TRAVEL TO AFRICA

Lately, I’ve been seeing quite a few Instagram reels showing animals performing acts of care and protection toward other species – gestures of pure selflessness. They’re heartwarming, yet upon looking further many are creations of AI. Once you realise that – the air goes out of the story, and you’re left with a flat feeling.

Yet true moments of compassion between species do happen, and real accounts continue to emerge. Marine biologist Nan Hauser shared a fascinating and deeply moving story of how a completely wild humpback whale protected her from a large tiger shark – shielding her with his pectoral fin and gently escorting her back to her boat.
I’ve seen true altruism in wild animals – selfless acts of care with no thought of reward. Read about the day a group of massive bull elephants stood guard over a trembling zebra foal.
And find out why it’s essential you book the right kind of safari – one that meets your expectations!

People talk to their animals all the time. We chat to our dogs, murmur to our cats, and tell an annoying fly to buzz off. We just babble along – not really sure why we do, since most of us don’t actually believe they understand.

But what if they do?

What if they pick up not on our words, but on our emotions? Anyone who has shared their life with an animal knows that quiet moment when a dog senses sadness and presses closer, or when an aloof cat suddenly chooses to curl up on your lap, as if to say: I know.

When I worked as a professional safari guide in Botswana, I talked to animals constantly. I’d tell a bull elephant, “back off – you’re too close!” or scold the mischievous vervet monkeys raiding our supplies trailer. But most of the time, my conversations were silent — words spoken only in my mind. No one else heard them. Otherwise, they might have thought I’d lost my mind.
Find out how a family of Cheetahs listened.

The truck was stuck in the Kalahari. Eighteen people. No water. No plan. A boy’s hand crushed under the truck. The driver was shouting. The guests were melting down. The Kalahari was swallowing us whole. And I — furious with disbelief — walked into the desert, alone. I wasn’t afraid. I had walked alone in the Sahara, and had tracked through the Congolese jungle. But that day, we were on the wrong road. The sun had betrayed me. Only a miracle — a leathery old man — brought us back.
That trip didn’t break me — it woke me up. I knew exactly what I was going to do: lead safaris, shaping the experience in my own style, for a professional and reputable safari company. After all, I’d just learned what NOT to do on safari.

Some experiences, especially the tough and challenging ones, often push you back on track. They shake you to your core, and if you surrender to the moment, space opens for new possibilities to emerge. These moments help you reconnect with your inner self, guiding you toward your true path. But how do we know we’re on the right track? Because it FEELS right, and a gentle joy unfurls through your heart. So, listen closely to what your soul is whispering, trust your intuition, and embrace the journey — even if it gets a little messy along the way.

Stay tuned for the next episode (Part 2), where I’ll share the story of how a group of 14 tourists and four staff members nearly perished in the vast, untamed wilderness of the Kalahari Desert.

A flash of insight saved me from a mountain disaster. When you make a rational decision in a matter of seconds, you can be sure it’s for a good reason! You can’t always know why, and very often you may feel literally stupid for making a decision that no one else around you can understand. But deep down, your higher self, your soul or your invisible guardians (whatever you like to believe) know what is best for you! I truly believe that we as humanity should try to listen to our inner voice again… because I believe that once upon a time, long ago, we humans were better at it. A time when we had no internet, no teachers, no politicians… all those who like to know what is best for us. Well, they maybe valid in some instances, but this story reminds you to listen to your core, your heart, because that is who you are and who knows best.

I am delighted to have been given permission to re-post this recent gripping story of a snared elephant by Cathy Buckle, an acclaimed writer, blogger and author. 


Cathy has been writing ‘Letters from Zimbabwe’ to her family and friends for 24 years. Her short emails have highlighted the difficulties of Zimbabwe’s dire situation, including the country’s corruption, land scandals, inflation, power cuts, lack of healthcare and many other distressing circumstances. But they also show the resilience of ordinary Zimbabweans and the beauty of the country’s wilderness and its caring people.

This story indirectly reflects how poverty also affects the well-being of wildlife. It’s a cycle of decline that we must stop… for the sake of ALL living things…

When you’re born a girl in most African countries, you have very little control over your life and future. And both can be harsh: poverty, abuse, lack of resources, gender discrimination, nowhere to turn for help and very few options to improve your situation.  Being considered “less than ..” stunts your potential.

Read how my good friend Priscilla Plummer is enabling girls in Southern Africa to thrive. Priscilla is a founding member of an organisation that creates safe spaces to empower and educate girls, believing that everyone deserves the opportunity to live a life of dignity!