Nov 6, 2020 | Botswana News, Brave Africa Safari, Coronavirus Content
Great news! Botswana President Masisi approved lifting the country’s international travel restrictions. It will happen in a phased manner, starting on November 9, 2020. You can now start planning your Botswana safari travel in 2021 and beyond.
International Travel into Botswana
Here’s what the press release said (you can read the original release on the Botswana Government Facebook page):
On November 9, 2020: air travel will resume into Botswana’s airports: Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (Gaborone), Kasane International Airport, and Maun International Airport. We expect international carriers to announce their schedule for online bookings imminently.
On December 1, 2020: those looking to travel in by road may do so from major land border points, including the Kazungula road, Kazungula ferry crossing from Victoria Falls & Livingstone, as well as the main border from South Africa – Martins Drift.
Botswana Safari Travel Requirements
All arriving travelers will be expected to meet the following requirements:
- a) Present a valid 72 Hour negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) result from time of departure.
- b) Screened for COVID-19 symptoms upon entry.
- c) Symptomatic clients upon arrival will be required to undertake mandatory testing and possible isolation and or quarantine, as per section 76 (1) (2) and 80 of the Public Health Act of 2013 (our company is discussing a protocol to ensure symptomatic guests are well looked after and access to the best facilities possible).
- d) The traveler will be required to remain in contact with the local health authority for a period of 14 days doing self-monitoring.
- e) Travelers exiting Botswana are expected to comply with the destination country’s travel regulations at their own expense.
- f) Non-citizen travels NOT meeting the requirements will NOT be allowed entry into Botswana.
We’ll continue to update you as we get more information.
Botswana Safari Travel During Green Season (December – March)
Now that we know Botswana is opening up to safari travel again, let’s talk about it! Should you go on safari in Botswana during the Green Season?
Green Season—also known as rainy season—begins in December and goes through March. It’s typically the least popular season to go on safari in Botswana, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad time to visit. Every month in Botswana offers something special and different for visitors.
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions for more insight into a Botswana safari.
Truly, Botswana is a year-round destination with more than 300 days of sunshine and abundant wildlife whenever you visit.
Rainy Weather
Green Season is known for lots of thunderstorms and rain. But remember, the Okavango Delta is part of the Kalahari Desert. And as a desert, it never rains too much or too often.
Two of our owners visited in late December 2019 for seven days and only experienced one evening with storms. And when a recent guest went on a 25-day safari in March 2020, she was only rained out one day.
However, we can never predict the weather or promise that you won’t get rained on. December through March is rainy season, and so that is a risk you take. And one thing we can promise Is humid and hot weather.
Green Vegetation
The good news is that with rain comes beautiful green vegetation and flowers. The Okavango Delta is never prettier than during Green Season. The scenery is truly stunning. Water, flowers, bushes, and trees are abundant. The Delta is completely transformed into an oasis during this time, making for some truly incredible photos.
However, green vegetation does come with a few downfalls:
- The thicker the vegetation, the more easily animals can hide in the bushes, so it might make animal sightings a little more hard-fought.
- An abundance of water can also come with more mosquitoes and other bugs. It never gets too terrible when it comes to bugs, but it is something to keep in mind if you have a phobia.
- Vegetation and flooding can also limit where you can drive. Especially later in the season (February and March), you may find that your safari vehicle has to go out of the way to drive around deep water.
The good news is that green vegetation and flooding can also limit where animals—particularly predators—can travel. This means if you can find dry land, you might have predators and their prey that are easy to find and watch. This happened to our safari guest this past March 2020. She saw an abundance of lions in Khwai because they were limited to the same dry land that the safari vehicle was limited to.
Newborn Animals
Green Season is also newborn animal season. That’s because newborns and expectant mothers are highly dependent on an abundance of water to survive. December through March can be a great time to see newborn antelopes, zebra, giraffe, and more.
For example, did you know that impala can stop the birthing process until right after a rainy day? They can remain pregnant for additional weeks on end until it’s just the right time and rains hit.
As for predators, this is also their birthing season. However, it is highly rare to see newborn predators. Their mothers are typically very protective and keep their newborns hidden in bushes, dens, and trees until they are old enough to handle the world independently. It’s for this reason that we actually recommend March – June to see young predators.
