‘Rock stars’ – the charismatic small mammals of Ongava Lodge
Jan 28th, 2011 by wwftravel
Location: Ongava Lodge, Ongava Game Reserve, Namibia
Date: March 20-22, 2010
Observer: Chris Roche
Photographers: Grant Atkinson, Martin Benadie
As a result of its arid isolation, Namibia is a haven for endemic species that have evolved away from their more widespread counterparts in savannah and woodland ecosystems. It is also ideal for small mammals that exploit specific niches and are able to withstand the extremes of the desert through their ability to use the abundant rock crevices for shelter and protection.
Ongava Lodge, situated as it is on the dolomite ridge of the Ondundozonandana Mountains, is an excellent location for camp-based game viewing. This is not just for the ‘big game’ that comes to drink at the waterhole below camp (black rhino, lion, greater kudu, black-faced impala, oryx and others) but also for the ability of guests to access the rugged, rocky surrounds of camp from the comfort of the walkways. This, and the fact that the camp has been in situ for some 15 years (giving the mammal inhabitants of the ridge time to habituate to human observation), means that guests can enjoy some spectacular viewing of three usually tricky-to-find species.
The most obvious is the rock hyrax or rock dassie, colonies of which swarm over the rocks behind the main area and all along the ridge from the vehicle parking point to Little Ongava higher up. The ability to observe them at close quarters is a fantastic boon for noting the adaptation to this rocky habitat in their paws and pelage.
Just below the main deck, en route to Rooms 13 and 14, is the best place to find and photograph the endemic dassie rat, a rather large rodent that is restricted to such rocky outcrops in Namibia and is usually quite difficult to watch. At this location a small family can sometimes be seen sunning themselves.
The last of Ongava ‘rock stars’ is the striped tree squirrel. This is not, strictly speaking, a species that is adapted to the rocky outcrops, but it does favor the syringa and euphorbia trees that grow in these locations as a result of these being refuges from large mammals like elephant and black rhino, as well as fire. They can be seen in the trees between the main area and the curio shop as well as along the ridge towards the chapel and Little Ongava and are incredibly difficult to photograph as they whizz through the branches. This is the southernmost extent of their range (which falls mostly in Angola to the north) and this is perhaps the best place to see this species in southern Africa.
Visit Ongava Lodge during WWF’s Epic Botswana & Namibia Safari, July 16-31, 2011.
© Wilderness Safaris. Reprinted with permission.
