Feb 10, 2021 | News, Newsletter
Naftal Aebeb, hunting guide at Byseewah Safaris, passed away suddenly due to metastatic parotid cancer. Naftal will be remembered by many people around the world, and be in our memory books for his great company and his special skills out in the bush. Always smiling, he was a really special person, an example to us all. Naftal did not have any formal education but became one of the first local hunting guides to qualify in Namibia. He spoke five languages and taught himself to read and write. He lost his left arm in a car accident 17 years ago, but never let this get in his way of doing his job, whether it was guiding, changing a tyre or digging a hole! He was part of the Byseewah family for 30 years and he would have turned 45 this month. He leaves behind his three children, Evangelina who is 21 and works in Outjo, Smedley (15) and Heroliena (14) who are both in Grade 8 in a school near Windhoek. Lynda has applied for guardianship of the two younger children and will continue to look after them along with the rest of the Byseewah staff.
Below are some letters written to Naftal by friends who have known him a long time.
Dear Naftal
I think the first time we met was in 1994. Right from the beginning it became clear that the two of us are a good team. I love to work with everybody on Byseewah but we always had a special relationship.
Due to this fact we spent a lot of time together. We learned of each other. We talked about our hopes, fears, philosophies and later the children, which I could watch growing up. We had patience with each other although that was not exactly our strength. Our friendship was growing each time we met. We called us brothers.
You impressed me in many ways. As a hunter, as a father, your way to be honest and straight in your very own way that was far away from mainstream. There is a reason why the name of my son is Raphael-Naftal. I wish he could have met you.
When I got the news of your death it was a heavy blow. Since years I was very aware of the fact that I felt privileged and lucky having you as a friend. Even death can`t take away all the special times and moments we had together. This way of looking at it eased the pain a lot and gave me strength. You leave a big gap but we will go on. You would have done the same. Never give up.
Some years ago we were talking about death. You said you were afraid that people could forget you. I promised you I wouldn`t. Well, keeping this promise is an easy one. How could somebody forget you?
So, farewell my friend. Hope to see you later.
Dirk Seemüller – Germany
My dear Friend Naftal
The first time we met was in 1998 on my first trip to Namibia and Byseewah. Although you were 2 or 3 years my senior, life had bestowed upon you more wisdom and life to your years.
In the following years, we saw each other one or several times per year and you taught me new skills on every occasion. I grew a lot as hunter but also as a human being and this in no small way by being inspired by your spirit.
You fully deserved and defended your place in life. With more support and means during your young childhood, I am convinced that your intelligence and perseverance would have brought you to upper academic and professional levels. This was sadly not the case, but fortunately your talents were not wasted nor neglected. Your intelligence and drive to acquire knowledge was fuelled by self-study, you taught yourself to read, to speak Lanky (imagine what would have happened if Ken spoke Oxford English)…Not only languages were your forte, but what a fine connoisseur of human psychology you were, not to be fooled and knowing how to react in emotional situations that are intertwined with hunting circumstances.
You had a doggedness to achieve your goal and this invariably influenced those you were interacting with. The rare talent you had to read the land and mind of your prey and the anticipation on its next moves were only hindered by the burden of the hunter who gave up and ran out of steam (some out of heart). If it were up to you, you would have persevered and would have followed to hell and back. Never give up.
To never give up was also shown when you recuperated from the loss of your arm. You overcame the mental and physical strain with the support from the whole Byseewah team and by self-determination. I have never heard any complaint about the unfairness and a lesser soul would have found ample reason to wail and sink into self-pity. Not you, my friend, not you.
We spoke a lot about our families. You were so proud of Evangelina, Herolina and Smedly. As parents we had the same hopes for our children, the same worries as well. You brought them up and this mostly as a single parent, no simple feat, considering that you wanted them to aim high and that you gave them all the opportunities and assistance you were deprived of during your childhood. Only future will tell, but I have very strong hopes that you have succeeded and that they will strive in life.