However, we really can’t predict when a particular predator (lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, or hyena) will give birth. So, going on a Botswana safari at any time can result in seeing cubs and pups.
And the best news is that elephants give birth year-round. So if you want to see baby elephants, any time you visit is a great time.
Migrations
Did you know that Botswana is home to one of the greatest migrations in all of Africa? The Chobe River to Nxai Pan National Park zebra migration is the longest known mammal movement in Africa—a round-trip of over 482 KM (300 miles).
Around 20,000 zebras take this route every year! It’s an incredible sight. You have the best chance of witnessing this phenomenon during Green Season. The migration usually starts in December or January, depending on the rains. If it’s a drier season, the migration will start a little later than usual because the zebra follow the water.
Botswana Safari Weather in Green Season
Now, let’s take a look at the specific weather you can expect. Remember, it’s always a good time to go on safari in Botswana.
Botswana Safari in December
December welcomes the first rains of the wet season. The weather begins to cool this time of year, and some areas will be inaccessible because of mud and heavy rain. However, flooding won’t be in abundance yet, so you should still have many chances to get around. This time of year is excellent for newly-born calves and cubs as well as migrant birds and zebra, and some green scenery.
The good:
- Lots of newly-born calves and cubs.
- The migration season for Zebras and birds (in the millions) begins.
- Start of the green season, which can mean beautiful foliage.
- Shoulder and Off-Season pricing makes these two months more affordable.
The bad:
- Hot and humid weather can make game drives uncomfortable.
- There’s a good chance you can be rained on at the start of the wet season.
- Mud and heavy rains may make some areas inaccessible.
Botswana Safari in January and February
January and February are the two wettest months of the year. This means that you have a good chance of getting rained on while you’re out on game drives. However, it also means there’s beautiful thick, green vegetation.
The scenery will be stunning this time of year. Flowers will be in bloom, trees will be packed with leaves, grass will be growing, and water will be everywhere. Unfortunately, this incredible scenery can hide wildlife because you can’t see as far.
It’s also hot and humid. Despite this, these months are incredible for bird watching, many migrations are in full swing, and many antelope give birth so predators can be abundant.
The good:
- Great time for bird watching.
- Beautiful scenery
- Many migrations are in full swing, including the Botswana zebra migration.
- Antelope birthing seasons, so hunting predators will be in abundance.
- Highly affordable off-season prices.
- This is a great time to enjoy unique safari activities only found in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, such as the mokoro and boating safari.
The bad:
- Lush greenery means that animals have more hiding places.
- Lots of rain could mean wet game drives.
- An abundance of water may make it difficult to get to many areas.
- Hot and humid weather may be uncomfortable for some.
Botswana Safari in March
March is when the rains begin to ease. You’re far less likely to be rained on in March, but all the water from January and February has built up, so water is absolutely everywhere. This will be the greenest season and a stunning time to visit Botswana if you want to see the country in full bloom. However, because the water has had so long to build up, getting around can be difficult. You’ll have to find a way to drive between water, and some areas may be inaccessible. But this does mean that you’ll find large concentrations of animals in the accessible dry areas. Unfortunately, this can also be prime mosquito season, so bug spray is a MUST!
The good:
- Because it’s so wet, large concentrations of animals will be found in dry areas.
- The greenest time of the year with lush plants and flowers.
- It’s birthing season for many animals, which could mean lots of happy predators.
- Highly affordable off-season prices.
The bad:
- VERY thick greenery means that animals have more hiding places.
- Flooding may make it difficult to get to certain areas.
- This is a mosquito-heavy season because there’s so much water.
Plan Your 2021 Botswana Safari Now!
So, are you ready to start planning your 2021 Botswana safari? We hope so. If you travel during Green Season, you get to take advantage of our Special Pricing.
You can also take advantage of our increased flexibility and our Book Now, Pay Later policies.
- If something goes wrong, you can reschedule (with 30-days notice) without penalty for any time through December 31, 2021.
- If you have to reschedule, you get a 10% bonus towards your rescheduled booking.
- Hold your booking for an incredibly affordable deposit.
- $400 for 6 nights / 7 days itinerary (regardless of party size)
- $600 for 9 nights / 10 days (regardless of party size)
And don’t worry! If you can’t schedule your Botswana safari over the Green Season, we’ll still be open the rest of 2021. You can go on safari with Brave Africa at any time, and we’d love to have you.
