Bushmen trails: walk with world’s best trackers
Kruger National Park is set to tap the skills of Namibia’s peerless Ju/’hoansi Bushmen trackers to deepen visitors’ wildlife experiences
History will be made in July when Bushmen again walk the savannah of the Lowveld, hundreds of years after their presence there was eclipsed by incoming forces. Not just any Bushmen, but members of the Ju/’hoansi from the remote Nyae Nyae Conservancy of Namibia, the last group in Southern Africa still allowed to hunt in the traditional way. And not just any Ju/’hoansi, but the country’s top two recognised master trackers, the renowned /Ui-G/aqo and /Ui-Kxunta. The Ju/’hoansi are poor, to the point of destitution, but they get by partially through their peerless command of the most ancient art of human survival: animal tracking. They are also the last of the endurance hunters, capable of running down antelope until the animals drop from exhaustion. Kruger National Park is about to tap the skills of the subcontinent’s west to meet the huge demand in the east for deeper wildlife experiences. Of the millions of tourists who visit the park annually, most view animals from the security of ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.