It would be an honour for me to sit with them and to recount what I learned from you and share our mutual hunting achievements and stories. We also knew failures, but let’s say that it might more be due to me and to no fault of your own. There was never any bitterness when such a failure (very seldom) occurred and we set them behind and moved on to do better next time.
You leave a huge void behind. All your Belgian friends remember you very fondly and are devastated by the news. To all of us you were an integral part of Byseewah and it is hard to imagine Byseewah without you. I hope that you will keep an eye out for us from above and that you will keep on guiding us through life. Where you are you will meet friends who preceded you and I am sure you will guide them again.
We feel the deep and indescribable sadness of Ken and Lynda. They looked upon you as a son and your loss cuts deeply into their soul. They also may not give up.
All your friends from Byseewah will wake up to a new world, a life without Naftal, hardly imaginable, but sadly the reality. We also want to offer our condolences to them and share their grief.
Evangelina, Herolina and Smedley, this is the time where you will have to pull together. You are not alone to do this. You will be carried by the base your father laid and supported and cared for by the family of Byseewah. It is however up to you where you will stand in life and how you will approach your future. You have it in you to become as outstanding as Naftal, your father, a name and a legacy to carry proudly.
My dear Friend Naftal, you were an exceptional man and we were all privileged to have come to know you.
Jean and Caroline Vande Vyvere – Belgium
I am deeply saddened by the loss of my friend Naftal.
We lost a great human being, father, and an amazing professional hunter.
I send my deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Some of my fondest memories stem from experiences shared with Naftal.
He and Moses submerged me into the passion of hunting. I was a young boy who nervously handled his rifle when they first took me out into the wild plains of Byseewah. Naftal used to run through the bush – always going too fast as Ken would say – while I usually got stuck in needles and burrows, often scaring that animal which we had been chasing for hours away. As exhausted as we’d be, he never got impatient, never lost his temper. He’d rather smile when seeing my hat hanging in the acacia thorn as That One Oryx fled, never to be seen again. I missed some shots too, some of which I’d still rather not talk about, not that he ever would have… There was always a valuable lesson to be learned from almost every outing.
How much I – and perhaps most of us – have lost that. We tend to keep on going forward, sometimes trampling our way in search of quick satisfaction. With Naftal, I had moments where I felt ashamed of my own frustration when thinking about how he must have felt. Chasing endlessly with a loud and clumsy European tourist behind him. But he never complained.
Then there are those magical moments. It’s a Byseewah trademark apparently. I feel grateful and humbled thinking about the emotions felt in the field in Naftal’s presence. He took me to the best hides. There’s one, and I still rather not reveal its location, as we agreed upon – or rather as I urged him – not to reveal. I kind of suspected he’d known about it for ages, but he made me feel as if we found it. Hiding in that small bush not so far from the Iron Rock water hole – and I’m already revealing a lot here – has often been the highlight of my trips to Byseewah. Eland bulls towering above us just a few meters away, a kudu herd just settling there for ages, just long enough for us to figure out who is who, who has how many stripes, who seems to be misbehaving, etc. And jackals… He could spot them from a mile. I must admit, I’ve told him many times “yes I see them but they are too far”. I actually never saw them until they came up too close and me, once again, startled them, and made them flee so fast that I could never lift my rifle on time. Again, Naftal just smiled.
Those many hours spent in the Uri, I treasure just as much. No point talking about football with Naftal. He just made me feel as if I just quickly read a Wikipedia page about the sport. In music though, I felt we had a connection. I felt bad last year as I forgot to bring him some CDs. I planned on making up for it this May. These unfortunate events decided otherwise. I still hope I can share some of my memories and perhaps some music too with the people whom he cared so much about. My thoughts are with them now. I believe the many hardships which Naftal endured throughout his life are eclipsed by the goodness he brought around him. To me, he is as authentic a man as the positiveness and joy he exuded throughout the 25-odd years I’ve had the immense pleasure of knowing him. May he rest in peace and may his relatives find peace in his memory.
