time will tell if the sand’s run out for the wild horses of Namibia.
If you want to see these vanishing herds before it’s too late, the long wait is almost over. Get in touch to book your Namibian safari for 2021 right away.
