The area around Aus is well-known for several things - the occasional snow on the Aus mountain range in Winter, the beautiful wild flowers that appear in Spring, wide open desert landscapes and stunning sunsets, and the legendary desert horses that roam the Namib desert.
Aus itself became established in 1915, as a prisoner-of-war camp following the surrender of the German troops to South African forces. The hot days and cold nights made living in POW tents unbearable, and the prisoners set about making their own bricks and building their own houses.
By the end of 1916, all 1,500 prisoners were living in their own houses - and were even selling their bricks to their South African guards!
Following the Treaty of Versailles at the end of the First World War, the prisoners were gradually released, and the camp closed in 1919. Unfortunately, little remains of this enterprising area now apart from a few crumbling walls.
The Desert Horses of the Namib
There are approximately 170 wild horses living wild in the Namib Desert.
There are many theories as to how the horses came to be here. The most likely one is that they are the descendants of the horses which were left behind when the German troops fled the area in 1915.
The number fluctuates depending on the grazing conditions. After the rains, tiny green shoots sprout up through the desert floor, providing nourishment for the horses to help sustain them during the next long dry period.
Family Structures
The horses live in groups consisting of a lead stallion and his harem of mares. Unusually, the stallion will allow other males to live alongside the group, as long as a respectable distance is kept.
It is not uncommon to find small bachelor groups, normally consisting of just 2 stallions together. These males will either be too young to contest for their own harem, or will be older horses, having been chased out of their harem by a younger contestant.
The horses can survive for several days without the need to drink.
Viewing the Horses
The closest visitors can get to the horses, unless they take an exclusive guided tour into the desert, is at the horses' only permanent water supply from the bore hole which has been installed at Garub.
Here, a small wooden hide has been erected where visitors can watch the horses when they come to drink.
