Namib Desert, Southwestern Africa
Life in the desert
Throughout this vast and unforgiving landscape, a number of animals and plants have adapted to life here, including the mountain zebra (Equus zebra), gemsbok (Oryx Gazella), short-eared elephant shrew (Macroscelides proboscideus), Grant's golden mole (Eremitalpa granti), Karoo bustard (Eupodotis vigorsii) and Peringuey's adder (Bitis peringueyi).
There is also an extraordinary diversity of succulent plants, as well as the shrub-like Welwitschia mirabilis, which has only 2 leaves and can live for over 1,000 years!
Although large parts of this desert region are protected, it still faces threats from unsustainable land practices, mining and illegal plant harvesting.
One unique way of protecting Namibia's biodiversity has been through the WWF-supported conservancy movement, which gives local communities responsibility and right of ownership over their natural resources and wildlife. Any profit generated by the conservancy's activities - guide services, eco-tourist facilities or controlled hunting - is invested back into the community.
Although not a different species or subspecies than other African elephants, they have larger feet, making it easier to walk through sand, and often live in smaller herds, which puts less pressure on their food and water sources.