Charles van Marcke – Belgium
Feb 9, 2021 | News, Newsletter
Company Name: Nyati Wildlife Art
Contact: (Owner/Manager) Manfred Egerer
Physical Address: No. 23 Newcastle Street, Northern Industrial Area, Windhoek-Namibia
Tel Office: +264 61 217111
Contact Email: megerer@afol.com.na
Tell us a little about your operation
I have been a PH since 1983, and felt there was a need for good quality taxidermy and client service in the industry, thus I got a group of people together from the taxidermy industry , and started the company in 2004.
How many years have you been in the business?
Since 2004
What are your specialty areas that you have in the business?
We encourage our clients to tell us what exactly they want to have done, thus every order is made specifically for that client. Nothing is off the rack at Nyati Wildlife Art.
Current processes offered
- Pick up & collect trophies? Yes, at NO extra cost to the client
- Maximum distance offered to collect trophies? Anywhere in Namibia
- Own tanning facilities: YES
- Do you buy in forms or sculpt your own or both? We sculpt our own forms
Delivery time (approximate)
- Dip and Pack: 90 days
- European mounts:90 days
- Shoulder mounts: 180 days
- Full mounts: 180 days
General Comments
We are a one stop facility, from the pick-up of the trophies to shipping them with our in-house shipping company.
Trophy gallery 
Sep 7, 2020 | News, Newsletter
Q: Tell us about your family, how they originally got to Africa.
A: My ancestors arrived in Africa during the 17th century.
Q: When and where were you born?
A: I was born in Windhoek, Namibia on 6 February, 1963.
Q: How did you get into hunting – what was it that influenced you?
A: I was lucky enough to be raised on a ranch, so my father gave us plenty of exposure to hunting. He taught us the importance of hunting and how that also contributes to conservation. He also taught me how to act respectfully towards the animal after it has been hunted. This experience made such a big impression to me that still today I have the greatest respect for every animal I hunt or have hunted as a guide.
Q: With whom did you train, apprentice and learn from?
A: Obviously I learned from my Dad, and once I become a professional hunter I learned every day, and am still learning. Guiding is like driving a car. You only start to learn once you have got your license.
Q: What was the most important thing you learned during those early years?
A: It was to be honest with yourself and your clients. If you’ve misjudged an animal, don’t try to hide it or make an excuse for it. Admit it to your hunter. He/she will also appreciate your honesty.
Q: The early years of professional hunting – where were they?
A: Namibia
Q: Were there any embarrassing, fun or interesting experiences?
A: Every hunt creates its own fun/special memories. Embarrassing? I don’t see anything as embarrassing – I try to see it as a learning experience either for myself or for the hunter.
Q: Anything you learnt about what not to do?
A: Always be professional. Although we all have the motto of “arriving as a stranger, leaving as a friend” which is really true, the client must still listen to you from a professional point of view. Do not get so familiar that the client tries to override your decisions in the hunt.
Q: Did you have any particularly interesting trophies?
A: Every safari has its own interesting moments, fun and great trophies, etc. It will not be fair to single one out
Q: If you could return to any time or place in Africa, where would it be?
A: I would be as a guide in Namibia. And as a tourist – Vic Falls would certainly be on the list.
Q: Which is your favorite trophy animal to hunt? And why?
A: Kudu – the name “grey ghost “says it all.
Q: What is the best trophy animal one of your clients ever took?
A: There are several top 10 trophies I can remember but the best trophy is a happy client that worked hard for his/her animal and who can return home with great stories and even greater memories.
Q: Tell us about a most memorable hunt, without naming names.
A: When a non-hunter comes along with a hunting friend to do a photo safari, but after a few days on the ranch the non-hunter has a change of heart. He or she is now interested in hunting, has plenty of questions, and after first- hand hunting exposure now returns home a hunter. They are no longer ignorant to the fact that hunting plays such a big role in conservation in Africa.
Q: Tell us about any disaster with a client.
A: Rifles not arriving with client – they got lost at a stopover airport.
Q: Any personal challenges you have had?
A: Crossing a path with a black mamba.
Q: What are your recommendations on guns, ammo, or equipment for the first-time hunter to Africa?
