Park

Naute is one of Namibia’s largest man-made lakes. Its shoreline, abutting long stretches of rocky plains and intricate sections of small bays, is very attractive The dam location on the Löwen River was already identified by German engineers over a century ago, yet construction of the reservoir only took place 70 years later. The dam was created as a reliable source of water for the nearby town of Keetmanshoop, and to enable an agricultural scheme adjacent to the reservoir.

The lake creates an ideal focal point for a game park, although this was only proclaimed just prior to independence. Thirty years on, its tourism potential remains untapped, overlooked in the vastness of the ‘forgotten South’. Discussions around a tourism concession with the neighbouring !Gawachab Conservancy may gain momentum in the future. For now, Naute is still worth a brief stop-over visit while travelling between Keetmanshoop and the Fish River Canyon.

Travel Tips

WHEN TO BE THERE:

Visitor access is restricted to the recreation area; this is open all year
Day temperatures can be very hot during summer
Fishing competitions are held intermittently & the recreation area is a weekend retreat for locals
The game park is currently not open to visitors

WHAT TO DO:

Stop at the lake for a refreshing break on your travels
Enjoy a short walk & some good birding
Do a spot fishing along the shore
Visit the nearby agricultural scheme

WHAT TO REMEMBER:

Access is restricted to the small recreation area
A permit is required for fishing, obtainable at the Karas Regional Council in Keetmanshoop
There are no amenities at the dam
Do not litter, take all rubbish with you

African Pygmy-Goose

Fulvous Whistling-Duck

Hottentot Teal

History

Mudumu is at the heart of the story of wildlife recovery in Zambezi. Jo Tagg is one of its central proponents. Jo was stationed in Caprivi for the MET during the community shift from poaching to protection in the early nineties. Later, he was instrumental in targeted reintroductions to rebuild the area’s game populations. Today, he is a quiet force against wildlife crime in Zambezi by supporting former colleagues, some of whom he has worked with for more than a quarter of a century.

For an unfenced park bordering communal land and another country, connectivity conservation is vital. Mudumu is surrounded by overlapping conservancies and community forests. The large state forest to the north is also an important refuge.

At a local level, collaboration between the park and the adjoining conservancies is facilitated through the Mudumu North Complex. Anti-poaching initiatives and fire management are particularly important aspects of the partnership. The concurrent NAM-PLACE Mudumu Landscape initiative seeks to raise the general profile of the area and facilitates connectivity between tourism operators and other users of the landscape.

At a regional level, KAZA promotes conservation across international borders, connecting Mudumu with conservation areas in Botswana, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Botswana land adjoining the park is zoned as a wildlife management area, creating further important habitat to the west.

The park is named after the Mudumu Mulapo, a ‘fossil’ wetland stretching across much of the park. Although the area may become boggy during the rainy season, it is no longer an active wetland. Mulapo is a local name for such a low-lying, marshy area that may become seasonally flooded. The origin and meaning of the word mudumu is unclear.

Activities

Conservations

The dichotomy between conservation needs and development aspirations in the Zambezi Region is often striking. Yet wildlife and wild places persist here despite rapid human expansion and rural development. Unknown to most visitors, game populations have been rebuilt from very low numbers – and in some cases local extinction – over the last two decades. Since 1999, well over 2,000 head of game of eight species were brought back to the eastern Zambezi Region. Giraffe, eland and blue wildebeest were locally extinct here by the mid-1990s, but were reintroduced and are now doing well. Waterbuck, lechwe, roan and others have rebounded from historic lows.

The reintroductions were only successful because community conservation on the surrounding land made a much bigger area available as wildlife habitat. This buffer is crucial for the viability of Mudumu and nearby Nkasa Rupara. Once the unfenced parks were surrounded by communal conservancies, the return of wildlife was feasible.

Today the parks and the conservancies between them afford a glimpse of how things were here 150 years ago. What is now Namibia’s eastern Zambezi Region – the land bound by the Kwando, Linyanti, Chobe and Zambezi – was once one of the richest wildlife habitats of southern Africa. More than a quarter of eastern Zambezi may get flooded during years of good rain, as all of the rivers have their main floodplains within Namibia. The first Europeans to explore the area reported great herds of buffalo, lechwe and other game in this extensive, highly productive wildlife haven.

Mudumu is not immune to ivory poaching, which is escalating across Africa. Several cases have been recorded here. A joint anti-poaching initiative between the Namibian military, police and MET includes rigorous patrols and a semi-permanent military and police presence. The public tar road though the park is also a conservation challenge.

Map

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Naute Game Park

In a way itâ€™s refreshing when a wonderful little sanctuary remains beyond our hunger for leisure destinations. While Nauteâ€™s tourism potential remains unrealised, the game park does fulfil its conservation function.