Contact us now at [email protected] or fill out our website form.
Mar 27, 2020 | Behind the Scenes, Botswana News, Brave Africa Safari, Coronavirus Content, Most Popular Blogs
There’s no beating around the bush, COVID-19 is severely impacting life as we know it around the world. Many of us are practicing social distancing, self-quarantine, and other extreme measures to end the spread. That’s why we feel that online safari content is so important right now to make up for the lack of coronavirus tourism.
Coronavirus Tourism and Small Business Impact
It is a scary time, particularly for the travel and tourism industry. Brave Africa is not immune to everything that’s going on around the world.
As a small business trying to launch our mobile lodge and safari company in 2020, the timing couldn’t be worse. Our hopes, dreams, and plans for a strong first year in business have been put on hold.
But as long as we stick together, listen to the advice of medical professionals, and do what is best for everyone, we can get through it stronger than ever.
Botswana Coronavirus Update – March 27, 2020
While Botswana (as of Friday, March 27, 2020) still has no confirmed cases of the virus, tourism has effectively shut down in the country.
According to the Government of Botswana in line with the Public Health Act 2013, all individuals from the following high-risk countries will not be allowed entry: China, Japan, South Korea, Iran, USA, UK, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and India. There’s also warning of an “imminent countrywide lock-down” to stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic with soldiers watching all borders.
Already, almost all international travel has shut down, but there is good news. We will still be here when the coronavirus is defeated and life returns to normal (or the new normal), whether that’s in a few weeks or a few months.
Brave Africa’s Coronavirus Response: GREAT Online Safari Content
The Brave Africa team is in constant communication about how to handle the coronavirus crisis and what we can do to keep moving forward. As we wrote in our previous blog, we are allowing all current clients to postpone their booking up to 12 months with no penalties. And we’re honoring the same rate whether you rebook this year or wait until 2021.
But what about for everyone stuck at home, dreaming of being anywhere else?
We are going to be providing great content across our social media platforms and blog. If you can’t come to us for a safari, we’ll come to you on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Here’s a little about the type of online safari content you can expect to keep you entertained as you are quarantined
#VirtualSafari Mondays
On Mondays, we’re going to start taking you on virtual safaris (#virtualsafari)! From the comfort of your home, you can journey with us into the Okavango Delta in Botswana to see the animals, hear the sounds of the bush, and experience the majesty of being on safari.
The goal is to let you get out of the house even just for a little while through your phone or computer screen. We want you to have something to look forward to every Monday for the coming weeks and months as we protect ourselves and each other. It’s the easiest way to enjoy some coronavirus tourism.
So, be sure to tune into our social media pages every Monday to check out the latest #virtualsafari video!
Watch the first video here!
Puzzle Wednesdays
To help keep you entertained while you’re at home in self-quarantine, we’ve started sharing a fun puzzle every Wednesday on our Facebook and Twitter pages. This online puzzle takes one of our favorite pictures from safari and breaks it down into 48 puzzle pieces (or more) that you can then put together online.
It’s a great diversion for ten or so minutes in the middle of the week when we know you can really use it. If you really like these puzzles, we’ll keep them up and make them harder as we go! You can find our first African sunset puzzle here.
We’d like to thank Hills of Africa for this great idea, which they first shared on their Facebook page.
Coloring Book Fridays
Then, on Fridays, we’re sharing pictures from our Brave Africa coloring book! We’re taking some of our favorite safari images and transforming them into black and white coloring pages that you can print out at home and transform into your own artwork.
So far, we’ve shared a gorgeous image of a Lilac Breasted Roller as well as a picture of a leopard on the prowl.
We encourage you to go as crazy or as accurate as you want on the drawings. That’s why we’ll always upload the original photo along with the coloring book download, so you can decide what type of art you want to create. Is this fun online safari content, or what!?
Photos from the Bush
We know there’s a lot of doom and gloom in the world right now, so we promise to continue sharing beautiful, inspiring, and fun photos from the bush. Because we all need something to smile about during this time.
