Safari Life with Bobby-Jo

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 | Facebook | Safari ToursThis is a Podvan Media production.

For this episode, I’m back in the dust and magic of Tanzania (Kilimanjaro to be exact) and buzzing to be back for the start of safari season! I’ve just reunited with my absolute badass of a guide, Firoz, along with a group of Honey Badgers who are fresh off the flight from Australia. It’s a butterfly-inducing moment being back in the bush (especially with the short rains finally starting to stir the landscape) and I can’t wait to see what the Serengeti has in store for us.I’m joined on this adventure by Tim and Mark (two legends I once shared a shipping container with in a frozen Antarctic storm) who’ve brought along Tim’s parents, Max and Valerie. It’s been awesome watching them trade their quiet life in Tasmania for the organised chaos of the Arusha markets and the raw grit of the Ndutu plains. One afternoon in the scrub (just when we thought we’d seen it all) we were watching two massive elephant bulls having a bit of a scrap - and one of them turned his focus directly on us and started a charge!I hope you enjoy this episode, and if you do, please leave a review - and share it with your fellow safari lovers!Come join me! 🦁 Instagram | 🐘 Facebook | 🦡 Safari ToursThis is a Podvan Media production.

I’m sitting by the Luangwa River at the Flatdogs Camp for a conversation that has been years in the making. Today, I’m joined by a true MVP of the valley, Rachel McRobb. Rachel is the CEO and founder of Conservation South Luangwa (CSL), and she’s someone I’ve looked up to for many years. She’s a phenomenal human being who has dedicated the last 25 years to protecting this landscape, and I’m so honoured to finally share her story with you.We talk about the early days of CSL, when the "budget" was just a few hundred dollars cobbled together by tour operators and the team didn’t even have bicycles, let alone vehicles. Rachel shares the grit required to build an organisation that now employs over 145 staff (99% of whom are indigenous Zambians) and manages a multi-million dollar conservation programme. One of my favourite parts of this chat is hearing Rachel describe the first time she ever darted an elephant! It’s a raw, honest look at what it takes to protect wildlife when the stakes are at their highest and there’s no one else to call.Come join me! 🦁 Instagram | 🐘 Facebook | 🦡 Safari ToursIf you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review and share it with your fellow safari lovers!This is a Podvan Media production.

In Part 2 of my chat with Dr. Matt Becker from @zcp_zambia, we're looking at the management challenges, political pressures, and funding hurdles that come with leading a team of 100 people across Zambia's national parks. Matt shares the exclusive details of his five year collaboration with the BBC on a series that tracks the intersecting lives of dogs, lions, hyenas, and leopards. We're also talking about the resilience of individual animals, from the legendary Lady Liuwa to the alpha male Wild Dog 73, and why objective science is the only way to navigate the heated debates surrounding predators.Please feel free to reach out on the socials:Instagram: @bobbyjosafarisFacebook: Bobby-Jo SafarisTo explore my upcoming safaris: bobbyjosafaris.comAnd of course, if you enjoy the episode, I'd really love it if you could leave a review, and share it with your fellow safari lovers!This is a Podvan Media production.

Well Honey Badgers, I'm connecting with you from my lounge room for a very special start to the year. My nieces Layla, Amirah, and Luna have just finished a day at the zoo, but now they're turning the tables to interview me about my life behind the lens.You'll hear their unfiltered questions about my favourite safaris, the time I got stranded in South Africa, and the reality of fear in the wild. We're talking about the thrill of photographing wild dogs, my toughest photographic challenges, and that elusive 20-second Bongo encounter in Kenya.This is a personal conversation about rejecting the standard "Book of Life," finding inspiration in family, and which recent moment meant more to me than any photograph.Get in touch via social media:Instagram: @bobbyjosafarisFacebook: Bobby-Jo SafarisAnd to explore upcoming safaris: Bobby-Jo SafarisIf you enjoy the episode, I'd love it if you could leave a review, and share it with your fellow safari lovers!This is a Podvan Media production.

We're drifting through the dense channels of the Mabamba Swamp in Uganda. It's the final leg of our journey and the stakes are high. We're searching for one of the most elusive and prehistoric-looking birds on the planet.We're talking about the Shoebill Stork. You'll hear the raw audio from the boat as we search for one (hoping for a glimpse) only to have the most incredible encounter! We then head to the Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe for a tearful reunion. My guest Maxine reconnects with Sunny (a chimpanzee she cared for years ago) and shares the touching story of seeing her again as an adult.Get in touch via social media:Instagram: @bobbyjosafarisFacebook: Bobby-Jo SafarisAnd to explore upcoming safaris: Bobby-Jo SafarisIf you enjoy the episode, I'd love it if you could leave a review, and share it with your fellow safari lovers!This is a Podvan Media production.

I've just landed in Uganda and I am absolutely buzzing! This country is pure magic (they call it the Pearl of Africa for a reason) and this trip is already one for the books.We're on a private safari, and our first major stop is the incredible Kibale National Park. It’s home to my absolute favourite species: the chimpanzee. Before we even got to the chimps, we went on a primate walk through the Bogote Wetlands and saw seven different species... red colobus, black and white colobus (the 'Kiss' monkeys), grey-cheeked mangabeys, and so many more.But the main event was the chimp trek. One of my guests, Maxine, had a knee injury, so we had to organise a special 'African helicopter' (a specially designed chair carried by ten porters) so she wouldn't miss out. It was hilarious, and she was the Queen of Kibale! The trek itself was intense. We were climbing over logs, tracking fresh poo, and then... we found them. It’s hard to describe the feeling of being this close to wild chimpanzees. We had them cross the road right in front of us, watched a female eating a huge fruit, and then, in one heart-stopping moment, the whole troupe started pant-hooting and screaming, brushing right past our legs as they went. My heart was pounding! This is what safari is all about.This episode has everything: adventure, emotion, and the most incredible wildlife sounds you’ll ever hear.If you enjoy it, please leave a review, and share with your fellow safari lovers!Get in touch via social media:Instagram: @bobbyjosafarisFacebook: Bobby-Jo SafarisAnd to explore upcoming safaris: Bobby-Jo SafarisThis is a Podvan Media production.

