The Namib Desert formed around 55 million years ago. Spanning over 80,000 kilometers, it’s a bizarre domain, where Middle-earth meets Mars in a wild array of habitats. Its scale provides an unparalleled stage to witness the daily life-and-death dramas of desert wildlife. On the rim of the Fish River Canyon, second only to the Grand Canyon in size, breathtaking vistas paint a portrait of a seemingly endless expanse. Sheer cliffs and jagged rocky outcrops—the color of dried blood—drop hundreds of meters. Loose rocks tumble out of view, only to be heard smashing into the valley below.