You might not be able to go on safari right now, or even in the next few weeks, (since COVID-19 tourism is not allowed) but the bush is always there, waiting for us to explore. Join us throughout the week as we share candid animal pictures taken by our guests and employees.
It is just one small way we hope our online safari content brightens up each of your days.
Vacation Planning
Sometimes the best way to get through an unpleasant time is to think about the future. Truthfully, we do not know when the coronavirus pandemic will end, and travel will return to normal. We hope it is only a few weeks or months from now, but it could be much longer than that.
No matter how long it takes, we do know that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. Whether it is this summer, fall, winter, or 2021, we will be able to travel and explore the world again. And we do not know about you, but we are definitely going to have cabin fever!
What better way to pass the days than to plan your future vacation? You do not have to make any commitments right now, we know things are too uncertain, but you can dream.
This is a great time to collect airline miles and credit card points so you can get a free flight to Africa later this year or next. It is also an excellent opportunity to begin budgeting and planning your dream vacation.
During these next few weeks, we will try to help you out with blogs and other content offering tips and advice on planning your dream safari vacation. It is never too early to get started. There is a lot you need to know and do to have the best trip possible, so we will be here to help.
Online Safari Content You Want
Last, but certainly not least, we would love feedback about what type of content you would like to see.
We know how negatively COVID-19 is affecting everything and its particularly strong impact on the travel industry is unlike anything we have ever seen before. So, we would like to know what online safari content you want to see.
Do you want:
- More videos and images from the bush because they are a great distraction from the constant stream of bad news?
- More information about what is going on in Botswana and how the coronavirus is impacting everything there?
- Behind the scenes looks at what Brave Africa is doing to weather the coronavirus crisis?
Let us know!
Final Thoughts
We know this is a challenging time for everyone. The good news is that it also presents an incredible opportunity for all of us to put aside our differences and come together as a global community. We are all in this together, and the more we can do to support each other, the better.
Our thoughts are with those who are sick, have lost their jobs, or are otherwise struggling in the world as it is now.
At Brave Africa, we are doing our best to hang in there during the storm and make it out to the other side. Stay tuned as we update our website, keep sharing great content, and do what we can to keep you informed.
Mar 10, 2020 | Botswana News, Brave Africa Safari, Coronavirus Content
We know that travel right now is frightening. With the coronavirus (Covid-19) spreading more and more quickly, we know that many people are canceling or placing their travel plans on hold for now. And we completely understand. However, if you do decide to still travel, we want you to know that we are doing everything within our power to ensure you have a great time with Brave Africa. Read our new Brave Africa coronavirus policy below.
Coronavirus Update in Botswana and Southern Africa
Currently, coronavirus infections have been few and far between on the African continent. Egypt is home to more than half of all confirmed cases on the content with 59 confirmed. The good news is that Egypt is nowhere close to Botswana, which still has ZERO confirmed cases.
South Africa recently announced seven confirmed cases, all from the same group of ten people who returned from a vacation in northern Italy. The infected individuals have all self-quarantined, and so far no cases have been discovered outside of the group—all of whom are young and in generally good health.
All of this is to say that Africa may be one of the safest places to visit when it comes to the coronavirus. There are very few if any cases across the continent, and when you go on safari, you are generally around a very small, select group of people. So, there is very little chance to catch the virus from other travelers.
Our Brave Africa Coronavirus Policy
However, if you are still concerned about traveling to go on safari with Brave Africa during this time, we have put in place a few coronavirus policies to ease your mind.
Postpone Bookings Up to 12 Months Out
If you have booked a safari with Brave Africa or are planning to book a safari with Brave Africa through June 30, 2020, but you are concerned that the coronavirus could affect your travel, we are offering the ability to postpone your booking for up to 12 months. There will be NO penalty to postpone for a later travel date. In this way, you can still plan your safari with us but have the comfort of knowing that you can change your plans as required by the virus.
To postpone your booking:
- 15 Days Warning: You will need to contact us at least 15 days prior to your arrival in order to postpone without any monetary penalties. We begin purchasing food and other products for your trip at least 15 days out, and so need this time to plan as needed.
- Rate Changes Apply: You can postpone your booking and re-plan your trip for any time in the next 12 months. However, if you plan your trip for 2021 or change your trip dates to a different season (you originally booked your trip in low season and now plan to visit us in high season), you will need to pay for the rate change between your original booking date and the new date. This is not a penalty, but simply to cover the cost of your new rates.
