The Okonjima Nature Reserve sprawls over 200 square kilometres of undulating plains, mountainous outcrops, and riverine thickets, and it is here that leopard (Panthera pardus), the most adaptable of all the wild cats, thrive. Read more about our Leopard Research.

These intelligent, solitary predators occur in high density in the expanse of Okonjima Nature Reserve’s multi-faceted topography. The Reserve’s predator research programme has spanned three decades, and its findings have provided great insight to leopard behavioral patterns as well as offered an upbeat prognosis for a sustainable future for the species in today’s Africa.

A two-day Okonjima stay offers the best chance to view wild leopard in Namibia, as well as those collared for research purposes, in their natural habitats. Research programme leopard are actively tracked, and their collars are an invaluable resource for locating, and then returning to the Reserve, cats which have migrated to surrounding farmland where they are perceived as threats to livestock.

The Okonjima Nature Reserve, a huge protected area set amongst the rugged commercial farmlands of central Namibia, comprises a diversified ecosystem representative of both the larger and small mammals of Namibia, as well as most of the country’s endemic birds.

Game drives and guided bush walks offer visitors an intimate, up-close perspective of Namibia’s wildlife and, especially, its most protected species.

The Okonjima Nature Reserve is home to, and runs extensive research projects on rare and endangered species, big and small.

Guests are invited to join a guided Off-The-Beaten-Track walk & drive activity.

This undemanding combination of a short walking trail and nature drive in the Okonjima Nature Reserve is especially loved by our younger guests and families, due to interactive and informative demonstrations.

This two-hour experience provides a stimulating insight into the flora and fauna, as well as culture, of Namibia.

Self-guided hiking along our nature trails:

Guests are encouraged to seek some self-reflection and solace in the Namibian wilderness, surrounded by Okonjima’s striking natural beauty and abundant wildlife. Between early morning and afternoon game drives, guests may go on a self-guided hike along one of three well laid-out hiking trails. The trails vary between four and six kilometres and, clearly marked, they meander along spectacular landscapes where wildlife abounds.

The trails start a short distance from either of the Okonjima Lodge camps.

Encounter all kinds of wildlife and birds whilst immersing yourself in the Okonjima wilderness.

Nature Game-Drive, looking for leopard: Morning or Afternoon

Off-The-Beaten-Track: Morning or Afternoon

AfriCat Carnivore Care and Information Centre: Morning, after Brunch, or Afternoon

Winter: Lodge Activity Times: Morning – departure at 6:30 Afternoon – departure at 15:30

Summer: Lodge Activity Times: Morning – departure at 6:00 Afternoon – departure at 16:00

After the sun has set and the temperatures have dropped, the African bush comes to life once again: bat-eared foxes roam about, aardwolves are on the hunt for insects, owls observe their surroundings from a height, while leopards and brown hyaena go out in search of unsuspecting prey. Guests are invited on a nocturnal game drive, led by our knowledgeable guides around the Okonjima Nature Reserve.

The landscapes within the Okonjima Nature Reserve, with its elevated sandy plateau between the major escarpments of the Omboroko Mountains, boasts mixed woodland and acacia thornveld plains, making it the perfect birding destination. Keep your binoculars at hand and enjoy the chance to identify over 250 bird species...

YOUR AFRICAT CARNIVORE CARE CENTRE EXPERIENCE…

Visit our project at AfriCat’s Carnivore Care and Information Centre.

A highlight at Okonjima is learning about our big-cat passion. The Okonjima Nature Reserve is home to the headquarters of The AfriCat Foundation www.africat.org a non-profit organisation committed to long-term conservation of Namibia’s large carnivores.

AfriCat has evolved over the past three decades, and what started out primary as a welfare organisation has, over the years, identified the need to incorporate a focus on education and develop an ongoing collaboration with researchers, scientists, and conservation authorities. This is undertaken through practical research of species-specific ecology and behaviour, as well as through the development of effective conservation and management strategies.

AfriCat’s Carnivore Care Centre is a by-product of the Rescue and Release Programme which started in the early 1990s.

Some of AfriCat’s captive carnivores in our care today are too old or habituated to be reintroduced into the wild and will, therefore, remain under the expert care of the AfriCat Team. These animals have assumed the role of being Species Ambassadors for their wild counterparts.

Find out more about our ambassadors and how you can help by Sponsoring a Carnivore.

After an informative afternoon trail, we end the day with a sundowner in an area of the Okonjima Nature Reserve which has a high density of the secretly-social and rarely-seen brown hyaena.

AfriCat Carnivore Care and Information Centre:

Morning, after Brunch, or Afternoon (ACC+IC pm-trail: includes a short drive and sundowner in the ONR)

Winter: Lodge Activity Times: Morning – departure at 6:30 Afternoon – departure at 15:30

Summer: Lodge Activity Times: Morning – departure at 6:00 Afternoon – departure at 16:00