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Best pics + super tuskers + hope for painted wolves
Taps the mic …
Last week was a HAPPY WEEK for our fledgling travel & conservation club. We paid out our first round of conservation project donations to the lucky recipients. This is the humble beginning of what we hope will become a steady stream of vital funding from YOU, our club members, to those carefully selected projects. Thanks SO MUCH for those once-off donations and monthly pledges – no matter how modest. We forward the entire amount received from you to the projects, the only deductions being bank/platform fees. This is only the beginning, ladies and gents – please support us in our mission to increase our combined positive impact on the ground – in Africa. Join the club to contribute via constructive discussions, donate to projects, and go on safari at carefully selected camps & lodges.
These past few weeks, your teamAG has been green with ENVY at the daily updates from our safari guru Christian Boix as he trawled Tsavo and Amboseli in Kenya for super tuskers, predators, aardvarks and those amazing eye-level hippos in the crystal clear water of Mzima Springs – amongst other epic encounters. Christian is mostly desk-bound for his role as our safari director, but now and then, we set him free to host long-standing safari clients – a task he relishes. On this occasion, he accompanied regular safari client Roger Whittle. Roger has a LIFE LIST, and each year he ticks off a few more epic encounters with us. Be like Roger 😉
Keep the passion
Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic
From our Editor
Pleased to meet you, AG tribe. I’m your new editor.
A few weeks into this summer’s heavy rains in the South African Highveld, I witnessed a spectacle in the sleepy town of Heidelberg, Gauteng. Hundreds of ever-patient giant bullfrogs emerged in an unremarkable field alongside a cigarette factory after five years underground. Scientists don’t know how the bullfrogs know that a particular puddle will last the 24 days required for tadpole metamorphosis – yet when the rains come, they rise from slumber en masse, competing aggressively for breeding rights.
Not long after the spectacle, my own patience was rewarded. It feels surreal introducing myself to you as the new AG editor, as a long-time follower of the brand that has inspired my wanderlust, driven my intrigue for conservation, and affirmed my love for this wild continent.
Our three stories below will activate your own wanderlust – from Christian’s travels, to wild dogs, and our first epic selection of Photographer of the Year 2022 photos.
I can’t wait to lead you to rare experiences, inspire you to get your feet on the ground, and to celebrate Africa with you.
From our Scientific Editor
“It takes a village to raise a child” – a saying generally attributed to African origins. I’ve been trying to devise a suitable conservation equivalent because a similar theme applies. The back-breaking process of protecting a species (or wild space) is a collective one. Cooperation and knowledge-sharing are vital if we are to gain an overall perspective of the survival prospects of any one animal.
This is precisely the approach followed by the conservationists at the Painted Wolf Foundation. They have compiled a comprehensive review of the state of painted wolves across the continent and devised a plan to secure their future. Read all about it in our second story below.
Next week, Dianne Skinner of the Painted Wolf Foundation will be one of the many experts presenting their experiences in saving these charismatic carnivores. The African Wild Dogs United Virtual Conference will run from the 14th to the 18th of February, and the not-to-be-missed programme features the biggest names in painted wolf conservation. For more information on how to purchase tickets, have a look at this post on our club forum.
Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/time-with-super-tuskers/
SUPER TUSKERS
Searching for super tuskers? We spotted three legendary elephants in one safari trip – here’s how
Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/hope-for-african-wild-dogs-new-report/
PAINTED WOLVES
Could we double African wild dog numbers by 2050? With funding, collaboration and recovered territory, it’s possible
Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2022-weekly-selection-week-1/
BEST PHOTOS
The first weekly selection of entries for Photographer of the Year 2022 is here! Cash prizes of US$10,000 and a Botswana safari are up for grabs.
TRAVEL DESK UPDATES:
CEO’s choice: SPECIAL OFFER – A small window has opened to enjoy a 6-day fully catered mobile safari to Moremi and Khwai in Botswana for the crazy price of US$2,215 per person sharing. This glamping safari runs in late April, and there are 4 spaces left at this price.
• See the safari details here: Moremi Magic
• Watch a video about mobile safaris in Botswana
• Read this travelogue by our CEO about his time on this safari
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