Wilderness Desert Rhino Camp Reopens After Rebuild

The Wilderness Desert Rhino Camp in Namibia’s Palmwag Concession in Damaraland has reopened after a complete rebuild. The camp, which was temporarily closed from December 2023 until July 2024 for the project, continues its conservation efforts to safeguard one of the world’s last free-roaming populations of critically endangered black rhinos.

With a dedication to sustainability, Desert Rhino Camp operates entirely on solar power and has used repurposed materials from its former facilities to build staff housing. Designed by Migs+Drew (M+D) architects, each of the six suites in the camp has large fabric roofs and locally sourced stone. 

Pretty cool: The camp provides guests with unique opportunities to track rhinos on foot and by vehicle with Save the Rhino Trust Namibia (SRT) guides. This immersive experience enables guests to actively support the conservation of Namibia’s black rhinos while experiencing the region’s biodiversity, including robust populations of Hartmann’s mountain zebra, Southern giraffe, gemsbok (oryx), springbok, kudu and black-backed jackal. Occasionally, elusive predators such as cheetah and leopard are spotted, as well as an array of reptile and bird species.

As part of Desert Rhino Camp’s dedication to the Wilderness Impact strategy and its three core pillars, Educate, Empower and Protect, this joint venture between Wilderness, SRT and the “Big 3” Community Conservancies in the area provide financial remuneration and employment opportunities, positively uplifting the local communities. Approximately 11 percent of the camp’s total revenue is shared between the conservancies, SRT and rhino fundraising support. Furthermore, the camp continues to serve as a vital base for one of SRT’s expert tracking teams, ensuring meticulous monitoring and data collection, to further enrich the largest and longest-running black rhino database in the world.

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