A: It all depends on the terrain, but in our area for plains game, any flat-shooting caliber. Such as .300, 7mm, 270,
Q: Which guns and ammo are you using to back-up on dangerous or wounded game?
A: For wounded game I like 7 mm.
Q: What was your closest brush with death?
A: It was that black mamba!
Q: How has the hunting industry changed in your opinion over the past number of years?
A: Clients really do not have so much time on hand to do a classic 14-day and longer safari. It is 10 to 12 days now, with the exception of dangerous game like a leopard. Also it has become more a family affair nowadays, which I think is great to introduce the younger generation to hunting.
Q: If you should suggest one thing to your hunting clients to improve their safari experience, with you, or with anyone else for that matter – what would it be?
A: Write down what happened every day and make sure you have quality photos of the day and the trophy.
Q: What can the industry do to contribute to the long-term conservation of Africa’s wildlife?
A: The industry already contributes massively to the long-term conservation of Africa’s wildlife. Without the industry there is no future for wildlife.
Q: What would be your ideal safari if you have one last safari?
A: It would be to guide one of my family members and try to share with them all around the fire in the evenings my vision for wildlife 50 years from now.
Sep 7, 2020 | News, Newsletter
Q: Tell us how you came to be in Africa.
A: I am the first generation of the Engman clan to have settled in South Africa – and I arrived on an airplane.
Q: So where were you born?
A: I was born in Sweden in a little village named Dalstorp in 1969, and moved to the next door village Ljungsarp a year later, and I stayed there for the following 18 years.
Q: How did you get into hunting?
A: I pretty much grow up with hunting! Being raised in the countryside, we often had hare, deer and moose in the garden, and me being allowed to roam freely with a pellet gun from an early age, I not only kept the local bird population under control, but also honed hunting skills. My father grew up hunting as had his father before him, and so on… At the age of eight, with a 12-bore I shot my first animal, which was a hare.
Q: What made you come to South Africa?
A: As a youngster I did a lot of hunting in Sweden. Then it was put on a backburner for an extended period of time while I travelled the world as a scuba instructor. I met my wife-to-be in the Maldives in 1997, and we ended up in South Africa in 2004 because we were about to become three. We had decided to leave our watersport center in Zanzibar due to the prevalence of malaria, and instead I could actively pursue hunting again. (I had hunted in every visit to SA since 1998.)
Q: Tell how you started as a PH.
A: I did my PH course with the late Ian Goss in 2007, and did freelance hunting wherever and whenever opportunity presented. I hunted for Zululand Hunters and Shikra Safaris, where I learned through Kotie Herholdt a lot about fauna and flora.
Q: Where did you do most of your hunting?
A: From the start, most of the hunting has been split between the Mpumalanga Highveld and the Natal bushveld in South Africa. I early on realized that a range finder is a most useful tool on the Highveld – but you run the risk of spoiling the hunters only to have them ask distance as a norm, even in the bushveld, when it is obvious the animal is well within 100 meters. Once binos with integrated rangefinders became available, that problem got sorted.
Q: Where do you mostly hunt now?
A: My hunting is still primarily focused on South Africa and I hunt most of the provinces – I am slowly building on my network and plan to offer other African destinations for those who so wish. I am venturing into other African destinations, basically as a direct result of the dynamic of the clientele. To elaborate, I am a firm believer that every hunter should be able to hunt Africa. For a Scandinavian – or most other nationalities – to experience the different terrain and the multitude of species available normally ends up being a mind-boggling experience, and as a result the African bug gets firmly imbedded, and new repeat clients add their names to the list! And that is obviously great news! But eventually the need for new areas and species arrives – and we always aim to please.
Q: How do you plan your hunts?
A: When hunting with clients on their first visit, I usually do a combination hunt that starts on the Mpumalanga Highveld – open grass plains – and then move to the Natal bushveld, so that the hunter can experience vastly different terrains and different wildlife. A very common comment after the Highveld part of the hunt is, “I have seen more animals in one day of hunting in Africa than one does during a whole hunting life in my home country”, and for me that is thrilling. Add to that the variation of flora and fauna, and there are endless topics for discussion during driving and around the campfire after the actual hunt been discussed.
