Kaokoland is this remote and inhospitable region that is now part of the Kunene Region. This includes the beautiful Himba people, rhinos, desert lions, and elephants.
It is home to the many amazing life forms that have developed survival mechanisms over time to be able to survive with the minimal water supply, like the hardy welwitschia and gemsbok.
It also includes breathtaking sights like Epupa Falls, where the crocodile-infested Kunene River flows over rugged rocks and lined with baobab trees, the enigmatic fairy circles, the wild expanses of the Marienfluss and Hartmann’s Valley, as well as a portion of the Namib Desert.
These are only a few items on the list of immeasurable wonders that this palace of gems holds.
But a new mystery has recently come about, one that adds to the atmosphere of this desert wilderness. We call this mystery The Lone Men of Kaokoland.
Made from the rock in the area, they blend in perfectly with their surroundings and appear to take on different poses and forms.
One of these figures sits peacefully on a hilltop, surveying the lands, another one – commonly referred to as the Dapper Stapper – travels across the plains, carrying a bundle on the end of a stick, like an old-time traveller. Another one appears to be deep in thought, while the other walks across the rugged land with a strong sense of purpose.
The sculptures have been seen along the road between Puros in the south, Van Zyl’s Pass in the east, Otjinungua in the north, and the Skeleton Coast Park in the west.
Several questions immediately spring to mind when one tries to figure out who made these stone figures and why, how many are there, and where are the others? But as with any intriguing mystery, no one really knows.
Exploring the great country to find the Lone Men statues has found its way onto their list of things to do, along with climbing Big Daddy at Sossusvlei, and taking a fun drive through Etosha.
As far as the locals are concerned, it is said that the Himba are completely composed by the appearance or presence of the stone figures.
— Innocentia Ranyaoa, Fizzin
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