By Wezi Tjaronda
WINDHOEK
Celebrations to mark a century of conservation by the Etosha National Park, were launched last Thursday by Environment and Tourism Minister, Reverend Willem Konjore, and will culminate in a glittering event to be held in September at the Namutoni Fort inside the national park.
Etosha and the Namibia Section of the Namib Naukluft Park turned 100 years on Thursday.
Speakers at the event detailed how the park, proclaimed as a game reserve in 1907, has contributed to Namibia’s image of having a track record of international significance as far as conservation is concerned.
Namibia Wildlife Resorts Managing Director, Tobie Aupindi, and Chief Executive Officer of Nampost, Sakaria Nghikembua, described the park as “the biggest landmark in Namibia” and “the Mecca of Namibian tourism” respectively.
Among the many achievements attained by Etosha were the restoration of elephant, black and white rhinoceros and black-faced impala populations, which had almost become extinct.
Konjore said that after the last elephant was shot at the fort in 1881, the elephant population was restored to the extent where the population has grown to 2??????’??