Q: Do you have clients wanting specific hunts?
A: I am fortunate enough to have a high level of repeat clients. Therefore I tend to hunt through “stages” with the clients, starting with the more common species and they normally last a few safaris. Thereafter comes the time for more specific target groups, either small predators, grand slams, Tiny Tens, Big Five or any other grouping that appeals to the client.
Q: What is your opinion on the game numbers in South Africa now?
A: The age-old question of then versus now! It would have been great to have experienced wild Africa before the rinderpest and all the “civilized” inventions such as roads, power lines and commercial agriculture and forestry. But one also has to acknowledge that the people of that era lacked much of the comforts we take for granted these days.
Q: What is your favorite animal to hunt?
A: I enjoy hunting as many different species as possible. I also feel a great sense of satisfaction hunting the most common species with someone hunting Africa for the first time, or to have the privilege of guiding a youngster on their very first hunt. Each animal poses its own set of challenges and they are all worth pursuing.
Q: What is the greatest satisfaction a client can get?
A: I think for all the clients, the animal that was successfully hunted at the end of several long and hard days hunting will as a memory that ranks higher than inches. And sometimes, something exceptional comes along! We once hunted a brown hyena that was then one of the top three in the world, and there are other animals that have measured well, such as blesbok, scimitar-horned oryx, nyala, and black wildebeest. As a norm all trophies are being measured for the PHASA medal program (based on SCI system), and we are normally on 80%+ qualifying for medals per annum.
Q: Any special client trophy experience?
A: There are many to choose from, each holding a memory of its own. Once I had a client successfully achieving a Springbok Grand Slam – and at the end of the day it was less than ½” difference between the four sets of horns – all qualifying for Gold. Another memorable hunt was the quest for a kudu. We had a limited period of time in the area we hunted (very good kudu country), and as we set out in the morning of the final day there was a bit apprehension noticeable in the hunter. It didn’t get better as the day progressed since I kept on passing on the bulls we spotted – even the trackers started getting a bit annoyed! We eventually found something I was happy with, and the client managed to take a magnificent old 54” inch bull, that as a parting gift departed down a steep donga! In the end we had to cut and carry the animal out – a hunt the client will never forget!
Q: How do you rate yourself as a PH?
A: I tend to get along with most walks of life, and as a general mindset have the attitude that if there is a problem with the client, it is because I have not been completely clear in communications – there are sometimes unforeseen situations that has not been cleared ahead of time, i.e. dietary, medicinal and so forth. But as a rule we part ways as friends, and normally with a plan in place for the next adventure.
I’m a jack of all trades and normally manage all challenges from medicinal to mechanical, and everything in between.
Q: What weapons do you recommend for your clients?
A: From a convenience perspective – use one of my guns! Less paperwork, less expenses, and quicker out of the airport. If you want to bring your own gun, I will be more than happy to assist with the legalities. Bring something you are comfortable with shooting – absolutely no need to buy and bring a “canon” that you are afraid of shooting.
Q: What is your weapon of choice?
A: I am currently awaiting my .416 Rigby license. I have been managing with a .375H&H up until now! I prefer heavy bullets, and with a 450-grain bullet in the .416 I still have a reasonable range. I am never the person shooting the first shot. Most of the time it is about getting a breaker in on a departing animal, hence the choice of caliber. On a charge it pretty much comes down to shot placement – unless you go really big.
Q: Any close brush with death?
A: I have pretty much managed to keep myself scratch-free up until this point in time. There have been a few charges and hair-raising experiences, but nothing worth writing about – and to be completely honest, I rank that higher than a spectacular fireside story.
Q: What do you think constitutes a good PH?
A: As previously stated, I firmly believe everybody should have the possibility to hunt Africa – there is such a variety that there will be something within everybody’s budget. Having said that, the hunt should be free and fair (and I believe that can be the fact, even in fenced areas, providing the area is big enough and there should be a good number of the specific species in the area). I firmly believe the PH’s job is to find the best trophy he can for the client and I do not prescribe to the measurement guarantees or color variations unless it is for naturally occurring species such as the various springboks and the white blesbok among others. Much of the hype, guarantees and bag sizes only result in the industry getting a bad name. We all have to make a living – but preferably not at the expense of ethics.
