Films

NACSO's film gallery includes prize winning film-makers like Andy Maser: "The Guardians" and "Pride of Namibia", international TV journalism like "For the love of elephants", and short videos where Namibians talk about conservation.

Imagine living with wildlife? Namibia's communal conservancy members share their stories of the realities and joys of living with wildlife.

Imagine living with wildlife? Namibia's communal conservancy members share their realities and joys of living with wildlife

Imagine living with wildlife? Namibia's communal conservancy members share their stories of the realities and joys of living with wildlife.

The Youth in Conservation Wild Landscapes Biodiversity App pilot project is the first of its kind in community-based natural resource management where youth are trained to use smart technology for local biodiversity data collection. The youth are the critical first link in acquiring data that will be used for conservation management and awareness. There are 43 youth participating in the pilot, representing 28 conservancies across 3 geographic regions in Namibia.

Congratulations to Simson Uri-Khob, winner of the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa

Conservation Relief, Recovery, and Resilience Facility (COVID-19 Facility) has been established to provide financial relief to CBNRM entities affected by COVID-19. A number of donors and partners have raised funds in support of the Facility.

Joint statement of the KAZA TFCA partner states on the official launch of the first-ever KAZA-Wide coordinated aerial survey. By Mr. Teofilus Nghitila, Executive Director of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Namibia as coordinating country for the KAZA TFCA.

Supporting African Communities: Highlighting International Conservation Efforts Worldwide

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on human health, social welfare, and the economies of nations across the globe.

In advance of the 2019 CITES meeting, four Namibian conservationists discuss why the voices of rural conservancy residents should be heard.

On 20 November 2019 Namibian young people marched to demand action on climate change, planting trees and presenting petitions at the Ministry of the Environment, Parliament and Windhoek Municipality.

Chief Tsamkxao ≠Oma of Nyae Nyae Conservancy in Namibia explains why conservation hunting is important to the Ju/’hoansi San people, and how he feels about the award of the Edmond Blanc Prize to the conservancy and its stakeholders.

Asser Ndjitezeua, Chairperson of #Khoadi-//Hoas Conservancy, explains what a conservancy is and the benefits that conservation brings.

Maxi Pia Louis, Director of the Namibian Association of Community Based Natural Resource Management Support Organisations, NACSO The hunting community has long recognized that hunting brings value to wildlife and that value increases the likelihood that communities living with those species will want to participate in wildlife conservation.

Brisetha Hendricks, Ûibasen Twyfelfontein Conservancy, Namibia, is interviewed about the importance of local communities getting a voice in efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade.
Hendricks was among the participants at a Community Voices: local perspectives on international responses to the illegal wildlife trade conference at London Zoo on 10 October 2018.
The event was organised by IIED, International Union for Conservation of Nature Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group (IUCN SULi), Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). 
The representatives from communities affected by the illegal wildlife trade called on governments meeting at the London conference on the illegal wildlife trade (11-12 October) to recognise local communities as equal partners in conserving wildlife, strengthen their rights to land and increase benefits from wildlife, and give local knowledge equal status in tackling the illegal wildlife trade.
 

Maxi Pia Louis, Director of NACSO, gives a speech at the Pathways Africa 2018 Conference in Namibia.

Rhino pride campaign to raise awareness on rhino conservation and wildlife crime by working with the youth in the community.

SCI's Marc Watts conducts the latest in his series of conservation conversations with Namibia's Maxi Pia Louis. They discuss the community's role in preserving animal populations, anti-poaching and why Namibia's unique approaches to conserving wildlife are making a difference. Video footage Courtesy of NACSO.org, Wilderness Safaris, Emaneul Kapp Productions, & Schoenfield Safaris via NACSO.org.

Hilma Angula, ex Conservation Leadership Programme intern, tells how the programme helped and inspired her before she left Namibia to study for a Masters in Conservation Leadership at Cambridge University.

This short film from Wilderness Safaris shows how a luxury lodge – a joint-venture with a conservancy – can help make a difference to a rural community by providing jobs, training, skills and income.

Solar powered electric bikes are assisting game guards to patrol in Salambala Conservacy – Zambezi Region. The bikes were an Earth Hour initiative to promote conservation using clean energy.

