Wilderness’s luxury tented camp Desert Rhino Camp in Namibia's vast Palmwag Concession in Damaraland, will close on December 7 to undergo an extensive rebuild.

The reconstruction will enhance guests' safari experience in the unique Namib Desert landscape. The camp, which is expected to reopen in July, was built in 2003, with eight Meru-style tents and has been an enduring favourite among Wilderness guests.

Alex Henderson, Wilderness Namibia MD, said: "Now, 20 years in, we are excited to rebuild the camp, and to offer a spectacular new design that will blend as seamlessly as possible into the magnificent desert landscape and environment; telling the unique story of the rhino, while in every way enhancing our guests’ comfort and experience.

Protection and preservation of wildlife

"Everything we do at Desert Rhino revolves around the Black rhino. It’s why we’re here: to defend, preserve, and expand to help the resilient desert-adapted wildlife that survive in this arid environment.

“This camp, where it started, what it stands for, and our pioneering conservation coalition with Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) and the three conservancies, will continue to captivate and inspire all who are privileged to visit. We look forward to welcoming our guests to the stunningly reimagined new camp in 2024,” said Henderson.

The camp serves as a base for one of SRT’s tracking teams, with the operational costs covered by Wilderness. SRT is responsible for leading all the rangers’ activities, while ensuring all data is collected, processed and secured. In addition to contributing towards the largest, longest-running Black rhino database in the world, the partnership has also enabled SRT to successfully increase its range by 20%.