Onguma Conservation

What is the Conservation Levy?

Every guest at Onguma contributes a small Conservation Levy as part of their stay. This is not just a fee — it is an investment in safeguarding one of Namibia’s most vital ecosystems.

How Your Visit Supports Conservation

Your contribution directly funds projects that protect and restore the reserve, including:

Anti-poaching patrols & rhino dehorning – protecting endangered species from threats.
Wildlife monitoring & veterinary interventions – keeping animals healthy and safe.
Annual game counts & species relocations – ensuring balanced, thriving populations.
Habitat restoration & sustainable land-use practices – maintaining ecosystem resilience.
Long-term research – building knowledge to guide conservation strategies.
Eco-conscious infrastructure – reducing human impact on the reserve.
Staff development & community upliftment – ensuring conservation benefits people too.

The Role of Guests

By staying with us, you’re already part of our conservation journey. Every wildlife sighting logged by guides, every respectful action taken in the reserve, and every Conservation Levy paid strengthens our ability to protect this wilderness.

Guided with Care

We follow strict protocols to safeguard wildlife and habitats:

No self-drives are allowed — guided safaris ensure sightings are ethical and low-impact.
Roads and viewing areas are carefully managed to prevent stress to animals.
Sensitive areas like waterholes are protected from human disturbance to support survival.

A Shared Legacy

At Onguma, every guest becomes part of a living conservation legacy. Your visit ensures that the work of protecting this extraordinary reserve — and everything that calls it home — continues for generations to come.

THE ONGUMA APU

Since the APU has been on Onguma, we have seen a drastic decrease in poaching instances. Due to our conservation initiatives we have successfully apprehended poachers on multiple occasions and continue to collect evidence to assist in successful prosecution.

We firmly believe this is as a result of our team’s passion, hard work & constant presence on the ground.

If you would like to make a difference, please support our Anti- Poaching Unit to help protect our Rhinos!

As the custodians of this unique nature reserve, it is our duty to help and protect the wildlife within for the survival of the species. Not only Black & White Rhino, but all animals. Without our input and protection, wildlife will go extinct very soon as greed and power dictate demand.

Visiting Onguma is not only about experiencing wildlife in a natural environment, more importantly it is about helping to protect it.

Onguma Nature Reserve – A Sanctuary for Rhino Conservation

Onguma Nature Reserve spans 37,000 hectares of protected wilderness on the eastern boundary of Etosha National Park. More than a safari destination, Onguma is a safe haven for a rich diversity of wildlife — including Namibia’s critically endangered Black Rhino and threatened White Rhino.

In the early 1990s, Black Rhino populations had plummeted by over 95%, with fewer than 2,500 individuals estimated to remain in the wild. In response, Namibia’s Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism launched the Black Rhino Custodianship Programme, a pioneering initiative that relocates breeding populations to secure private and communal reserves where landholders commit to their long-term protection.

Onguma is proud to be one of these custodians. We take this responsibility seriously — providing both habitat security and dedicated monitoring to ensure the survival of these extraordinary animals. Alongside Black Rhino, Onguma also supports thriving populations of White Rhino, contributing to the conservation of both species for future generations.

But the threats remain urgent. In recent years, rhino poaching has become increasingly sophisticated, driven by organized criminal networks. To counter this, Onguma has established a specialist Anti-Poaching Unit (APU), equipped and trained to operate around the clock, 365 days a year. This dedicated team, supported by conservation levies and guest contributions, forms the frontline of defense for Onguma’s rhino population.

By visiting Onguma, guests directly support these critical efforts — helping us stay one step ahead of poachers, safeguard Namibia’s rhinos, and ensure that this wilderness remains a sanctuary for generations to come.