‘Black rhino!’ Our hearts were in our mouths, we couldn’t believe our luck. Out on the rocky plains of Damaraland in Namibia stood the most endangered of Africa’s Big Five, ears flicking and head raised in typical short-sighted stance.
SJ’s daughter, Zoe, 11, was the first to spot it. At a safe distance, we sat quietly on our horses, ready to gallop away in an instant. SJ checked that everyone was comfortable, and then spoke softly about why this was such an incredible sight.
‘Each time we do this ride we find their tracks. To see a black rhino anywhere is a huge achievement, but to do so on horseback is something that few will ever experience’, she said. As the sheer enormity of our good fortune sunk in, we were rather glad that our horses were (literally) taking it in their stride.
We gave the rhino a wide berth, as black rhinos are unpredictable and very curious, with notoriously bad eyesight. Had we needed to gallop out of danger over such rocky ground, the horses would’ve had difficulty. Fortunately, we had enough distance between us and both the horses and rhino stood their ground. Then he caught our scent and crashed towards us like an army tank, covering about forty metres in a matter of seconds before calling off the charge. This individual is usually relaxed in the presence of game viewing vehicles, but a combination of horses and humans was new to him.
Another highlight of our ride was an encounter with a herd of elephant as they crossed the plains ahead of us, returning from water to browse. Young bulls, protective cows, and tiny calves in procession had the tips of our horses’ ears almost touching. When an elephant spun to face us with a volley of head shaking, the wind changed direction and carried the scent of the herd towards us. This proved too much for one mount, who sped off in the opposite direction. At times like this, it’s absolutely clear why these rides are only suitable for very experienced riders!
Namibia’s Damaraland region is a unique ecosystem, and supports a staggering variety of desert-adapted creatures, both large and small. We were fortunate to get to the heart of the action on horseback – and delighted that photographer Torleif Svensson was with us to capture these remarkable images.
Check out www.namibiahorsesafari.com for more details on horseback riding in Namibia.
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