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Tranquil little desert town
This tranquil little desert town is situated
125km east of Luderitz and the name means
'out' in German, but may be derived from a
Khoi-Khoi word which means the 'place of the
snakes'. Aus is tucked between the folds of
several hills, and if you've ventured this
far, then the chances are you're on the way
to the coast.
After the German surrender to South African
troops in World War I, Aus became an
internment camp for German military
officers. As many as 1,550 prisoners were
held at Aus, and the towns population was
further boosted by around 600 South African
guards.
The railway to Luderitz stops here, as some
years ago the continual struggle to keep the
line clear of the Namib Desert sand was
abandoned, and in places the line is now
covered by massive dunes. One of the major
attractions of the area around Aus is the
Namib Feral Horses. They are the world's
only wild desert-dwelling horses and
theories as to their origin are many.
A
logical favourite is that they were
descended from German Schutztruppe cavalry
horses abandoned during the South African
invasion of 1915. Another is that they were
brought by Nama raiders moving north from
beyond the Orange River, whilst a third
claims they're descended from a load of
ship-wrecked horses en-route from Europe to
Australia. More local (and believable), is
the story they've been bred from the stud
stock of Baron Captain Hans-Heinrich von
Wolf, the owner of Duwisib Castle. Wolfy
famously set off for Germany in search of
more horses, but came to a sticky end in
battle in France.
These bony and scruffy looking beasts, can
be seen on most Namibian safaris which visit
the area. Whatever story you choose to
believe, (if any) then look out for them
grazing on the either side of the road on
the way to Luderitz. Alternatively, stop at
the hide and waterhole, 100km east of
Luderitz, at Garup Pan, fed by an artificial
bore hole. |
Your Hosts:
KARIN & STEVE
Physical
Address:
Luderitz
Street Erf 52
Aus NAMIBIA
Namibia
e-mail:
namibaus@afol.com.na
Tel:
+ 264 (0)
63 258 029
Fax:
+264 (0) 88
612 614
Mobile:
+264
(0) 81 298 1495
+264 81 283
2969 |
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Wild Horses of the Namib
Wild Horses of the Namib
roam the sparsely vegetated
plains of the Namib Desert
in small groups. Over the
decades they have conquered
the desert as their habitat.
They come to drink from the
trough at Garub, some 20 km
west of Aus. From a hide you
can watch the horses and
take pictures.
The Namib Desert Horse is a
rare feral horse found in
the Namib Desert of Namibia,
Africa. It is probably the
only feral herd of horses
residing in Africa, with a
population ranging between
90 and 150. The Namib Desert
Horse is athletic in
appearance, resembling the
European light riding horses
from which it probably
descends, and usually dark
in color. Despite the harsh
environment in which they
live, the horses are
generally in good condition,
except during times of
extreme drought. The horses
have been the subject of
several population studies,
which have given significant
insight into their
population dynamics and
ability to survive in desert
conditions.
The origin of the Namib
Desert Horse is unclear,
though several theories have
been put forward. Genetic
tests have been performed,
although none to date have
completely verified their
origin. The most likely
ancestors of the horses are
a mix of riding horses and
cavalry horses, many from
German breeding programs,
released from various farms
and camps in the early 20th
century, especially during
World War I. Whatever their
origin, the horses
eventually congregated in
the Garub Plains, nearAus,
Namibia, the location of a
man-made water source. |
