Okonjima Nature Reserve
A private reserve between Windhoek and Etosha where leopard and cheetah are tracked by radio collar, home to the AfriCat foundation.
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Okonjima is a former cattle farm turned into a two-hundred-square-kilometre reserve and the base of the AfriCat foundation, which works on carnivore conservation and the conflict between farmers and predators. Leopard and cheetah in the reserve carry radio collars and are tracked on drives, which makes sightings far more reliable than in the parks; the animals are wild and hunt for themselves within the fenced area. Brown hyena and pangolin research also runs here.
What you actually see
- The leopard tracking - radio telemetry used to find collared wild leopard.
- The cheetah - a population within the reserve, also tracked.
- The AfriCat work - carnivore research and farmer conflict programmes.
- The night drives - brown hyena, porcupine and pangolin on evening outings.
When to go
May to October is the dry season and the most comfortable, with best visibility. Summer from November to April brings heat and thicker bush. Tracking runs year round.
Honest expectations
The reserve is fenced and the animals are collared, which some visitors find takes the edge off the experience; it is honest about this. Rates are high and activities are charged on top. It is a conservation operation rather than a wilderness.
Nearby
Otjiwarongo is north, and the Waterberg is east.
What to pack for Okonjima Nature Reserve
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.