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Final weekly selection + epic travel ideas + Uganda’s secret valley
Lizz and I were walking the dogs a few days ago when a group of rutting impala bachelors came skittering through the receding autumnal woodland. Some with clacking horns locked as they jostled on the go, others snorting and growling loudly with exuberant energy. We stood quietly, our dogs entranced, as two grappling gladiators hurtled towards us with locked horns, seemingly blind to the world – total dedication to the cause of natural selection. They shot past a few meters away and melted into the bushveld. Sharing silent smiles, we resumed our evening stroll.
Just a gentle reminder that your place in this limited-availability rhino conservation safari is waiting for you. This is a genuine conservation program – not a faux clipboard pantomime. Opportunities like this with responsible operators do not come around often; my advice if you would like to participate in a veterinary rhino program is to contact our safari experts via the prompts in the above link. Safari njema 🙂
Keep the passion
Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic
TRAVEL DESK UPDATES:
Have you been dreaming about looking deep into the eyes of a gorilla in the forests of Rwanda or wanting to play your part in rhino conservation in South Africa? Chat with our expert consultants for all your safari desires.
Gorilla trekking safari in Rwanda – 3days – From US$ 1,970pps
Rwanda’s world-famous Volcanoes National Park is renowned as one of the leading gorilla trekking destinations in Africa. This safari presents the perfect opportunity for intimate encounters with endangered mountain gorillas and enthralling sightings of endemic golden monkeys, flashy Rwenzori turacos and prehistoric-looking chameleons. Check out the link above for a detailed day-by-day itinerary of this life-changing adventure.
SADC rates available – please inquire from travel@africageographic.com
Rhino conservation safari – malaria-free- 4days – from R58,075 pps
Book 3 nights/4 days at Marataba Explorers or Founders Camp & take part in a rhino immobilization experience. Join the experts in Marataba Contractual National Park in the heart of the magnificent Waterberg as they go about darting, notching and collecting DNA from their precious charges. Spaces are limited for this exceptional seasonal experience, so don’t delay: browse the detailed itinerary above to find the dates that work for you.
From our Scientific Editor – Jamie Paterson
True to form, our photographers delivered en masse for our final weekly selection in the AG Photographer of the Year 2023 competition. The last rush of entries was so spectacular that we are able to treat you to a trilogy of galleries this week, each one telling a different, unique story of Africa.
It is a bittersweet moment for teamAG when entries close for the year, and I think I can speak for all of us when I say that looking through the snapshots is the highlight of our week. I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who shared their photographic artistry with us and – by extension – the rest of the world. Every one of you is appreciated.
And now, of course, comes the painstaking process of selecting our finalists, and I can assure you that this is no easy task. Keep an eye out in the following weeks as we whittle our way down to this year’s top images.
Finally, with its lush forests, gently rolling savannas and vibrant papyrus swamps, all beneath the looming shadow of the Rwenzori Mountains, Uganda’s Semliki Valley safari experience is unlike any other in Africa. Set in the heart of the Rift Valley, at the geological crossroad of Central and East Africa, it is the ideal destination for the consummate nature lover. You can read all about it in our final story of the week below.
Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2023-weekly-selection-week-13-gallery-1/
PHENOMENAL PHOTOGRAPHS 1
The first of three galleries featuring our final weekly selection – a smorgasbord of goosebump-eliciting photographs
Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2023-weekly-selection-week-13-gallery-2/
PHENOMENAL PHOTOGRAPHS 2
Revel in our second of three spectacular galleries and marvel at the skill (and occasional good fortune) of our entrants
Story 3
https://africageographic.com/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2023-weekly-selection-week-13-gallery-3/
PHENOMENAL PHOTOGRAPHS 3
An extra treat for you in the form of our third and final weekly selection gallery, where every image is as mind-blowing as the last
Story 4
https://africageographic.com/stories/semliki-valley/
SEMLIKI VALLEY
Semliki Valley is a land of extraordinary wild beauty, dense forest, vast savannah and magical hot springs – and Uganda’s best kept secret
In our forum this week
Kate Church from African Wildlife Vets (AWV) discusses snaring – one of the greatest threats to wildlife across Africa. She commends those working hard to remove snares found in protected spaces and praises the conservation teams that dedicate their time to saving and treating snare victims.
Join the discussion and support these dedicated teams by donating to the AWV emergency fund.
WATCH: Twenty years of drought – and then the floodwaters returned to Botswana’s Boteti River (49:32). Click here to watch
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