Ep36: Snow Leopard Quest in Ladakh - Altitude, Buddhists & Rare Cats

Ep36: Snow Leopard Quest in Ladakh - Altitude, Buddhists & Rare Cats

G'day Honey Badgers! I'm still in Ladakh in northern India at 3,500 metres above sea level, and I've officially kicked off our snow leopard expedition. Karen Jenkins is here with me, and we're diving straight into the deep end. Yesterday we spent the day exploring the monasteries, learning about Buddhism and the Wheel of Life from our guide Dorje (I've nicknamed him Dorje Cat for reasons you'll understand). We also hung out by the river with some local street dogs, and Karen made such a good impression helping an elderly lady down a massive flight of stairs that I reckon she's earned some serious karma points. Today we're heading up to around 4,500 metres into a valley called Shanglung—which literally means the valley of wolves. Our wildlife expert is out there trying to spot a Eurasian lynx (even rarer than a snow leopard to spot), along with wolves, woolly hares, and golden eagles. The weather is absolutely cracking, and we've got David Bowie pumping as we drive towards the mountains. This is the best start to a day! 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.

Ep35: Ladakh Expedition - Buddhism, Wolves, and the Valley of the Rare Lynx

G'day Honey Badgers! I'm checking in from Ladakh in northern India at 3,500 metres above sea level, and we've officially kicked off our snow leopard expedition. Yesterday, we spent the day exploring monasteries in Hamath, learning about Buddhism and the Wheel of Life with our guide Dorje (the cat man of Ladakh). My mate Karen even helped an elderly lady down a massive set of stairs, which apparently earns serious karma points. Today we're heading up to around 4,500 to 5,000 metres into Shanglung, the Valley of the Wolves. We're on the lookout for Eurasian lynx (even rarer to spot than snow leopards), wolves, woolly hares, and golden eagles. The weather is perfect, the sky is clear, and Dorje reckons we've got a real chance. Come along as we venture deep into one of the most remote and wild corners of the planet. 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.

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.