Stories from 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.