robi
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- Feb 1, 2015
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- Hunted
- namibia, South Africa, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Polen, Romenia, Sweden, Belarus
Hunting is about tradition, gear, and a deep connection to nature. But have you ever wondered how our ancestors hunted before bows and rifles existed. How did they manage to take down the animals for food and survival. The story goes that it was a method called: persistence hunting – chasing the prey to exhaustion.
As a keen hunter and ultra runner this idea fascinated me, is persistent hunting a hoax or a lost art. As my obsession with persistence hunting expanded, I contacted several outfitters in South Africa and Namibia and inquired about it. Most outfitters did not reply, some mentioned they have heard the story, but did not organize it. One outfitter invited me to visit and discuss the idea. This discussion in 2021 resulted in our recent publication in the scientific Journal of Human Evolution which is the publication about the Human energy expenditure and thermo-regulation during persistence hunting in the Namib Dessert.
First attempt: The Kalahari
Our first attempt was in the Kalahari dessert at the end of the rainy season in February 2022. Two days we pursuit elands and the last day went for a wildebeest. As hunters do, we started in the morning, searched the area for a sole or small group of animals and started to approach them. The bushes made tracking difficult and offered the animals shade to cool down. Although we clearly slowed the animals, we could not close the distance. After several unsuccessful days, it seemed that persistence hunting might indeed be a myth.
Second attempt: the Namib desert
Convinced that we were close, we tried it again. This time in a more open landscape. Without the bushes, tracking was easier and the animals would be fully exposed to the sun. On the first day in the Namib Desert, we set out in the morning with two trackers and pursued springbok. By the time the sun reached its highest point, we had covered nearly 20 km in extreme heat. The springbok, however, showed no signs of exhaustion, while we were nearly worn out. We stopped to conserve energy for the days ahead.
On the second day, we shifted our focus to a larger animal: an Oryx. Once again, the morning was exhausting, covering many kilometers. Around midday, as temperatures peaked, we encountered two Oryx heading toward a waterhole. We began applying steady pressure.
After about 45 minutes, the first signs appeared—their pace slowed. That moment gave us the boost we needed. We kept pushing. After roughly two hours of running, one of the oryx collapsed. We approached calmly and, as hunters, could confidently spear the animal. That evening, we celebrated with a few beers.
Still, doubt remained. Had we proven persistence hunting—or had we simply been lucky?
Third attempt: proving the concept
To answer that question, we returned for a third attempt, this time joined by a team of independent observers—anthropologists from Charles University in Prague. They had previously published research on persistence hunting and were eager to study it in the field.
In November 2023, we hunted for three days in the Namib Desert. I expected that 60–75 km of running in blistering heat would be my physical limit. Our strategy changed: instead of starting early, we began the hunt when temperatures approached their peak—around 40°C (104°F). Ground temperatures rose to nearly 60°C (140°F).
I was equipped with scientific instruments measuring core temperature, water intake, sweat production, and more.
On the first day, the animals we followed were fast and eventually left the estate. Doubts returned. Perhaps our earlier success had been a fluke.
On the second day, we identified a single oryx and focused on keeping him within the area. When he first noticed us, he sprinted about 2.5 km. We followed. Each subsequent escape run became shorter. This pattern continued for over an hour.
At one point, while circling within a 250-meter area, the oryx suddenly reversed roles and charged. With his long horns pointed forward, my heart rate spiked, and I wished I had a rifle. A few meters in front of me, he veered off and mock-charged another ranger. At that moment, I knew we would win.
Thirty minutes later, the Oryx collapsed. We had our proof.
After two days of extreme heat and running, everything began to deteriorate. The soles of my running shoes looked like squeezed marshmallows. Despite this, we still had a third day scheduled.
On day three, it took longer to locate a suitable animal—many had already left the area. When we finally found one, the animal collapsed after about 1.5 hours of combined running and walking.
With two successful hunts out of three days, persistence hunting was no longer a theory. It is a lost art.
More Than Just a Myth
The data now shows persistent hunting is incredibly efficient:
Antelope are built for explosive speed; humans are built for endurance. Human evolution gave us furless skin and a high density of sweat glands, allowing us to cool our entire body efficiently.
Oryx, by contrast, rely mainly on panting. While running their guts slide up and down against the longs and dictate the breathing rhythm, making effective cooling difficult. During the pursuit, I maintained a stable core temperature of 39.2°C (102.6°F). The Oryx, however, overheated, reaching 44°C (111°F)—a full 5°C above its normal level.
Think of it this way: In the race of survival, the prey is like a high-performance sports car that can reach incredible speeds but its radiator is to small. The human is the rugged off-road diesel, slow, but equipped with a proper cooling system. This allows the diesel to keep running, while the sports car's needs to stop to let its engine cool down.
Journal of Human Evolution: Human energy expenditure and thermoregulation during persistence hunting in the Namib.
