The Namib Desert Park was proclaimed in 1907 as Game Reserve number 3 by German Governor Friedrich von Lindequist– initially as a buffer zone to restrict English sovereignty to Walvis Bay. The Naukluft section was created to serve as a sanctuary for Hartmann zebra, which are endemic to Namibia. The amalgamation of these two parks with state land was proclaimed as the Namib-Naukluft Park in 1979. The most significant change in boundaries occurred in 1986 when the old Diamond Area number 2 and a portion of Diamond Area number 1 were incorporated into the park. The rugged Naukluft Mountains rise steeply from the surrounding plains of the Namib desert and hide deep ravines, plunging gorges, crystal clear rock pools and a variety of game such as mountain zebras, antelopes and leopards. The hiking trails are great adventures. Namibia’s largest conservation area contains some of the country’s most iconic attractions, approximately an hours drive from the Naukluft Mountains. The most famous area in the park are the Sossusvlei dunes,in the heart of the Namib and the imposing canyon at Sesriem. The NamibRand Nature Reserve, located in southern Namibia, is a private nature reserve established to help protect and conserve the unique ecology and wildlife of the south-west Namib Desert. Conserving the pro-Namib, the area along the eastern edge of the Namib Desert, is critically important in order to facilitate seasonal migratory wildlife routes and to protect biodiversity. It is probably the largest private nature reserve in southern Africa, extending over an area of more than 200,000 ha. The Reserve shares a 100km border with the Namib-Naukluft National Park in the west and is bordered in the east by the imposing Nubib Mountains. Virtually all facets of the Namib Desert are represented on the Reserve – sand and gravel plains and stretches of savanna alternate with mountain ranges, inselbergs and vegetated dune belts.