Q: What advice would you give a first-time hunter?
A: Be informed, and take an active part in the safari – ask questions about the country, history, flora and fauna, rather than just tag along and wait to be told when to shoot! There is so much more to the experience. Most of the time it is your – as the client – dream come true!
Q: How can hunting benefit the country?
A: There needs to be consistency and co-operation with land owners, game breeders, Government and local communities. It needs to be a value-chain for all involved to succeed.
Q: If you could choose to be any other time or place, where would it be?
A: For me, it’s anywhere where I can sit around a campfire in the evening with tired legs and look at the stars and listen to the night sounds of the African bush after another day of adventure.
*You can follow Axel on Instagram. His handle is axelengmansafaris.
Aug 7, 2020 | News, Newsletter
Mike Birch of Hunt the Sun Safaris takes us on a trip through South Africa’s largest province.
Possibly the most underrated hunting destination in South Africa, the Northern Cape offers hunters a wide diversity of species and habitats. Being the largest province in South Africa, yet with the lowest populace, already means that you are on the right path if you yearn for open country with big skies. The Northern Cape is a vast area with large parts being arid and seemingly inhospitable. The people are hardy and genuine, untainted by modern trappings.
- Click here to see more of the Northern Cape’s people, places and wildlife.
The Kalahari is a well-known hunting destination with its red sand dunes and camel thorn trees, an area renowned for heavy-bodied springbok and herds of gemsbok. The Northern Cape, however, offers so much more than just the Kalahari. The distances in the Northern Cape are huge – many often don’t realise just how much so. To travel from Kimberley to Union’s End, the furthest northern point in the Kgalagadi Park where the Botswana, Namibia and South African borders meet is a distance of almost 1,000km (620 miles) and more than a day’s drive. Port Nolloth on our coastline is again almost 950km (590 miles) in a westerly direction.
Local fisherman in Port Nolloth
The Northern Cape contains six biomes: the Nama Karoo, Succulent Karoo, Savannah, Grassland, Fynbos and Desert Biomes. A biome is an area that is classified according to the plants and animals that live in it. Each biome can also have different ecosystems and vegetation types or groupings. Perhaps it is important to consider that in nature you seldom find distinctive lines separating biomes, and these areas are integrated with often wide transition zones. These zones are dependent on factors such as rainfall, aspect, soil substrate, and elevation. The Kalahari has been well described, and probably needs little introduction, as is the Karoo (part of the Nama Karoo biome) which is also well known. The Richtersveld, Bushmanland and remainder of the Karoo regions that make up the western part of the Northern Cape fall into either the Nama or Succulent karoo, and for the purposes of covering vegetation descriptions will not be discussed widely.
- Click here to see people of Northern Cape.
- Click here to see a typical town street in the Northern Cape.
This, however, does not mean that the areas do not have hunting. On the contrary, the greater part of the Karoo region offers incredible opportunities for hunters. Specialist hunting for scarce species such as klipspringer and the elusive grey rhebok make these areas highly sought-after. However, in this article I will concentrate on the region of Kimberley and its surrounding areas.
Kimberley is famous for it’s Big Hole mine
The area surrounding Kimberley falls largely within the Savannah and Grassland biomes, although some Karoo elements are evident. The landscape consists of wide-open grassy plains with scattered trees and scrubs. Dotted throughout the landscape are inselbergs which are locally known as kopjes. These rocky outcrops provide a unique and diverse array of flora in an otherwise flat landscape.
In areas where the substrate consists of deep red sands, the tall, characteristic camel thorn and umbrella thorn trees dominate, providing that authentic African savannah backdrop. Where the soil become shallower, the bush is denser and short, and the dwarf karroid shrubs that are present provide much-needed nutrition to the antelope.
- Click here to see a picture of a San Bushman, the original inhabitants of the area.
