Planning a safari often inspires a desire to help with conservation. Africa Adventure Consultants believes the world’s wild places should be protected. Going on safari helps conserve Africa’s wilderness areas that are home to incredible species from gorillas and elephants to warthogs and honey badgers by helping fund conservation through the collection of park and conservancy fees, the upliftment of local economies through employment and supply chain beneficiaries, to fund research on various species and more.
Many people planning their safaris are interested in contributing further in a tangible and meaningful way during their travels. That is where our conservation partnerships come into play. We are able to help travelers with optional activities while on safari that support projects in myriad ways across our destinations in Africa – from funding them through donations to participating in work being done on the ground. Read on for some of the projects we help support that you can get involved in while on safari or from back home – before or after your adventures.
In Kenya, we have a soft spot for the very remote Reteti Elephant Sanctuary. Reteti is located in the Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy in northern Kenya, nestled in the beautiful Matthews (mountain) Range. It is an eight-hour drive (but much shorter flight!) from Nairobi and there are lovely camps nearby where you can stay and enjoy a safari. During your visit, you will be paired with a keeper who will tell you about their work and answer any questions. From a special viewing platform, you will watch the elephants come in from their walk to receive their bottles and have mud hole playtime. Afterwards, you will enjoy a behind the scenes tour of the sanctuary.
If you’re headed to the Serengeti in Tanzania, we have a unique opportunity to spend an informative evening with a resident cheetah researcher while donating to the incredible Serengeti Cheetah Project. The Serengeti Cheetah Project has operated for over 30 years and is part of the Wildlife Conservation Society. The project monitors and studies fluctuations in birth and survival rates of cheetahs, which leads to predicting the future of cheetah numbers in other parts of their range, as well as providing valuable insight into the challenges facing cheetah and finding solutions. You will gain an in-depth understanding of these endangered cats and can share your photos taken on safari around Namiri Plains Camp. The researcher can identify the cheetahs by the unique spot patterns on their flanks and share stories of the cats you have seen in the Serengeti.
Gorilla Doctors is the only organization in the world dedicated to saving the mountain and eastern lowland (Grauer’s) gorilla species one gorilla patient at a time using veterinary medicine and science. With only 1,063 mountain gorillas in the world, the health and well-being of every individual gorilla is vital to the species’ survival. If you are gorilla trekking in Rwanda, you can either visit the Gorilla Doctors facility in Musanze (30 minutes from the Volcanoes National Park headquarters) to see the facility and meet with a gorilla doctor or a gorilla doctor will come to your lodge to join you for drinks and a private presentation to learn about the work they do in Rwanda, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Every month, the Gorilla Doctors visit every habituated gorilla group in Bwindi and the Virungas, as well as the eastern lowland gorillas in DRC.
In Zimbabwe, you can visit the Community Rhino Conservation Initiative in Hwange National Park. This project is a catalyst for a bigger conservancy and buffer zone between the park and communal lands, and supports local people through job creation, gate entry fees, jobs, increased tourism and reduced human wildlife conflict. The experience includes a tour of the sanctuary headquarters and demonstration of skills with the Cobras Community Wildlife Protection Unit to see how they protect the rhinos, as well as an unforgettable walking tour to view and spend time with the rhinos on foot and the Cobra Rangers who guard them 24/7. The photo opportunities are spectacular!
There are far more projects than we have space for on our blog. If you are interested in participating in or supporting a conservation project in Africa, talk with your Journey Specialist about your interests. Whether you want to spend time on the ground seeing conservation in action first hand or would like to explore how to direct your charitable funds towards worthy projects in our destinations, we’ll help you find the right fit.
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Photos courtesy Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, Lion Recovery Fund, Namiri Plains Camp, Gorilla Doctors, Imvelo Safari Lodges, Nelson Guda for Grevy’s Zebra Trust and Big Life Foundation