Blog
In Conversation with Tim Stanhope from Al Maha Desert Resort & Spa
The Desert Sanctuary with a Philosophy of Excellence
News Article
In Conversation with Daniel Muinjangue from Ohorongo
21 March 2025
Ohorongo: Black Rhinos in the Namibian Wilderness
The first thing that strikes you when you look at a map of Namibia is what’s not there, rather than what is. For a country almost three and a half times the size of the UK – and larger than any country in Europe other excluding Russia – there’s a remarkable lack of big cities, main roads, obvious signs that people exist there. When you look at a breakdown of countries by population density, it’s easy to see why. In every square kilometre of Namibia, you’ll find an average of 3.7 people. For context, that’s second only to Western Sahara in terms of lowest African population densities; and that’s a country which, as the name might suggest, is a desert. It’s a figure that places Namibia at 236th of 242 on the global list, almost six thousand times lower than top-placed Macau. You get my point. Namibia is a massive wilderness – but that’s not to say there isn’t anything to do there.
At the heart of the country’s northern section you’ll find Ohorongo Private Game Reserve, a 6 hour drive from the capital, Windhoek. It’s a 35,000-hectare reserve that’s been in the same family for over half a century and, today, we’re talking to Daniel Muinjangue, Head Guide at the reserve’s and expert on all things Ohorongo.
One of the benefits of having very few people and lots of space is that Namibia – and Ohorongo is no exception – is a haven for animals. ‘That’s what the original owners of the reserve wanted to create,’ Daniel tells me over a slightly patchy line from the lodge, ‘so everything is built around the original farmhouse.’ In time, the family acquired more surrounding land, eventually buying up 7 farms. The first thing they did with their newly-acquired, and rather big, playground was to remove all the fencing within it that had been put down for cattle. Ohorongo was not going to be a cattle farm any longer, but a place ‘only for game.’
‘And the game came back,’ Daniel tells me, ‘and the land recovered and Ohorongo began to take the shape it is today.’ That shape is an interesting one: the reserve is home to both the lodge and the tented camp, both of which fall under the Ohorongo banner. The lodge is pure high-class safari, with only 5 rooms, a pool, a collection of handsome thatched buildings beautifully maintained surroundings. Guests at the lodge also have the pleasure of Daniel as their dedicated guide which, trust me here, is a real bonus. He’s clearly a total pro, reeling off the outline of a day at Ohorongo with a charm that’s pretty infectious. He sits down with every guest upon arrival, works out their likes and dislikes, and tailors a guiding itinerary just for them – ‘usually, we begin with an evening drive – and a sundowner.’
In a separate part of the reserve, you’ll find the tented camp. Again, there are only 5 rooms here and it’s fair to say that this place is the jewel in the Ohorongo crown. ‘You’re completely in nature, you can hear the animals at night, you can hear an insect walk by close to you, that’s how close you are to the bush,’ Daniel chuckles. Each tent has its own deck and veranda that are quite literally in the bush, from which guests can take in the sound of nature of the spectacular electrical storms that often light up the plains. The tents themselves are semi-permanent structures bathed in natural Namibian sunlight and guests can dip in either of the 2 pools that are sit in a natural depression surrounded by granite outcrops. It’s a magical place, also with a dedicated guide who knows everything there is to know about the surrounding area.
Of those animals at night that Daniel mentioned, there’s one in particular that guests at both the lodge and tented camp may want to hear – and see. Since 2021, the reserve has been home to a number of the 2000 or so black rhinos that live in Namibia. That’s a figure that represents almost a third of the total number of these magnificent creatures left on Earth, hunted and poached as they are for their horns. Ohorongo is part of the Custodianship Programme, a rigorous scheme that aims to repopulate the species.
‘We approach the government, make an application and wait for officials and police officers from the region to come and visit us,’ Daniel tells me of the process. ‘They come to check the habitat, check the farm, property, water availability, fencing, security, whether it’s at high risk of poaching – every last detail – and go away to make a decision.’ If everything is deemed good, as it was at the reserve in 2021, a number of rhinos are brought to the area, monitored intensely and allowed to settle into their new home. Anti-poaching units are assigned to each group, the trust of whom is essential, and, after a period of time, the lucky guests can try their hand at tracking.
This is what stands Ohorongo apart from other, similar, lodges. From both the lodge and the tented camp, guests can rise at 6am, drive to meet the rangers and begin their walk. ‘The terrain is rocky, you’re crossing rivers, rocks, you’re walking in the heat.’ In other words, this is a proper adventure, even more so when Daniel outlines the dangers of what you’ll be tracking. ‘These are aggressive animals with a great sense of smell and hearing. We never get closer than about 50 metres and we always stay downwind because, if they start running, they’re a 4x4 and we’re only a 2x2.’ In fact, you can’t even cough upwind of a black rhino and Daniel won’t take groups of more than 6 people.
The payoff, though, the vegetation, the birds, insects and adventure of tracking a true giant of the plains is remarkable. ‘People are very moved when they see the rhinos,’ Daniel says. It’s not hard to see why. They’re otherworldly, often with no horn so as to reduce the risk of poaching. In fact, guests can’t even post pictures on social media, as poachers can use a photo’s metadata to locate a specific rhino.
Rhinos aren’t the only species that the brains behind Ohorongo are seeking to protect, though. The reserve has recently begun implementing a biodiversity scheme that aims to monitor and document the natural equilibrium within the area. It’s something that returned to Ohorongo long ago, when the original farm was restored to game land, and now the team is deploying camera traps and sound devices to take stock of everything that they have in the reserve. They want to use that data alongside scientists as a point of comparison with other areas where livestock may have depleted the land.
It’s basically a 21st iteration of what they’ve been doing ever since Ohorongo came into existence, 55 years ago. It’s working for the rhinos and, as we wrap up our call, I’ve no doubt game – in all its shapes and sizes – will be at the heart of Ohorongo’s future.