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(photo by Elizabeth Eldridge)
Solitude in Sossusvlei
Ostriches can be found throughout the continent of Africa. There are two species of Ostrich. The common Ostrich, native to almost every country in the sub-region, and the Somali Ostrich, found in Somalia.
Although the vast desert may seem desolate, it was a great wonder to see a lone gigantic male Ostrich roaming the vast emptiness of the desert landscape. Ostriches are usually found in flocks, with a mix of males and females. In the early hours of the day, I spotted this bird strolling unabated in the deep end of the Namib desert.
Ostriches are predominantly vegetarian, and the Sossusvlei area is devoid of plants, succulents and tubers, so my guests and I least expected to see this lonesome bird. However, having adapted to living in the desert where its main food source is not readily available, Ostrich have now become omnivorous. Their diet is now inclusive of insects, lizards, grasshoppers as well as rodents, and having a specialized stomach helps them digest anything they find in their habitat.
In what is referred to as “mechanisms of survival in the desert”, the ostrich seems to have mastered the art of living in an arid area like the Namib desert. Without much threat posed by its natural predators such as the cheetahs, lions, leopards and other predators, their chances of survival are much higher in the desert than living in an area with a rich eco-system. It therefore makes sense that the ostrich can now call this miraculous home.