Documentary on Youtube:
As a keen hunter and ultra runner this idea fascinated me, is persistent hunting a hoax or a lost art. As my obsession with persistence hunting expanded, I contacted several outfitters in South Africa and Namibia and inquired about it. Most outfitters did not reply, some mentioned they have heard the story, but did not organize it. One outfitter invited me to visit and discuss the idea. This discussion in 2021 resulted in our recent publication in the scientific Journal of Human Evolution which is the publication about the Human energy expenditure and thermo-regulation during persistence hunting in the Namib Dessert.
First attempt: The Kalahari
Our first attempt was in the Kalahari dessert at the end of the rainy season in February 2022. Two days we pursuit elands and the last day went for a wildebeest. As hunters do, we started in the morning, searched the area for a sole or small group of animals and started to approach them. The bushes made tracking difficult and offered the animals shade to cool down. Although we clearly slowed the animals, we could not close the distance. After several unsuccessful days, it seemed that persistence hunting might indeed be a myth.
Second attempt: the Namib desert
Convinced that we were close, we tried it again. This time in a more open landscape. Without the bushes, tracking was easier and the animals would be fully exposed to the sun. On the first day in the Namib Desert, we set out in the morning with two trackers and pursued springbok. By the time the sun reached its highest point, we had covered nearly 20 km in extreme heat. The springbok, however, showed no signs of exhaustion, while we were nearly worn out. We stopped to conserve energy for the days ahead.
On the second day, we shifted our focus to a larger animal: an Oryx. Once again, the morning was exhausting, covering many kilometers. Around midday, as temperatures peaked, we encountered two Oryx heading toward a waterhole. We began applying steady pressure.
After about 45 minutes, the first signs appeared—their pace slowed. That moment gave us the boost we needed. We kept pushing. After roughly two hours of running, one of the oryx collapsed. We approached calmly and, as hunters, could confidently spear the animal. That evening, we celebrated with a few beers.
Still, doubt remained. Had we proven persistence hunting—or had we simply been lucky?
Third attempt: proving the concept
To answer that question, we returned for a third attempt, this time joined by a team of independent observers—anthropologists from Charles University in Prague. They had previously published research on persistence hunting and were eager to study it in the field.
In November 2023, we hunted for three days in the Namib Desert. I expected that 60–75 km of running in blistering heat would be my physical limit. Our strategy changed: instead of starting early, we began the hunt when temperatures approached their peak—around 40°C (104°F). Ground temperatures rose to nearly 60°C (140°F).
I was equipped with scientific instruments measuring core temperature, water intake, sweat production, and more.
On the first day, the animals we followed were fast and eventually left the estate. Doubts returned. Perhaps our earlier success had been a fluke.
On the second day, we identified a single oryx and focused on keeping him within the area. When he first noticed us, he sprinted about 2.5 km. We followed. Each subsequent escape run became shorter. This pattern continued for over an hour.
At one point, while circling within a 250-meter area, the oryx suddenly reversed roles and charged. With his long horns pointed forward, my heart rate spiked, and I wished I had a rifle. A few meters in front of me, he veered off and mock-charged another ranger. At that moment, I knew we would win.
Thirty minutes later, the Oryx collapsed. We had our proof.
After two days of extreme heat and running, everything began to deteriorate. The soles of my running shoes looked like squeezed marshmallows. Despite this, we still had a third day scheduled.
On day three, it took longer to locate a suitable animal—many had already left the area. When we finally found one, the animal collapsed after about 1.5 hours of combined running and walking.
With two successful hunts out of three days, persistence hunting was no longer a theory. It is a lost art.
More Than Just a Myth
The data now shows persistent hunting is incredibly efficient:
- High Energy Return: A 200 kg oryx yields approximately 200,000 calories, while the four hunters expended only about 20,000 calories. Such a high return strongly suggests that persistence hunting played a major role in human evolution.
- Not Just for Sprinters: You don't have to be an Olympic runner. Successful hunts required only about 31% running, with the remainder being walking and steady pressure.
- Robust Human Adaption: Even unacclimatized hunters were able to tolerate extreme thermal stress, highlighting how deeply embedded this ability is in human biology.
Antelope are built for explosive speed; humans are built for endurance. Human evolution gave us furless skin and a high density of sweat glands, allowing us to cool our entire body efficiently.
Oryx, by contrast, rely mainly on panting. While running their guts slide up and down against the longs and dictate the breathing rhythm, making effective cooling difficult. During the pursuit, I maintained a stable core temperature of 39.2°C (102.6°F). The Oryx, however, overheated, reaching 44°C (111°F)—a full 5°C above its normal level.
Think of it this way: In the race of survival, the prey is like a high-performance sports car that can reach incredible speeds but its radiator is to small. The human is the rugged off-road diesel, slow, but equipped with a proper cooling system. This allows the diesel to keep running, while the sports car's needs to stop to let its engine cool down.
Journal of Human Evolution: Human energy expenditure and thermoregulation during persistence hunting in the Namib.
Documentary on Youtube:
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