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Saving chimps + Odzala safari romance + epic wildlife photo gallery
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From our CEO – Simon Espley
She said yes! One of our guests just got engaged while on safari in the intoxicating forests of Congo-Brazzaville – sending my team into raptures.
The privately shared video taken by him as he dropped to his knee and fumbled his words had me hanging on with bated breath, and her reaction was priceless. Dropping her water bottle with a loud clunk, she stammered her acceptance …
That they were on the elevated wooden platform of their tented suite in Odzala-Kokoua National Park at the time made the moment even more special. How epic to share that special moment in such a remote location, with that gorgeous forest backdrop? And, after several sightings of western lowland gorillas, forest elephants and forest buffalo!
One of the group had this to say when I asked for her favourite moment:
“Hard to choose, it was such a great trip! My favourites: The spotted hyena with its kill on the road that surprised us when driving to Moba. Hearing chimpanzees at Moba Beach‘s mirador while having a freshly made omelette and potato pancake… it felt very luxurious at this beautifully remote place. The baby gorilla taking cover in its mum‘s arms during the rain. Sunbirds and crocodiles. The rain forest hikes, boat trips and the swim in the Lokoue River.”
Meanwhile, we are crafting our portfolio of Bush & Beach safari ideas for 2026 – anybody fancy some toes-in-the-sand time to wash off the dust of your bushveld safari? While you are there, put aside precious time to search for whale sharks, manta rays and dugongs.
Safari njema, good people, and keep the passion!
Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic
Click below to listen to this editorial
From our Editor – Taryn van Jaarsveld
Verreaux’s sifaka – the sideways-hopping lemur known for its dance moves – has just been named on the World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates list. This is an urgent wake-up call for forests too often overlooked.
The charismatic lemur’s home – Madagascar’s dry forests – are also home to baobabs, rare birds and many other unique lemurs. But they are vanishing under the weight of farming, fires, logging, and hunger-driven bushmeat hunting. The Ankoatsifaka Initiative for Dry Forests, a coalition of NGOs, scientists, and government voices, are determined to flip the script. By rallying behind the sifaka, they aim to boost patrols, support communities, and safeguard a landscape vital for both people and wildlife. The sifaka’s role as a seed disperser makes it a builder of forests and futures. If the “dancing lemur” can capture global imagination, Madagascar’s dry forests might just step into the spotlight where they belong – bringing much needed awareness to their plight.
This week, we bring you a visual feast and a fight for the future: 10 years of Remembering Wildlife photography, and Tacaguma Chimpanzee Sanctuary’s frontline battle to save chimps in Sierra Leone.
Did you know? Your African safari choice makes a difference
We donate a portion of the revenue from every safari sold to carefully selected conservation projects that make a significant difference at ground level. YOUR African safari choice does make a difference – thank you!
Our stories this week
WILDLIFE PHOTOS
Discover 10 years of Remembering Wildlife: world-class photography driving conservation and protecting endangered species
SAVING CHIMPS
Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary leads Sierra Leone’s fight for chimp conservation – an inspiring story shaping the future
Travel Desk – 2 African safari ideas
Cape Town | Greater Kruger | Victoria Falls – 11 days – from ZAR136,365pps
Expect to be romanced, seduced and awed by three prime locations and effortless luxury. This exquisitely crafted 11-day luxury journey through Southern Africa combines the vibrant culture and scenic beauty of Cape Town and its renowned Winelands, with the unparalleled Big Five safari experience of the Greater Kruger and the iconic Victoria Falls – The Smoke That Thunders.
Botswana wildlife safari & Victoria Falls – 9 days – from US$5,560pps
This iconic safari combines the wildlife riches of Khwai in the eastern reaches of the Okavango Delta, and Chobe National Park in Botswana, with the awe-inspiring majesty of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. First, you’ll visit Khwai to get your predator fix, then move on to Chobe to witness massive herds of elephants and other wildlife along the banks of the Chobe River. Last but not least, the grand finale: witnessing the mighty Zambezi River plunging into the misty gorges below at iconic Victoria Falls.
Still dreaming of the ultimate African safari escape? Browse our safaris ideas here. Or click here to plan your safari.
Spots on the line: A leopard’s journey
Has a long-lost leopard been spotted? The leopard known as the “Lion Pan male” was once a familiar sight in Kapama Game Reserve in Limpopo, South Africa. But he mysteriously vanished in April 2024. For more than a year, his fate was unknown.
But the Ingwe Research Program, which is on a mission to save the leopards of Hoedspruit, has just confirmed his presence in Makalali Game Reserve. This, after they received new images from Siyafunda (a wildlife conservation and community development organisation in Makalali). Ingwe’s researchers used AI to sift through the more than 14,000 photos in minutes, and were able to confirm the sighting. The Lion Pan male had resurfaced, an astonishing 57km away from his original home range – the longest recorded dispersal in the program’s history.
This milestone highlights both the power of AI and the reach of the Ingwe network, which now includes over 45 partner lodges and reserves working together to monitor and conserve leopard populations. Each data point expands our understanding of leopard ecology, survival, and movement across fragmented landscapes.
You can support Ingwe’s work by joining our Spots on the Line campaign, and help to secure a future for Africa’s most elusive big cats.
WATCH – AFRICAN SAFARI INSPIRATION:
In honour of the life and work of the late, great Jane Goodall: See how the zoologist, primatologist and chimpanzee expert’s passion for wildlife and unshakable drive have persevered and set an example for future generations. (01:28:49) Click here to watch
Cover photo: Forged in the fires of creation. A white rhino mother and calf return to a nearby waterhole just before sunset, after resting in the heat of the day. Botswana. © James Gifford
Photographer of the Year 2021 Runner-up
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