Ongava Research Centre

Another publication alert! As part of her PhD and the Greater Etosha Carnivore Programme, Jessy Patterson (University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources) has been spending the last few years investigating tourism's influence on the behaviour of large mammals. In her most recent paper, Jessy and her co-authors focus on two carnivore species. Using satellite collars, the team looked at how various anthropogenic and environmental factors affected habitat selection among and the movements of lions and spotted hyenas in Etosha National Park. The paper is open access and you can read it in full here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425002823?via%3Dihub

📸Stéphanie Périquet-Pearce

Termites are often overlooked, but are incredibly influential in shaping our environments. Among other things, they can alter the very composition of ecosystems, habitats and landscapes, and play a crucial role in nutrient cycling.

On , it's therefore worth showcasing the latest publication from Dr Stéphanie Périquet-Pearce. This study, led by Dr Damien Gergonne, re-mapped the distribution of the termite genus Macrotermes in Namibia, based on new genetic information, as well as historical data. The authors investigated different determinants of Macrotermes species distributions and call for taxonomic revisions for these species. The full paper can be read here:

Historical and present-day records on African termites: revisiting the diversity and distribution of Macrotermes in Namibia after six decades - Insectes Sociaux Macrotermes termites play vital roles in nutrient, soil and water cycling in southern Africa. The geographic distribution of Macrotermes species was determined in large parts of this region during the National Survey of Isoptera of Southern Africa (1964–1967). Recently, DNA-based analyses of Afric...

This week we bid farewell to Dr Stéphanie Périquet-Pearce. Steph has been part of our institution's DNA for six years and is now taking on a different challenge in carnivore conservation in southern Africa. During her time at ORC, Steph helped create the Greater Etosha Carnivore Programme and has contributed to the development and training of numerous postgraduate students. Since joining us, Steph has also (co-)authored more than 20 peer-reviewed publications. And these are just some of many other highlights. Ultimately, Steph, was a significant driving force behind the growth of our institute. Her contributions to wildlife research in Namibia and our understanding of carnivores here, especially in the Greater Etosha Landscape, will not be forgotten. We wish her the very best for this new chapter in her career and consider ourselves fortunate to have been part of her journey.

Here, Steph is pictured with the former head of the Etosha Ecological Institute, Dr Werner Kilian, after successfully collaring a lion.

On this International Day for Biological Diversity we would like to highlight our recently established and ever-growing herbarium, curated by Alma Moller. The herbarium now houses over 800 specimens of more than 300 plant species from across Namibia, and counting. The exceptional rains this year have really pronounced the diversity in life in this region. Long may it be cherished and celebrated!

Public Invitation for the Commemoration of Biological Diversity Day 2025

Venue: Regional Council, Otjiwarongo, Otjozondjupa Region

Pick up at 07:00 by the B2Gold buses, and drop off at the same points after the event.

1. Etambi
2. Save more
3. DRC mini market
4. Business Area Tsara-bes
5. Blue market in ombili
6. Orwetoveni municipality Office

Some brand new additions to the ORC library! Thank you, Namibia Book Market.

Monitoring carnivore populations is crucial for effective conservation and management. But what happens when the species you are trying to monitor are elusive, nocturnal and occur in low densities? Traditional camera trap surveys often have low detection rates, blurry images, making it hard to identify individuals and achieve accurate population estimates.

In collaboration with the AfriCat Foundation and the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, Victoria Mulyuu, is leading a six-month field experiment at Okonjima Nature Reserve - Home of AfriCat in central Namibia that looks to test whether artificial scents can improve detection rates and individual identification of African carnivores in camera traps. This research forms the basis of Victoria's Master's degree, which she will be pursuing through Namibia University of Science and Technology - NUST. Victoria joined our team as a technician almost a year ago and we're excited to be part of her continued research journey.

Research from other parts of the world has shown that non-food scent lures can significantly increase detection rates while reducing sampling efforts and costs. However, these methods remain largely untested in African ecosystems. Victoria is testing three scent lures: fish oil, synthetic fermented eggs and Calvin Klein Obsession for Men across a network of camera traps. Each site will rotate through control and scent treatments from May to October 2025.

This research could pave a way for more efficient, ethical and scalable monitoring strategies for African carnivores. By increasing detection rates and identification success, we can shorten survey duration, reduce costs and ultimately generate better data for carnivore conservation without altering natural behaviors through baiting.

With the graduation ceremonies at the Namibia University of Science and Technology - NUST kicking off today, we want to give a special shout-out to two of our wonderful students, who will be obtaining their hard-earned degrees tomorrow. Hilma Amupolo (left) will be receiving a Master of Science, while Gabriel Uusiku will be awarded an Honours degree in Natural Resource Management. Both Hilma and Gabriel have based their research on different aspects of the vegetation on Ongava and continue to deliver valuable insights into this landscape's ecology. Here's to their outstanding achievements and continued contributions!

Venture Media recently joined our students in the field and snapped these brilliant shots 📸

During his time with us, William Versfeld started participating in collaborative research that took a closer look at the genetics of what is commonly known as the Mopane Worm. Now, part of this research has appeared in the journal Conservation Genetics. Mopane Worms occur across southern Africa's 'Mopane belt' and are a popular food across its range. Frequent harvesting of these caterpillars has generated concerns over the sustainability of current harvesting patterns.

This study, led by Dr Zwannda Nethavhani, has presented the first baseline for genetic information on the species and affirms growing unease over its populations' sustainability in Botswana and South Africa. You can access the full paper here:

Multimarker genetic analyses of Gonimbrasia belina, the most harvested wild edible insect of mopane woodlands in Southern Africa, supports concerns over the sustainability of the species - Conservation Genetics The caterpillars of Gonimbrasia belina, commonly known as mopane worms, are intensively harvested for human consumption in southern Africa. Concerns over the sustainability of the species have been raised for the last two decades due to increasing demand, habitat erosion, and climate change. Despite...

Since 2021, we have developed a bio-indicator monitoring protocol and have curated a bio-indicator 'bank' for Ongava and, recently, Okonjima Nature Reserve - Home of AfriCat. What are bio-indicators? Essentially, they are matter or organisms that reflect fluxes in our environments. Samples are collected to monitor changes in climatic conditions, food availability, nutrient levels, and water quality, among others.

Dr Rebecca Dannock (The University of Queensland), who's been leading the programme, was recently here to complete another round of sample collection. You can visit the programme page on our website to get more detailed information on what is collected and how. There, you will also find a field sampling guide for beginners. https://orc.eco/development-of-a-bio-indicator-sample-repository-for-namibia/

We're delighted to see the first contribution to Volume 10 of the Namibian Journal of Environment published. This paper is also very relevant to the landscape we find ourselves in, so give it a read.

Volume 10 is now officially underway! Scott-Hayward et al. use an innovative statistical approach to model elephant carcass distribution in Etosha National Park and expand on what this could mean for the park's management. You can read the full article here: https://nje.org.na/index.php/nje/article/view/volume10-scott-hayward

In celebration of the tenth volume, we've also introduced a new look, so check it out. We will still be accepting submissions for Volume 10 until the end of the year. Interested? Visit the journal website to find out what steps to follow: nje.org.na