Safarigoers travel to Damaraland in search of its legendary desert-adapted elephants and rhinos, but the region is also a treasure trove of prehistoric rock paintings and engravings

Damaraland is a loosely defined part of the Namibian interior north of Windhoek and inland of the Skeleton Coast. Like most of the country, it is very dry, but the landscape is dominated by craggy peaks such as the Brandberg and Spitzkoppe rather than the dunes associated with the Namib.

The region supports a fair amount of wildlife, including gemsbok, greater kudu, springbok, Hartmann's mountain zebra and dry-country bird species. It is best known, however, for being the last desert stronghold of the endangered black rhino, and for its several herds of desert-adapted elephants, both of which are likely to be seen only on a few exclusive ecotourism concessions allocated by the government to private operators.