If you would like to cancel your booking with Brave Africa completely instead of postponing your trip, our standard cancelation policy applies.
For any questions or concerns about going on safari with Brave Africa during the coronavirus situation, please feel free to contact us at [email protected].
Mar 2, 2020 | Botswana News, Coronavirus Content
April 1, 2020: Updated information on coronavirus infections and your safari vacation in Botswana.
Disclaimer: We are not doctors, nor are we medical professionals. We are not offering advice or telling you what you should or should not do. If you are at all concerned about your health and safety, you need to do what is best for you and your family. And you should always consult a medical professional with any questions or concerns before planning your safari vacation in Botswana.
That being said, we do want to address traveling with the coronavirus outbreak, including what you need to know about Africa—particularly Botswana. Information is continuing to change at a rapid pace. Every day or two, we are gaining more insight into the COVID-19 pandemic and how it’s affecting Botswana. We will try to keep this post updated weekly, so you have the latest information.
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Dec 8, 2019 | Behind the Scenes, Botswana News, Brave Africa Safari, Conservation
The past two months have been hectic at Brave Africa safari. After our first official safari launch in September, our team hasn’t had a moment to relax. Instead, we’ve focused on building deeper relationships throughout the safari and travel industry, including attending BTTE (Botswana Travel & Tourism Expo).
The great news is that we have an incredible team of individuals who have worked tirelessly to make this possible. They’ve given 1000% of themselves to meet new people, rekindle existing relationships, and introduce Brave Africa as the new ultra-luxury mobile safari to book in 2020 and beyond.
Here’s a little bit about what we’ve been up to during this exciting time behind the scenes with Brave Africa safari.
Giving Back to the Community
Brave Africa’s guides, Wina and Moses, dropping off food items to Safari Destinations.
In November, we had the opportunity to start giving back to the Botswana community. This is a huge piece of who we are and what we believe in. We do not want to be just another safari focused on making money and moving tourists in and out of the country. We want to make a difference not only for the wildlife but also for the Botswanan people.
We plan to do this moving forward by donating $5 a day from every guest’s trip with us to various conservation and community charities. Our team is currently doing extensive research to find the best non-profits to give to, and we’ll have that list available soon. However, we already had the opportunity to help the elderly population in Maun, and we’re so glad we got to participate.
Safari Destinations, one of Botswana’s premier travel agencies, held an annual charity drive to collect needed items for older individuals within the Maun community who require assistance. Our team got together and purchased massive bags of food goods to do our part.
For our Brave Africa safari staff—all of whom are Botswanan natives—taking care of your elders is the responsibility of the community. They shared with us funny stories of being kids and being charged with walking to the store for an elder to purchase their groceries, whether they were related to the individual or knew the individual well or not. Participating in this charity event made a lot of sense and was special to our team.
A Trip to Victoria Falls
Tabona Wina (left) and Moses Teko (right)
The following week in November, our team headed up to Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls to meet with travel agencies throughout the area and start building relationships. This trip was made possible thanks to Shelley Cox at Africa Conservation Travel.
Africa Conservation Travel is a travel agency that is focused on offering safari experiences dedicated to sustainable tourism and conservation-conscious itineraries. Their mission is to create awards about protecting and conserving the wildlife and habitats during every trip.
Shelley has been an integral piece of Brave Africa safari since the very beginning. She is a good friend of our owner, Tabona Wina, and has offered our team priceless guidance. We are beyond grateful to her and her company.
Thanks to Shelley’s connections and the hard work of our team, we were able to introduce Brave Africa to other members of the safari industry. We loved getting to share our mission and vision and to tell our story to travel agencies who will help us connect with guests who share our values from around the world.
Building this base of support is critical to our eventual success and helping safari-goers discover us.
Thank you for taking the time to meet with us!
Botswana Travel & Tourism Expo (BTTE)
Botswana Travel & Tourism Expo
Finally, we kicked December off with a bang with Botswana’s largest travel and tourism expo: BTTE. This unique, annual event offers an opportunity for the greater European travel industry to establish relationships and business partnerships with Botswana’s tourism industry. Every safari company, travel agency, and tour operator in Botswana attends this networking event, and we were thrilled to take part!