Maxi Louis is one of the cornerstones of Namibian conservation having been involved, since the inception, in the establishing of our communal conservancy programmes. From growing up in Katutura, during apartheid where there were no opportunities for a young black woman, to today being an award winning conservationist, who has made a huge impact in the lives of many Namibians. Maxi’s story is one of hope, of pride and of the power that every person has, to impact the world for good.

The Event Book is a powerful tool developed by NACSO's Natural Resources Working Group. It empowers game guards to keep track of wildlife in communal conservancies. The film shows how game guards with little formal education, but a strong knowledge of wildlife and the environment, are able to record and deal with human-wildlife conflict problems, poaching, and wildlife movement. Conservancy staff also explain why trophy hunting is an essential conservation strategy.

A lion takes a farmer's cattle. A farmer loses his maize crop to elephants, and a man is attacked by a marauding hippo. Communal conservancies in Namibia's Zambezi Region deal with these issues every day. Conservancy game guards advise farmers on prevention measures, and conservancies try to assist farmers with conservation. The aim is to keep wildlife on the land. 

Interviews with members of the public on 'Keeping Namibia's Wildlife', recorded at the Tourism Expo 2016

Thikundja Ndando is a Khwe San elder living in Bwabwata National Park, in Namibia. For the Khwe San, hunting is a traditional way of life, and essential for nutrition. He protests at efforts in the European Union to ban hunting.

Uakatara Tjijombo is an ethnic Himba living in Mbombo Masitu Conservancy in Kunene, Namibia's arid north-west. His people have a deep respect for wildlife.

Lucky Kasaona is Chief of a large area in Kunene, Namibia's arid north west. He explains that trophy hunting pays for conservation, and without it people would revert to poaching.

Chief Lucky Kasaona explains that people in Namibian conservancies suffer from lions and elephants and need compensation.

Martha Humu wants rural Namibians to have control over their wildlife and to benefit from hunting. The meat is used for the elderly.

We met Martin at a community conservancy in Northern Namibia.
When he was younger, he and his family were (controversially) relocated to make way for the conservancy. Today, it is part of a network of community-owned conservation areas where local people control at least some of the revenue derived from tourism and trophy hunting.
Almost 20 years later, Martin is an experienced local game ranger; patrolling the area on his tiny bicycle. Martin's wide smile, gentle disposition, and big hands, made him a favourite of ours. Here is his story.

Chief Mayuni is a conservationist and Chief of the Mafwe people. He explains to IRDNC why trophy hunting is an essential conservation tool.

“If I can do it, you can do it,” says Steve, NACSO’s communications officer, who regularly cycles the 21 km route through the mountains to work in Namibia’s capital Windhoek. The ride was filmed for Earth Hour.

Elephants are the focus of this short documentary, first coming into conflict with a maize farmer in Zambezi Region, who is given assistance by conservation NGO IRDNC. The film shows that elephants are an important tourist draw, bringing benefits to communities, but that they need space to move between countries in the KAZA conservation area. Conservation is shown to rest on two pillars, tourism and trophy hunting.

Chief Tsamkxao ≠Oma of the Ju/’hoansi San features in this short film dedicated to Namibia's conservation model. The Chief believes in the old ways. The San have always hunted for meat, and hunting forms part of their modern, sustainable development in Nyae Nyae Conservancy.

Tourists are shown enjoying the unique landscapes and wildlife viewing experience that Kunene offers.

IRDNC Director John Kasaona, WWF in Namibia Director Chris Weaver, NACSO Director Maxi Louis, conservationist Garth Owen-Smith and former Minister of Environment and Tourism Nandi Ndaitwah talk about the value of the CBNRM programme to communities and to conservation, against a backdrop of landscape and wildlife photography.

REI adventure travel company praises Namibian conservation and awards its sustainable tourism grant to Namibia, providing equipment for game guards

Farmer Janjie Rheyn in Kunene loses livestock to lions, but he is prepared to live with wildlife for the sake of conservation. Lion researcher Flip Stander is shown tracking lions and IRDNC Director John Kasaona talks about conservation.