Seen on the banks of the Hoanib River...

For those wondering what Prince William did during his fleeting visit to Namibia, here are some of the highlights from his field expedition. Travelling with Charlie Mayhew, CEO of Tusk Trust, he and his party flew north-west from Windhoek to the Hoanib River for an evening at Natural Selection’s newly opened Hoanib Valley Camp.

A dinner with leading local conservationists followed. Guests included IRDNC board members Garth Owen-Smith, Dr Margie Jacobsohn, plus IRDNC’s Executive Director John K Kasaona, Simson Uri-Khob, CEO of SRT, Boas Hambo, Field co-ordinator of the Conservancy Rhino Rangers, Chief Lucky Kasaona, also of IRDNC, and giraffe researchers Julian and Stephanie Fennessy of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation. Charlie Mayhew and Sarah Watson of Tusk Trust completed the table.

Following the well publicised 5 am rhino tracking with SRT, the conservancy rhino rangers and an IRDNC tracking team, the royal party met more than 40 rural Namibians under shade trees on the banks of the Hoanib River to learn about a new African version of a park – the Mbonde People’s Park. After meeting Kunene’s new Governor – the Honorable Marius Sheya - the prince held discussions with members of two conservancies, Ehirovipuka and Omatendeka who have been working towards formation of this special people’s park which takes in their 1100 square km core wildlife areas – with a task force that includes IRDNC and the Kunene Regional Communal Conservancy Association, as well as the Ministry of Environment and Tourism. Tusk Trust has been supporting the initiative with funding.

John Kasaona facilitated the discussions with traditional leaders and representatives from both conservancies, Sesfontein Conservancy, four members of the conservancies’ Women for Conservation movement, the Kunene Regional Communal Conservancy Association and IRDNC. Boas Hambo represented the Conservancy Rhino Rangers who have added considerable heft to Namibia’s rhino anti-poaching efforts on communal land.

While the gathering was waiting for the royal party to arrive from their rhino tracking, the famous desert elephants strolled past the meeting place, one of them investigating the line of parked vehicles at close quarters. At least 30-plus cell phones captured the moments - a small compensation as the gathering had been asked not to take any selfies with the prince!

After a relaxed hour and a half of talking and asking questions – including engaging with a three-year- old girl who was wearing a pink Be a Princess t-shirt, reminding him, he said, of his daughter Charlotte, Prince William posed for some photographs. Then he and his party were whisked away in three Land Rovers, specially loaned for the occasion, to catch their private charter back to Windhoek, and to Tanzania.

Conservancy-owned safari company – Conservancy Safaris Namibia – provided the overflow camp for those who could not fit into the small Natural Selection camp, and ensured the large group of conservationists who helped organize aspects of the royal visit and community gathering were accommodated and fed.