Held December 2rd – December 6th, in Kasane, #BTTE19 was the event of the year. Over 280 exhibitors, including 140 local operators and 140 international operators from 33 countries around the world participated. Attendees came from all over, including Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Israel, and throughout Europe.
Pano of the BTTE tent
The goal of the event is to introduce the many incredible tourism opportunities available in Botswana and to demonstrate the unique manner in which the country approaches tourism. Unlike many other African countries, Botswana is dedicated to protecting the environment and the country’s natural resources as much as possible to keep tourists coming back over and over again.
For Brave Africa safari, BTTE was an opportunity to set up a booth where attendees could come up to learn more about who we are and what we offer. We also had a table for a “Business 2 Business” event where attendees had just 15 minutes to meet our team and get to know our product before they moved on. This was an inspiring, educational, and super productive session, where we established many strategic relationships.
Wina & Moses during the brief Business 2 Business sessions
The week-long event included presentations from experts on the Botswana tourism industry as well as the different unique areas of Botswana. There were meet-and-greet sessions, workshops, cocktail dinners, and more. It was an exhausting week, but BTTE was a fantastic opportunity for Brave Africa to establish that we are here as part of the community and proud of it.
Next Up for Brave Africa Safari
In a week, our team will be heading out into the Botswana Bush to explore a possible new Brave Africa safari itinerary—the Kalahari Desert.
This southern route will possibly be available to guests during the rainy season (December – March) when the Okavango Delta is flooded and difficult to navigate. During these months, the Kalahari is in peak season because animals are leaving the floodplains for more semi-arid regions.
December and January mark the great zebra migration in the Kalahari as well as the flamingo migration in Makgadikgadi Pan. This area is also known for its beautiful black-maned lions, brown hyena, oryx/gemsbok, and more.
We’re excited to test out this potential route for our guests in 2020, which will include:
Stay tuned to learn about our adventure in a few weeks!
Brave Africa’s table banner
Jul 28, 2019 | Botswana News, Conservation
Lions are dying.
Over the last 25 years, 50% of lions have disappeared from the face of the earth. That means that when you watched the original The Lion King in 1994, there were almost twice as many lions in the wild as there are today, says the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN).
To put that in numbers; there are only 25,000 African lions left in the wild! That puts them on the vulnerable to extinction list, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
So, why is this happening? Aren’t African safaris and conservation efforts helping?
Why Are Lions Disappearing
- Lions used to roam the entire African continent. Now, 94% of that range is lion-free. They roam less than 660,000 square miles.
- Lions don’t have enough wild prey to eat. The bushmeat trade has forced lions to get close to humans and their livestock for food.
- Human settlements are growing and taking over more and more lion habitat. Humans are also fragmenting lion ranges, which means males have a tough time finding new prides and mates.
- Human and lion conflict is escalating. More lions are being killed, often by poison.
- Poach also poses a severe threat. Lions are valued for their skin, paws, teeth, and claws—all of which can be used in rituals and medicine in parts of Asia.
How Can We Protect Lions and Other Wildlife?
How can we change this and start protecting lions and other African wildlife? First, we have to change the conversation.
The current problem is that there is a high cost for people living beside lions, which means they don’t see the value in preserving them. This can make conservationists jobs incredibly difficult. Without a desire for peaceful coexistence, lions and humans will continue to fight for their right to live, and the lions will lose.
According to Amy Dickman, a research fellow at the Oxford Wildlife Conservation and a National Geographic grantee, the solution is to offset the burden or protecting wildlife. She told National Geographic, “If we want lions to exist in 50 years from now in any meaningful way, we need to adjust the costs and benefits so that far more of the benefits accrue at the local level and the costs are borne at the international level.”
Getting Communities Involved
What exactly does this look like? It means recognizing that local communities have a significant role in protecting lions. They have to deal with the challenges associated with living beside lions, elephants, and other dangerous creatures, so we need to provide those communities tangible benefits (rewards) for living with lions.
- Provide an incentive not to poach.
- Offer a reward for not retaliating against lions after a livestock kill.
- Provide compensation to owners to replace livestock or other property harmed by wildlife.
