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Where gorillas meet leopards
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From our CEO – Simon Espley
Exciting news: A NEW GORILLA ENCOUNTER is coming
We received thrilling news this week. The painstaking habituation of the Kassa family of western lowland gorillas in Odzala-Kokoua National Park (Congo-Brazzaville) is nearing completion. If all goes according to plan, we expect to welcome the first Africa Geographic and Ukuri guests to spend time with this gorilla family during 2027.
The 3½-year habituation process has followed strict, internationally proven protocols, ensuring that these extraordinary encounters are conducted with the utmost respect for the gorillas. One of my team members will visit the Kassa family in a few months, accompanying a small group of invited travel professionals as they experience this conservation milestone.
I often say that the existing gorilla experience in northern Odzala-Kokoua, near Camp Imbalanga, is the finest in the world. You sit quietly in an elevated treehouse overlooking a forest clearing, waiting for the gorillas to emerge from the rainforest. There are no masks, permits, strenuous hikes, or one-hour time limits, and you get to see as many gorillas as appear during your vigil. And while you wait for these fellow great apes to arrive, the forest delivers pure magic. Forest buffalo, forest elephants, bongos and even leopards may step silently into view. One of our guests was privileged to watch a gorilla family and a leopard in the same clearing at the same time! Add the spectacular birdlife, and you have what remains, for me, the most inspiring safari experience in Africa.
Now imagine complementing that unforgettable treehouse encounter with a guided trek to meet the newly habituated Kassa family in their rainforest home. It promises to be one of Africa’s most extraordinary wildlife experiences.
We have a waiting list for travellers who would like to be among the first to experience this pioneering conservation success. We will confirm the exact timing for 2027 once the habituation process is complete.
Congo-Brazzaville is a safe, welcoming destination, and the feedback from our Africa Geographic and Ukuri guests has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. For those who dream of immersing themselves in one of Earth’s last great wildernesses, this ancient rainforest has a way of exceeding every expectation.
Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic
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From our Editor – Taryn van Jaarsveld
And more good news, this time from Mozambique. The country has released the results of its latest national wildlife census, estimating more than 22,700 elephants and reporting a dramatic decline in elephant carcasses since the previous survey. These findings point to a reduction in large-scale poaching and reflect years of investment in law enforcement, protected areas and cross-border conservation. The census also recorded encouraging signs for other large mammals, including buffalo, giraffe, zebra and hippo. Challenges remain, particularly where people and wildlife increasingly share the same landscapes, but these results show that sustained conservation efforts are making a difference.
This week, we also explore new research showing that safari guides and vehicle behaviour can influence elephants more than fixed viewing distances alone. And for those planning their next adventure, we journey along eight iconic African rivers, discovering the waterways that shape some of the continent’s most extraordinary safari experiences.
Did you know?
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 safari choice does make a difference – thank you!
Our stories this week
8 AFRICAN RIVERS
Discover eight African river safaris, featuring classic safari destinations, wildlife spectacles and iconic waterways. Part 1 of our African Rivers series.
ELEPHANTS AND GUIDES
A new study finds that safari guides and vehicle approach influence elephant behaviour, suggesting behaviour-based viewing may outperform fixed-distance limits.
Travel Desk – 2 African safari ideas
Botswana family adventure – 7 days
Experience Botswana’s legendary wildlife on a family safari designed to inspire the next generation of explorers. From mokoro excursions and game drives to child-friendly bush activities, dedicated safari heroes create unforgettable adventures across the Okavango Delta, Moremi and Savute.
Lowland gorilla watching in Odzala-Kokoua NP – 8 days
Western lowland gorillas, forest elephants and one of Africa’s most extraordinary rainforest safaris. Discover one of Africa’s last great wildernesses in Odzala-Kokoua National Park, where western lowland gorillas, forest elephants, bongos, forest buffalo and other elusive rainforest species thrive. View wildlife-rich forest clearings from elevated treehouses and experience an unforgettable safari in the heart of Congo-Brazzaville.
Still dreaming of the ultimate African safari escape? Browse our safari ideas here. Or click here to plan your safari.
JOIN OUR FILM PREMIERE
Would you like to be among the first to watch Spots on the Line – our new documentary? Join us on 19 August for the online premiere of Africa Geographic’s original documentary, following the Ingwe Research Program’s race to understand and reduce leopard road deaths in the Greater Kruger (you can check out the film trailer at the bottom of this newsletter).
More than a film, this is a chance to support the research that is helping make Africa’s roads safer for leopards and other wildlife. Every ticket sold contributes directly to Ingwe’s ongoing work, from identifying collision hotspots to developing practical conservation solutions.
Reserve your virtual seat, be part of the premiere, and help turn this story into lasting conservation impact. Tickets are also available for the in-person premiere, to be held in Hoedspruit, South Africa.
Buy your tickets here for either the virtual or in-person premiere, taking place on 19 August. Your ticket helps fund conservation where it matters most.
WATCH
Leopards are remarkably adaptable, but roads are becoming one of their greatest threats. Spots on the Line follows the Ingwe Research Program as it combines years of fieldwork, citizen science and AI to uncover how leopards move through the Greater Kruger landscape, identify deadly road-crossing hotspots and develop practical solutions to save lives. This powerful new Africa Geographic documentary reveals the science, the people and the hope behind one of South Africa’s most important leopard conservation initiatives. Join us on 19 August for the exclusive online premiere and be among the first to watch. (02:04) Click here to watch the trailer
Cover image: The mating game: a tense moment between two amorous leopards. Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana. © Kevin Dooley. Photographer of the Year 2023 runner-up.
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