Namibia

Wilderness Etosha and the Skeleton Coast land bridge

Your Guide to Africa

Ingrid Wood

9/30/2026

Discovering the science of wild Namibia

A hidden crossroad of life and movement – where science and wilderness converge to reveal one of Namibia’s least known ecosystems.

 

Between the sanctuary of Namibia’s Etosha National Park and the wild, exposed edge of the Skeleton Coast lies a landscape few travellers ever see – a rugged, in-between world where elephants cross mountains, wildlife moves freely across unprotected terrain, and life endures at the edge of one of Namibia's most arid frontiers.

This is the Skeleton Coast Etosha Conservation Bridge, a 55,299-square-kilometer conservation and wildlife corridor or ‘land bridge’ in north-western Namibia that connects Etosha and Skeleton Coast National Park. And it’s here that Wilderness Etosha will open in June next year in the Hobatere Concession, adjacent to Etosha National Park.

 

A camp with a job to do

This isn’t simply another exceptional setting for a safari camp. It’s Wilderness taking a visible, active position on one of Namibia’s most pressing conservation questions: how does wildlife move safely between Etosha and the Skeleton Coast?

 

Etosha is the protected sanctuary. The Skeleton Coast is the wild edge. And the land in between, where movement, survival, and community-based conservation all meet, is where Wilderness Etosha will stand.

 

It’s a landscape defined by convergence: elephant paths, river corridors, and mountain routes all pass through this critical stretch of terrain. The camp’s purpose is to help keep that movement visible, understood, and ultimately protected.

 

 

 

‘This is not just another beautiful camp. It is Wilderness taking a visible position on one of Namibia’s most important conservation questions – how wildlife continues to move across this land bridge,’ says Vincent Shacks, Wilderness Group Head of Impact. ‘At Wilderness Etosha, the focus shifts from abundant sightings to meaningful discovery: reading the land, understanding adaptation, and experiencing the dynamics of survival in one of Namibia’s most extreme environments.’ 

 

While Wilderness’ private Hobatere Concession here lies just outside the boundaries of Etosha National Park, it is very much part of the same greater ecosystem. A huge amount of game moves across it, using the corridor as a lifeline. To support this, the camp will offer its own private waterhole and hide, along with exclusive access roads that open up special excursions and experiences unavailable elsewhere. In an arid landscape like this, game viewing concentrates naturally around water and the private waterhole in front of camp becomes a focal point where animals converge.

 

Guests also benefit from exclusive traversing rights across our private concession and privileged access into Etosha National Park itself. This is not the Etosha most travellers know. It’s uncrowded, and wild: arid savannah landscape, culture, conservation, and big game, brought together in one experience, away from the congestion of the pans.

Why this corridor matters

The numbers tell a compelling story. Kunene’s dryland elephants spend just 3.5% of their time within the boundaries of formal national parks — meaning the vast majority of their lives are spent moving through unprotected land, like the Hobatere corridor. That statistic alone makes the case for why this land bridge is so essential to their survival.

 

 

 

Central to this story is a little-studied population of elephants that navigates steep, spring-fed mountain country stretching between Etosha, the Kaoko Highlands, and the Namib Desert. It’s a remarkable, largely hidden chapter of Namibia's wildlife story and one that Wilderness Etosha is designed to bring to life for the guests who stay there.

Want to know more about the elephants traversing Etosha

Explore here

Knowledge made and shared

What sets this camp apart isn't only its charismatic wildlife, it's the promise of discovery. Alongside sightings of elephants and other iconic species (including lions, cheetahs, giraffe, springbok, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, red hartebeest, kudu and gemsbok), the camp will showcase the area's under-documented biodiversity: nocturnal movement, rare behaviours, how climate shapes survival, and species rarely covered in mainstream safari storytelling. 

 

Rather than keep that research behind the scenes, it will be built directly into the guest experience. Expect a scientist's space, maps charting ongoing discoveries, evening talks, live data dashboards, field tables, and a growing, living library of findings. This will offer guests a window into the work being done in this remote and largely underexplored landscape.

 

That sense of purpose extends to the people who call this landscape home. Through initiatives like Children In The Wilderness Eco-Clubs (already operational) and employment opportunities for the local community, Wilderness Etosha reinforces the idea that conservation, community, and wilderness are inseparable here.

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Meet the Namibia team behind the scenes

Alex Henderson

Managing Director, Wilderness Namibia

 

Alex joined Wilderness in 2005 and has spent two decades helping build Wilderness Air into the operation it is today – rising from line pilot to Group Flight Operations Director across Zimbabwe, Botswana and the Zambezi region, before taking on his current role leading Wilderness Namibia. Alex’s passion is supporting the people around him, and investing in employee development, training and mentorship.