Donating to Conservation
Saving lions also requires money, lots of money. According to a 2018 study, it will require more than one billion dollars annually to save lions in Africa’s protected areas. Currently, there’s only about $381 million a year.
Changing the Political Mindset
Last, but certainly not least, to save the lions, political leaders need to see the value in conserving them. More than just demonstrating how beneficial wildlife is to tourism, politicians need to understand how protecting nature supports job growth, economic development, and more. We need to prove that protecting lions results in cleaner air and water, more carbon storage, and improved overall wellbeing in rural communities.
African Safaris and Conservation
Tourism is a rapidly growing industry. In 2018, more than 42 million people visited sub-Saharan Africa. Many of those tourists go on safari.
Now, some people believe that safaris can’t possibly be okay. After all, shouldn’t animals be kept away from tourists and vice versa? But that’s preservation, not conservation. If you put animals into a box to keep them safe, you’re not doing what you can to maintain habitats and change mindsets, but that’s what African safaris can do.
Responsible wildlife safaris encourage people, communities, and political leaders to save the natural environment. By bringing money into countries through wildlife tourism, you’re demonstrating that it’s more valuable to keep animals alive and thriving. You’re making animals a valuable commodity, and money speaks.
More Revenue from Conservation Safaris = Less from Illegal Activities
While it’s difficult to prove a definitive link between a drop in tourists and a rise in poaching, there’s definitely a link between the two. Tourists help protect wildlife from their sheer presence. The revenue they bring in also makes a big difference.
Mark Butcher of Imvelo Safaris told The Guardian, “When people are hungry, they don’t worry about conservation. The wildlife gets left in the care of poorly motivated and ill-equipped bureaucrats.” Basically, when tourists bring money into communities, and people can afford to live well, they don’t have to resort to illegal activities to survive.
For example, in Kenya between 1977 and 1983, visitors dropped by 70,000 a year. The loss in revenue resulted in a 60% decline in anti-poaching patrols. During that time, rhinos practically disappeared, elephant numbers plummeted, and meat poaching was bigger than ever.
The Surprising Power of Safari Photos
Maybe the most surprising power of a safari to aid in conservation is using your photos to track wildlife. Your pictures, when shared on social media can help experts track illegal wildlife trading, demonstrate which areas are most often visited by tourists, and more.
According to a recent study in Botswana, when safari tourists were asked to provide their photographs to help with conservation, they were able to estimate the densities of lions, spotted hyenas, leopards, African wild dogs, and cheetahs. The results were similar to a professional tracking survey and far more affordable.
The reality is that tourists take thousands of photos every day, and those photos can help create statistical models and provide valuable data for conservation.
Brave Africa and Conservation
Finally, African safaris can make a major difference in conservation if you choose the right operator. There are many great safari operators who give back to communities, respect wildlife, and donate to various conservation efforts. At Brave Africa, we’re also doing our part.
Though we are just barely getting started, we’re already thinking about how we can help keep Botswana pristine.
Our Employees
We believe that giving back to the community where we operate and taking care of our employees will make the largest difference in conservation. After all, if they live well and feel like they are a part of something valuable, then they’ll take that back home.
As part of that, one of our principal owners is Tabona Wina, a native Botswanan. Wina is the heart and soul of Brave Africa. It’s his knowledge of the Bush and creating a memorable safari experience that makes us who we are. We are one of the few safari companies who have an owner who lives in the community where we operate.
As for the rest of our employees, our goal is to be a company where they love to work. We want to be the premier employer in Botswana because we’re known for taking care of our employees in regards to compensation, benefits, and work environment.
Giving Back
At Brave Africa, we’re also putting our money where our mouth is ($5 a day for every guest).
- $50 from every 10-Day/9-Night itinerary will be donated to conservation efforts.
- $35 from every 7-Day/6-Night itinerary will be donated to conservation efforts.
As we said in a previous blog about Elephant conservation, we’re donating a portion of the proceeds from every guest’s stay with us to Elephants Without Borders, but that’s just the start. We also have plans to give to other charitable organizations that are all focused on conserving wildlife and nature. While we haven’t chosen what other organizations we’ll give to—more research is needed—our goal is to find nonprofits and charities that are doing great work and making a big difference.
We’ll keep you updated as we choose our charities, and we welcome your feedback. If there’s an organization that you feel is doing great work, let us know.
