Ep34: Blackbuck, Wolves & Jungle Cats - Inside Velavadar National Park

Ep34: Blackbuck, Wolves & Jungle Cats - Inside Velavadar National Park

G'day legends! I'm sitting down on the edge of rural India, fresh off a red-eye from Kilimanjaro with about zero sleep under my belt. Maxine's here with me, and we've just wrapped four incredible safaris in Velavadar Black Buck National Park. This episode is all about what we found there, and mate, it was nothing short of extraordinary. We saw huge herds of blackbuck, watched them stotting and pronking across roads, and got some stunning photos of these gorgeous little antelope mid-flight. But the real magic happened with the predators. We spotted Indian gray wolves, including a male with a fresh kill, and then something I absolutely didn't expect: five wolf puppies with their mother across a lagoon. But that wasn't even the highlight. We also saw jungle cats with kittens, and then came the moment that stopped us dead: a striped hyena. Not once, but twice. Same spot, same time. Our guide knew her routine, and patience paid off in ways I've never experienced before. Now we're headed to Gir National Park on the search for Asiatic lions. I've spent loads of time with lions in captivity and in the African wild, but these ones are something entirely different. Come along as I chase the story of how these lions ended up where they are. Come join me! 🦁 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bobbyjosafaris] | 🐘 Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/BobbyJoSafaris] | 🦡 Safari Tours [https://www.bobbyjosafaris.com/] If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a comment and share it with your fellow safari lovers! This is a Podvan Media [http://podvan.com.au] production.

Ep33: Dr Dickson Wambura - Tracking a Black Rhino on Foot!

I'm sitting down at Ingela's house on the spectacular rim of the Ngorongoro Crater after an absolutely epic week in the African bush. In the episode, you'll meet the ultimate conservation badass, Dr Dickson Wambura, the lead wildlife veterinarian for this incredible landscape, alongside the legendary Kimani from KopeLion. Dickson's journey is one of pure grit, spanning seven years of intense veterinary work right across Africa (from Namibia to the Serengeti) after studying at Sokoine University of Agriculture. He's a true professional who's lost count of how many lions he's immobilised, working tirelessly with the brilliant team at KopeLion [https://kopelion.org/] to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. From reinforcing community bomas in Kikesio with local guardians to tracking ageing lionesses like Nadine and the elusive Nang'ida in Ndutu, his mission is all about creating a harmonious bridge between the Maasai pastoralists and the predators that roam their borders. But working with Africa's heavyweights means facing down moments that'll make your heart stop. While darting lions is almost second nature to Dickson now, nothing prepares you for the sheer unpredictable danger of a black rhino in the thick bush. He recalls one terrifying operation where he had to step out of the safety of the vehicle and track a massive, injured black rhino completely on foot! If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review and share it with your fellow safari lovers! Come join me! 🦁 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bobbyjosafaris] | 🐘 Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/BobbyJoSafaris] | 🦡 Safari Tours [https://www.bobbyjosafaris.com/] This is a Podvan Media [http://podvan.com.au] production.

Ep32: Bomas, Big Cats and Bush Tension with KopeLion

I’m back in one of my favourite places on the planet, the Ngorongoro and Ndutu landscape, catching up with Kimani and the brilliant KopeLion team for a few days of bomas, lion monitoring, dust, rain, roaring males and proper bush nerves. We start by visiting a Maasai boma that was built to help protect livestock from predators, and I get to hear first-hand how it has changed life for the family using it. Then we head into Ndutu, where I’m back among lions I’ve followed and photographed for years. In the dark, we sit with two massive males, as their roars shake the vehicle, and I spot my first striped hyena in Ndutu, which was a ridiculous little safari gift. The heart of this episode is Nang’ida, a wild lioness from the Twin Hills Sisters story, as the team prepares to replace her collar. I follow along with Kimani, Ingela, Dennis, Ndolok and Dr Wambura as they locate her, dart her, check her condition and wait for her to wake safely in a landscape full of hyenas and other lions. It was tense, emotional, slightly cheeky, and one of the greatest privileges of my safari life! If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review and share it with your fellow safari lovers! Come join me! Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bobbyjosafaris] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/BobbyJoSafaris] | Safari Tours [https://www.bobbyjosafaris.com/] This is a Podvan Media [http://podvan.com.au/] production.

Ep31: What Happens When I’m a Guest on My Own Podcast?

This one is a little different! We’re out in the eastern Serengeti at Serenity Camp, with dust on our boots and the plains stretched out around us, and for once I'm the one being interviewed. Tim has pinched the mic, which means you’re getting a behind-the-scenes chat straight from the bush about guiding, photography, conservation, and what safari life really looks like once the engine’s off. Joining us is my long-time Tanzanian guide and dear friend, Firoz, who knows this landscape like the back of his hand. Together we talk about how we each found our way into this life, what still gives us that rush every time we head out on game drive, and why the best safaris are never just about ticking off animals from a list. We get into the things guests don’t always see at first, the pressure guides carry, the trap of chasing the perfect photo, the emotion that catches people off guard, and the way a place like this can quietly rearrange something inside you. If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review and share it with your fellow safari lovers! Wanna come & join me? [https:// bobbyjosafaris.com] bobbyjosafaris.com [https:// bobbyjosafaris.com] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bobbyjosafaris] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/BobbyJoSafaris] | Safari Tours [https://www.bobbyjosafaris.com/] This is a Podvan Media [http://podvan.com.au] production.

Ep30: Safari First-Timers - An Aussie Farmer In The Serengeti!

For this episode, I’m back in the dust and magic of Tanzania (Kilimanjaro to be exact) and buzzing to be back for the start of safari season! I’ve just reunited with my absolute badass of a guide, Firoz, along with a group of Honey Badgers who are fresh off the flight from Australia. It’s a butterfly-inducing moment being back in the bush (especially with the short rains finally starting to stir the landscape) and I can’t wait to see what the Serengeti has in store for us. I’m joined on this adventure by Tim and Mark (two legends I once shared a shipping container with in a frozen Antarctic storm) who’ve brought along Tim’s parents, Max and Valerie. It’s been awesome watching them trade their quiet life in Tasmania for the organised chaos of the Arusha markets and the raw grit of the Ndutu plains. One afternoon in the scrub (just when we thought we’d seen it all) we were watching two massive elephant bulls having a bit of a scrap - and one of them turned his focus directly on us and started a charge! I hope you enjoy this episode, and if you do, please leave a review - and share it with your fellow safari lovers! Come join me! 🦁 Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/bobbyjosafaris] | 🐘 Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/BobbyJoSafaris] | 🦡 Safari Tours [https://www.bobbyjosafaris.com/] This is a Podvan Media [http://podvan.com.au] production.