Today we would have one last adventure ahead of us – a rhino drive at the Waterberg Wilderness Nature Reserve in the early afternoon.
We weren’t in any rush to start our day, so we took our time preparing breakfast. We sat down, sipping coffee and enjoying a leisurely morning. Suddenly, our peaceful breakfast was interrupted by a large baboon peeking around the car. Hadn’t the staff mentioned that these animals were curious but only if humans weren’t too close? Well, this particular baboon seemed to have skipped that lesson! With surprising confidence, it approached our table, locked eyes with us, and reached for the juice carton. Once it had a hold of it, it hopped a few meters away, used its fangs to tear open the carton and began sipping the remaining juice. We were both amused and a bit baffled by what had just unfolded.
The baboon, on the other hand, seemed delighted by the free drink and decided to come back for more.
Forget about brotherly love – this was pushing it a bit too far for me. I stood up, hoping to intimidate the baboon by giving him my fiercest glare. He met my stare, almost as if to say, “Is that all you’ve got?” and kept moving toward the table. While I wasn’t about to pick a fight with him, I certainly wasn’t going to back down either. What if he would decide to attack us? We shouted at him, trying to scare him off, but none of it seemed to faze him. Thankfully, a member of the campsite staff came to the rescue, holding a small stone and pretending to throw it at the determined thief. Apparently, that was enough to send some shivers down his spine and he ran off complaining loudly that he did not get another free meal.
Surely, now we were awake! No more coffee needed…
We had just learned two valuable lessons:
- Baboons love breakfast just as much as humans do.
- They are scared of stones, so always make sure to have some ready when in the African bush with baboons around.
After that experience, we were eager to start the day a bit sooner than planned. We quickly finished breakfast, packed up our belongings into the car, and decided to explore the area behind the campsite before heading to our next and final stop. Not long into our walk, we spotted a rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) watching us from a rock ledge just a few meters above our heads.
Rock hyraxes are most closely related to elephants and sea cows, a surprising fact given that they resemble groundhogs far more than their larger relatives. The only giveaway might be their “tusks” if you look closely.
After finishing our walk, we made our way to the Waterberg Wilderness Nature Reserve, which was just a stone’s throw away. Since we arrived a bit early for the rhino drive, we decided to explore the area on foot, just as we had done at the NWR campsite. Along the way, we spotted a beautiful Crimson-breasted Shrike (Laniarius atrococcineus) hopping around in the trees, as well as a Greater Kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) female together with its calf grazing in a forest clearing. These large antelopes are sometimes called the “Grey Ghost of Africa” because they move so quietly through the bush that you might not even realize one is standing right beside you.
Finally, the time had come to start the rhino drive. Super excited we hopped onto the jeep driven by Werner, our driver and very friendly, knowledgable guide for the coming hours.
He explained that the rhinos – specifically, the White rhinos – at the reserve were constantly monitored by guards to protect them from poachers. This way, they always knew the rhinos’ whereabouts, ensuring we would definitely see them. While I typically enjoy the thrill of searching for animals and observing them in their natural habitat, the reality is that there are so few of these incredible creatures left in the wild that such precautions are essential.
Also, we learned about the differences between the White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) and the Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), and it is not their coloration as the names might suggest.
White Rhinoceros
(Ceratotherium simum)
- First horn significantly larger than the second one
- Pointed ears
- Calves usually walk in front of their mother
- Square upper lip
- Larger and heavvier than a Black rhino
- Feed by grazing
Black Rhinoceros
(Diceros bicornis)
- First horn larger than the second one
- Rounded ears
- Calves usually walk behind their mother
- Pointed upper lip
- Smaller and lighter than a White rhino
- Feed by browsing
Shortly after starting the drive, we caught up with the guards, who informed us that the rhinos were just a few meters into the bushes. To our astonishment, Werner opened the jeep’s doors, instructed us to get out of the vehicle, and join him and the guards for a walk. Was he serious? We were about to come face-to-face with fully grown white rhinos – surely, that couldn’t be safe!
He reassured us that the rhinos were accustomed to humans and that it would be safe to quietly and cautiously approach them. With that, we got out of the jeep and started walking through the bush, heading towards the spot where the guards had last seen the rhinos. And surely enough, there they were!
I felt my heart pound in my chest as soon as we spotted the first rhino, a fully grown male. It was huge!!!
I knew they were large, but seeing one up close truly put their size into perspective. At its shoulder, this male stood nearly 2 meters tall! Its head was about the size of a human’s upper body, and that didn’t even take into account the two enormous horns. The larger of the two horns could have easily been the size of a human lower leg.
We were so close that we could hear its breath as it calmly grazed on the sparse grass. I could hardly believe what I was seeing.
I knew we would continue the drive through the bush, but honestly, what could possibly top this experience? While we quietly watched them in awe, I managed to capture one of my last and favorite shots of the entire trip – a portrait of the massive male white rhino.
What an amazing experience to end our last evening in Namibia!