AfriCat Aardvark Research Project

AfriCat's Aardvark Research Project 

 Covid 19 impact - with no tourism in Namibia and therefore no guests staying at Okonjima there is no income for the work of the AfriCat Foundation. This has necessitated a curtailment in some aspects of the research work undertaken as without money for salaries, fuel, and equipment it’s hard to run a full programme. To save costs the project suspended, and the ear tags removed from the study animals. Any kind donations will be put towards the project when it resumes or may be used to support related research work at Okonjima.

The aardvark is a very interesting nocturnal animal living in sub Saharan Africa. Not often seen, even by those living and working in the African bush. They live in borrows and eats ants and termites. An aardvark has a large tail a bit like a kangaroo, a nose a bit like a pig with kind of rabbit ears and is about the size of a badger.  The aardvark is an ecosystem engineer making it a keystone species. Without the borrows dug by aardvarks many other species would struggle as they take over the borrows and the termite/ant populations would get out of control. The worrying thing is that aardvarks are having a tough time in drought conditions and droughts are increasing due to the impact of our changing climate. A new study was due to be getting underway at Okonjima the home of the AfriCat Foundation in Namibia to look at the how the aardvark is adapting to cope with changing weather patterns, but has to be scaled back due to the current siutation. It is hoped that such studies will help with ideas for how to support the aardvarks in the wild. Interesting and challenging work being in the African bush at night with other predators out looking for their dinner too!