Conservation and Tourism

The Early Days

by Peter Bridgeford

474 p. • colour photos • 2026 • ISBN 978-99945-3-250-6 • 170 x 240 mm • Namibia Scientific Society/Kuiseb Publishers

Take a look at the history of conservation and tourism in Namibia from its early beginnings! Read stories and anecdotes from the people who helped establish nature reserves, national parks, and resorts throughout the country.
The first game warden to live in Etosha was appointed in 1952. He was Dieter Aschenborn, who was joined the following year by biologist Bernabé de la Bat, who became the first director of the Nature Conservation and Tourism Division, as it was then known. From these humble beginnings, an administration was developed that established world-class game reserves and tourism facilities in Namibia.
This book captures some of the history, adventures, and highlights of the people who started it all under difficult circumstances. Despite their limited resources, the early rangers and tourist officers were a hardy breed and developed facilities all over the country. These include Etosha National Park, the Namib Desert Park, which grew to become the Namib-Naukluft Park – the largest park in Namibia – as well as the reserves and parks in the Caprivi Region, now known as the Zambezi Region. Today, there are reserves and tourist facilities spanning the country from east to west and north to south. Swakopmund began developing tourist facilities as early as 1940, and campsites were built along the coast in the early seventies.
This book provides a behind-the-scenes look at the biographies of the men and women who helped to create these facilities from day one. Many of them are no longer with us, but we have captured some of their untold stories and gathered others from books and magazines.
If you are interested in Namibia’s history, you will enjoy these unique stories about its people and places.