World Wildlife Fund

Parts of Namibia are covered by the Miombo Woodlands, which are home to many large mammals including elands, rhinos, and a large population of African elephants. Namibia's deserts are also very rich in flora, with highly diverse plant communities found nowhere else in the world. 

Great numbers of Black Rhinoceros once roamed Africa. Today, less than 4,000 exist in the wild.
© WWF-Canon / Martin Harvey

Black rhino
Just 150 years ago, Africa’s savannahs teemed with rhinos and other wildlife. However, hunting by European settlers saw rhino numbers and distribution quickly decline. Poaching escalated during the 1970s and 1980s as demand grew for rhino horn — a prized ingredient in traditional Asian medicines and a valued accessory in the Middle East. As a result, black rhino numbers declined by a staggering 96 percent between 1970 and 1992. 

Thanks to vigorous conservation and anti-poaching efforts, some African rhino populations are now stable or increasing. However, poaching still occurs, and some populations remain very small and threatened. Besides those that live on Namibia's communal conservancies, very few African rhinos now survive outside of protected areas. 

African elephant
African elephants are the world's largest terrestrial mammals. Two subspecies are recognized: the savanna (or bush) elephant, and the forest elephant. 

Elephants continue to roam the African land, but remain under threat from poaching and habitat loss. Although poaching of elephants for their ivory has declined since the 1989 ivory ban, it remains a widespread problem in west and central Africa. Large quantities of African ivory are still finding their way in to illegal markets in Africa and beyond in places such as Asia.

A more long-term threat to the species, however, is the reduction of habitat available to elephants in the face of expanding human populations.