 

My essential piece of gear on drives: My phone for pictures.

 

Most unforgettable encounter: Black rhino tracking on foot at Wilderness Desert Rhino.

Hamish Hofmeyr

Operations Manager, Wilderness Namibia

 

Hamish’s career spans conservation, guiding, lodge management and wildlife filmmaking across Southern Africa, including anti-poaching work in Malawi, five years in the wildlife film industry, and hotel management in Hermanus. Four years ago, he joined Wilderness Namibia as Operations Manager, and is still learning something new every day.

 

My essential piece of gear on drives: A Leatherman multi-tool and a floppy hat – neither ever leaves my side.

 

Most unforgettable encounter: Hearing a greater honeyguide give an unusual call while out looking for birds, and following it for half an hour as it led me to a wild beehive hidden inside a termite mound. I took one comb back to camp for my breakfast toast, but not before leaving a piece on a branch for the honeyguide to enjoy.

Learn more about Hamish

Anthony Swartz

Projects and Asset Manager, Namibia

 

Anthony joined Wilderness in 2008. He started as relief manager at the original Skeleton Coast Camp, later moving through Wilderness Desert Rhino and Serra Cafema, and held roles including Airport Representative, Buyer, Logistics Supervisor, and Fleet Manager before stepping into his current position. Anthony’s true passion is people – he loves learning about guests’ and colleagues’ lives, and believes there’s always something to gain from listening. He’s known for never accepting no or can’t as an answer, and is the team's go-to problem-solver.

 

My essential piece of gear on drives: My trusty Leatherman.

 

Most unforgettable encounter: Facing down a pride of lions just 10 metres away as they tried to cut through camp to reach the waterhole. ‘That incident made me question my life choices!’

Gerhard Thirion

Environmental Manager, Wilderness Namibia

 

Gerhard joined Wilderness Safaris in March 2000 as a private guide and has since managed Wilderness Serra Cafema, led the Explorations department, and served as Concession Manager for the Kulala Wilderness Reserve, and Area Manager for Skeleton Coast and Serra Cafema, before taking on his current role as Environmental Manager. A lifelong wildlife photographer, Gerhard is deeply involved in Namibian conservation, from the Ride for Rhinos cycling event to the Skeleton Coast Brown Hyena Research Project.

 

My essential piece of gear on drives: Coffee.

 

Most unforgettable encounter: ‘Los die foto! (Leave that photo!)’ – a story that can only be told around a campfire in the bush.

Francois du Plessis

Area Manager and Guide

 

Francois joined the company in November 2025 as Area Manager for Wilderness Hoanib Skeleton Coast and Serra Cafema, with his portfolio since expanding to include the upcoming Wilderness Etosha. The first and only Namibian to hold both Professional Safari Guide and Professional Trails Guide qualifications, Francois bridges field guiding, conservation and business management – bringing nearly six years of guiding experience and four years in luxury hospitality and reserve management to his current role overseeing operations, guest experience and strategic planning across his properties.

 

My essential piece of gear on drives: A Leatherman – you never know when you might need to fix something. Best tool ever.

 

Most unforgettable encounter: Coming across a pangolin walking with her baby on her back during a late-afternoon drive while looking for rhino.

Zané du Plessis

Area Manager

 

Zané joined Wilderness Namibia in November 2025 as Area Manager for Hoanib Skeleton Coast, Serra Cafema and Etosha. Having grown up on a farm near Aranos, Namibia, she built her career within the tourism and conservation industry, and brings a strong focus on guest hosting, relationship building and developing high-performing teams to her current role – alongside training as a Basic Life Support (BLS) medic.

 

My essential piece of gear on drives: A camera – capturing special moments in the wilderness allows me to preserve unique memories and appreciate the remarkable landscapes and wildlife that make our destinations so extraordinary.

 

Most unforgettable encounter: Sitting near a breeding herd of elephants when a curious young bull came closer and raised his trunk to smell me, nearly touching me before I flinched and he backed off.

Joryn Barnard

Trade Relations Manager, Wilderness

 

Joryn joined Wilderness in 2012 as an Intermediate Journey Specialist and advanced over the following decade to Inbound Sales Manager for the Germanic European market. After a brief hiatus, she rejoined the team and now focuses on strengthening relationships with travel agents and showcasing Wilderness’ offerings through immersive, in-camp experiences.

 

My essential piece of gear on drives: Sunscreen.

 

Most unforgettable encounter: Watching a brown hyena wander past my room at Wilderness Little Kulala as the sun came up – a moment I’d dreamed of for years, made all the more special for having it entirely to myself.

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