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Raw Africa in Zakouma, Chad + Sua Pan’s 500K flamingos
Would you use Artificial intelligence (AI) exclusively to plan a safari? Please let me know – this is a fascinating topic.
We all know that most online services are managed by software and that it’s almost impossible to get in touch with a human being when you need one. I remember when that problem only related to social media platforms, where support services have always been vacuous human-free zones – but now, most large companies have gone the same route. Will MOST of the safari planning industry also go that way? Yes, it most certainly will. Is this a good thing when planning experience-rich safaris, which requires deep personal knowledge and awareness of what’s happening in Africa right now? No, it’s not. Brace yourself for a proliferation of software-driven travel businesses scraping content from respected websites such as ours and offering homogenous itineraries devoid of character and riddled with factual inaccuracy and misleading pricing.
According to Sainsbury’s Bank, “There are dangers if consumers do not undertake due diligence to verify the results provided by AI with other sources, including talking to people in the know, such as … travel agents.” No kidding!
Rest assured that AG will not replace humans with software when it comes to working with you to craft your dream safari. Our safari consultants have rich experience, deep passion and a total dedication to you. They thrive on engagement via phone calls, emails, and WhatsApp chats. Replacing them with software would be stupid and commercial suicide. We already use technology – including AI – to ensure a seamless planning journey and will continue our quest for perfection. BUT teamAG will always be powered by flesh-and-blood humans who LOVE what they do and have an unusually deep commitment to Africa’s wild places.
Simon Espley – CEO, Africa Geographic
From our Editor – Taryn van Jaarsveld
Meet Brookesia nofy, the newly discovered miniature chameleon that just proved that being small doesn’t mean you can’t make a big splash. Found in Madagascar’s threatened forests, this pint-sized reptile is as long as a child’s pinky finger, making it tricky to spot. But thanks to some eagle-eyed tourists spotting the chameleon and posting their pics on social media, this tiny creature was discovered, sending scientists scrambling to find it.
At 33 millimetres long, B. nofy isn’t the smallest in its family. B. nana holds that title, along with some impressively proportioned anatomy (making its name all the more appropriate). But what B. nofy lacks in flair, it makes up in habitat choice. It’s the only tiny chameleon in Madagascar’s littoral forests, which are vanishing fast. B. nofy teaches us that small things matter. This little chameleon can help raise awareness for the conservation of Madagascar’s fragile forests. We can all take a lesson from it: sometimes, making a big difference means staying hidden and blending in just right.
This week, check out our celebration of Zakouma National Park, as seen through the eyes of Kingsley Holgate’s expedition team. And read about the remarkable number of flamingos counted in Botswana’s Sua Pan, and the critical role of the Makgadikgadi Pans in conserving these birds.
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!
Story 1
https://africageographic.com/stories/zakouma-africa-in-the-raw/
RAW ZAKOUMA
Kingsley Holgate & the Afrika Odyssey expedition are connecting 22 African Parks protected areas. Read about their trip to Zakouma National Park, Chad
Story 2
https://africageographic.com/stories/counting-pink-dots-a-tale-of-machines-flamingos-and-rivers/
COUNTING FLAMINGOS
Over 500,000 flamingos counted in Botswana’s Sua Pan, Makgadikgadi, through the use of AI, reveal vital conservation needs and the impact of climate change
TRAVEL DESK:
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Conservation collaboration
Long Shields Guardian Programme
How are people living around Hwange National Park helping to prevent human-wildlife conflict? The Long Shields Guardian Programme employs and trains local community members to protect villages from lions, safeguard cattle, and aid in wildlife management. GPS collars fitted on lions provide an early warning system to the guardians, who are able to act quickly to prevent incidents of conflict from happening. Guardians patrol daily, alerting villagers through a WhatsApp group when lions approach, and deterring the lions from community lands. Plus, the innovative ‘mobile boma’ concept safeguards livestock, enhances food security, and reduces lion killings. The programme’s expansion has led to an increase in crop yields, a reduction in predation, and fewer retaliatory lion deaths. Find out more about the programme and donate to support peaceful human-lion coexistence
WATCH: Find magic in Nyungwe NP, Rwanda. This national park hosts Africa’s most extensive protected tract of montane forest. Nyungwe is a verdant oasis and a biodiversity hotspot bursting with life. (01:02) Click here to watch
For more videos celebrating Africa, check out our videos here
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