The Enigmatic Origin of the Wild Horses of the Namib Desert, the Most Isolated in the World

Among Africa’s characteristic and diverse fauna, the genus Equus—which includes zebras, donkeys, and horses—stands out for its rarity. However, the latter is not truly native, at least not in sub-Saharan Africa; it was introduced by humans at different times depending on the location. In Ethiopia, where half of the continent’s equine population is concentrated, there are the so-called Kundudo horses, which are believed to descend from Abyssinian horses that were set free in the 16th century. And in the Namib Desert, a herd of wild horses lives whose origin is also uncertain, though genetic analyses suggest they descend from two abandoned groups once owned by German settlers.

One of these groups belonged to Hans Heinrich von Wolf, a former member of the Schutztruppe (the colonial army of the German Empire), who in 1909 purchased large tracts of land and established a vast farm, of which only the Duwisib Castle remains today. We dedicated an article to this structure. When World War I broke out, Wolf returned to his country to fight and died on the Somme front.

His widow never wished to return to Namibia, and the farm was abandoned, including the nearly three hundred horses bred there to supply law enforcement forces. It is believed that these animals were the ancestors of the majority of the herd that now inhabits the Garub area, on the edge of the desert.

Namib desert horses origin — Map of Namib-Naukluft National Park, where the horses live. Credit: NordNordWest / Wikimedia Commons

We say the majority because, despite their phenotypic similarity, a genetic analysis conducted in 2001 did not confirm this theory, though other hypotheses must also be considered. One theory suggests that a cargo ship transporting a load of thoroughbreds to Australia sank near the mouth of the Orange River, and some horses managed to reach the coast. Another theory points to a crossbreeding between Boerperds (Boer or Cape horses, now extinct) and Basuto ponies (probably the same breed but retaining its small original size), brought by Khoikhoi invaders (formerly known as Hottentots) from the south.

It is likely that all these hypotheses contain some truth and that the Namib Desert horses are the result of interbreeding. What is clear is that they do not appear to descend from workhorses—at least not rural ones—but rather military or breeding horses.

In this regard, a 2005 study links the Namibian horse to a livestock operation developed near Kubub by Emil Krepin, a former mayor of Lüderitz, in the second decade of the 20th century. These horses have a very similar appearance. It is also known that in 1915, after a German air raid on Garub, nearly two thousand South African horses escaped, possibly joining those from Kubub at natural mountain watering holes.

The discovery of diamond mines near Kolmanskuppe in 1908 led German colonial authorities to establish two large restricted areas to keep people away. This helped the original herd grow and ensured its survival for nearly eighty years. As a result, the horses could only be spotted from the air when an aircraft flew over the area. They lived relatively undisturbed, with grazing lands reserved exclusively for them, as mining activities took precedence over livestock farming. This also contributed to homogenizing their appearance.

What is this distinctive phenotype? Athletic and muscular, as befits riding horses, they stand between 145 and 160 centimeters tall. All are chestnut-colored, though some are black or have dorsal stripes, but they lack the gray gene. Their physical condition is excellent, especially among males; they show no signs of equine diseases and have a low parasite load.

They have adapted to the arid desert environment, going long periods without drinking water—thirty hours in summer and up to seventy-two in winter—because they have developed a certain ability to retain water, which helps them better withstand dehydration.

These horses inhabit a region north of the desert, from the Koichab River to the Great Escarpment (the steep slopes of the vast plateau that extends from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean, forming a natural border with South Africa). They do not stay together but form smaller groups, sometimes of young males, sometimes of families, moving across the area in search of grazing lands and water while avoiding seasonal insects. The average size of their territories exceeds thirty square kilometers, and they travel about twenty kilometers daily, which naturally weeds out the weaker individuals.

These weaker horses, along with foals, are also preyed upon by carnivorous predators, which compensate for the scarcity of their natural prey (such as antelope and oryx). They are hunted by leopards and jackals but primarily by spotted hyenas. This threat led to proposals to relocate the horses to protect them, though in the end, the hyenas were the ones moved.

This episode illustrates the scientific interest they have garnered, as they represent one of the most isolated equine populations in the world, with low genetic variation. This poses a problem, as maintaining genetic diversity requires a minimum of two hundred individuals. Currently, there are fewer than that, and the area they occupy could not support a larger population.

Competing for grazing lands with domestic livestock, the horses nearly went extinct and were saved through human intervention by providing them with water. However, by the second half of the 20th century, their numbers had dwindled to just one hundred or one hundred fifty, and they did not begin to recover until 1986, when their habitat was incorporated into Namib-Naukluft National Park. By the 1990s, their numbers had surpassed two hundred fifty, leading to periodic culling to manage their population.

Then, another threat emerged: the proposal to eradicate them as an invasive species disrupting the environmental balance and posing a threat to the oryx. This was supported by local livestock farmers concerned about grazing competition.

Tourism came to their aid, as they became a major attraction of the park. Their movements are now restricted to certain grazing areas to reduce conflicts. However, their population has once again declined alarmingly: by the end of 2018, only eighty individuals remained, bringing back fears of extinction. This led to another intervention by the Ministry of Environment and the Namibia Wild Horses Foundation. As a result, by early 2020, the population had grown to eighty-six horses, and it is now estimated to be between two hundred and three hundred. For now, there are still wild horses in Namibia.

This article was first published on our Spanish Edition on March 28, 2025: El enigmático origen de los caballos salvajes del desierto de Namibia, los más aislados del mundo