An interesting feature in the area includes the Northern Cape salt pans that occur as small depressions. These are ephemeral pans that only contain surface water for short periods of time, filling only after high rainfall events. They provide unique transient habitats for an array of birdlife, including the lesser and greater flamingos that form a pink wave across the desert mirage.
So what makes this area so special? Its diversity. The area is a transition zone between the Savannah, Grassland and Nama Karoo biomes, each with a number of different vegetation types, as well as having South Africa’s largest two rivers flowing through before joining to result in a huge diversity of habitat. Few places offer such marked differentiation in habitat which, of course, allows for a wide variety of species to be hunted. On a hunt you could cover areas with deep-red Kalahari sands with huge camel thorn trees, kopjes, and thick stands of the aromatic Camphor bush or Karoo – all on one property!
All these vegetation types have a grass component, and this has led to the area being well sought-after by game farmers. Diverse vegetation coupled with good soil minerals produces healthy animals.
The Kimberley region has a mixed average rainfall ranging from 350mm – 550mm, usually increasing as you head north and decreasing as you head west. The temperatures oscillate between the extremes. We have measured -10° Celsius (14° Fahrenheit) in winter, but summer days can be unbearably hot, in excess of 45° Celsius (113° Fahrenheit).
Using a koppie as a good vantage point looking over the umbrella thorn veld. Note good grass diversity
Game species that have been introduced have generally adapted extremely well. Very few species are not suited to this region, and these are mainly browsers from warmer climates. Nyala have been widely introduced and tend to struggle in the cold winter months, with high lamb mortalities. A few bushbuck have also been introduced with mixed results. These animals, as well as blue duiker, red duiker, and suni are best hunted in the coastal areas where they naturally occur. Roan and sable are common, as well as introduced species such as impala, warthog, bontebok and common reedbuck.
Indigenous game includes blesbok, springbok, eland, red hartebeest, blue wildebeest, black wildebeest, duiker, steenbok, tsessebe, Burchell’s zebra, Hartmann’s zebra, mountain reedbuck, buffalo, black rhino, white rhino, gemsbok, and ostrich. Grey rhebok and klipspringer, although not naturally occurring in the Kimberley area, are found in parts of the Northern Cape. Strictly, these will not all be indigenous to all areas of the Northern Cape – they are treated as indigenous to the province for administrative purposes and for the purposes of this article.
So if you have not yet made a trip to the Northern Cape, you should do so. The big open skies and abundant game with herds of springbok, gemsbok and other plains game often numbering in their hundreds, are a sight to see. Hospitality is typical of the platteland (rural areas) and facilities range from simple farmhouses to upmarket catered lodges. Proudly Northern Cape!
Aug 5, 2020 | News, Newsletter
The southern oryx, or gemsbok (O. g. gazella) is a large antelope with a stocky build and a short, thick neck. Both sexes carry long, almost straight, transversely ridged, rapier-like horns with those of bull shorter and more robust. The body is greyish-fawn in colour, with black-and-white marked faces; a black stripe extends down throat and black stripe along each side separating upperparts from white underparts.
Distribution
You’ll find the gemsbok in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa with marginal populations in Angola and Zimbabwe. Hunting takes place in two of the main range states.
Conservation standing
Southern oryx has a population of >300 000.
Habitats
Dry, open country but also occupy lightly wooded, open grass savanna. Southern oryx also found in sand dune country.
Behavior
Form herds of up to 30 animals but when moving to feeding grounds, several hundred may gather temporarily. There are regional and seasonal variations in herd size and composition, mixed-sex herds, nursery herds or small bull groups. A territory-holding bull rounds up mixed or nursery herds and has sole mating rights. A bull will establish a territory when he reaches his fifth to seventh year. In southern oryx these territories average 7.6 km² (1 878 acres) to 25.7 km² (6 350 acres), whereas herd home ranges in the Kalahari average 1 430 km² (552 mi2). Bulls may hold a territory for up to three years.
Food
Mainly grazers, but will browse, take seed pods and wild fruits.
A pair of southern oryx bulls sparring at water
Southern oryx at edge of waterhole, Etosha