What does it really take to witness the great wildebeest crossing? It's not just about luck (though you do need a lot of that). It’s about patience, ethics, and managing high-stakes pressure.This episode, I'm taking you right into the safari vehicle with me and my incredible guide, Firoz, as we drive to the Northern Serengeti. The pressure is on! We talk about the high hopes (and the serious stress) that comes with trying to find a river crossing for our guests.We also get into a really important conversation about safari ethics (especially after that recent incident where guests were out of their cars) and the problems that can be caused by inexperienced guides who buckle under pressure. For us, the animal's welfare always, always comes first.But it wasn't all stress! Firoz explains the emotional "farewell dinner" process when a mother cheetah leaves her young, we battle a punctured tyre, visit a... memorable... hippo pool, and navigate a *very* sketchy ravine crossing (you'll hear the anxiety in my voice).This is the real, unedited safari experience. It’s the mud, the long waits, and the absolute magic of being in the wild.Get in touch via social media:Instagram: @bobbyjosafarisFacebook: Bobby-Jo SafarisAnd to explore upcoming safaris: Bobby-Jo SafarisIf you love wild stories, hit play, leave a review, and share with your fellow safari lovers!This is a Podvan Media production.

Imagine sitting under a tree in the middle of the Tanzanian bush, surrounded by Maasai elders and young warriors. They've just slaughtered a goat, and as the only woman there, I'm trying to absorb the weight of the moment. This isn't just any meeting; they are debating the future of lions in their homeland, and an elder has just asked the most direct question possible: "Do you guys want lions in Ngorongoro or not?"In this episode, the third in our series with the incredible team at KopeLion, I take you into the field for some of the most profound experiences I’ve ever had. We start by tracking a collared lioness with a group of Maasai warriors (who were just as excited as I was to see her climb a tree!), but the real heart of this story is the community meeting I was privileged to witness.I sit down with KopeLion co-founder, William Ole Seki, an inspiring Maasai leader who talks us through the complexities of human-wildlife coexistence. He shares the powerful story of a young warrior who was mauled by a lion but now fiercely advocates for their protection. It’s an unbelievable story of forgiveness and understanding. We also get to meet some of the other unsung heroes of the team, like Lillian, the outreach officer changing young minds, and the mechanic who keeps the whole operation moving on some of the toughest roads in Africa!If you enjoy the episode, would you mind giving it a quick review or rating? I love reading your comments as well!To get in touch via social media:Instagram: @bobbyjosafarisFacebook: Bobby-Jo SafarisAnd to explore upcoming safaris: Bobby-Jo SafarisThis is a Podvan Media production.

It’s a brutal catch-22 in conservation: what happens when lion numbers start to grow? The conflict with the local community often grows with them. Tragically, in Ngorongoro, a recent increase in lions attacking livestock has led to more retaliation killings, and it’s an incredibly challenging time on the ground.In this episode, I’m back at Mama Simba’s and I get to introduce you to someone very special. Ololotu Munka is the Executive Director of Kope Lion, and he also happens to be my new boss! His story is genuinely inspiring. He applied for a job with the organisation years ago and wasn’t successful, but his passion for conservation and his community drove him to try again, and now he’s leading the entire team!Ololotu talks us through the huge challenges the Kope Lion team is facing right now. He explains how they get information when a lion is killed, how they use GPS collars on ‘problem’ lions to prevent attacks, and the incredible work the Ilchokuti do on the ground to find and treat hundreds of livestock attacked by predators. It’s a raw and honest look at the front line of human-wildlife conflict.Get in touch via social media:Instagram: @bobbyjosafarisFacebook: Bobby-Jo SafarisAnd to explore upcoming safaris: Bobby-Jo SafarisIf you love wild stories, hit play, leave a review, and share with your fellow safari lovers!This is a Podvan Media production.

Well, being completely on my own in a tiny, doorless vehicle when a heavily pregnant leopard decides to walk right past is a feeling I’ll never forget! I finally tracked down my first leopard of the trip, the incredible Ndoto, and the experience was sensational. She was so confident, parading between the cars, and the thrill (and slight heebie-jeebies) of having her so close while I was in a completely open vehicle was next level.In this episode, I share that heart-pounding story, and the bizarre one that followed. I came across one of the strangest things I've ever seen in the wild: a huge bull giraffe, dead, but standing perfectly upright with its head wedged in a tree. I talk you through my theory on what happened and the incredible scenes that unfolded afterwards.Plus, I share the absolute joy of finding my very own lions, calling the sighting in on the radio like a proper guide, and giving you a few of my go-to photography tips for capturing that perfect sunrise on the plains.Get in touch via social media:Instagram: @bobbyjosafarisFacebook: Bobby-Jo SafarisAnd to explore upcoming safaris: Bobby-Jo SafarisIf you love wild stories, hit play, leave a review, and share with your fellow safari lovers!This is a Podvan Media production.

In this episode, I’m coming to you from one of the most incredible trips of my life. It's my maiden voyage through Sri Lanka with six brilliant Honey Badgers by my side. From bogged safari vehicles and thunderstorms to magical moments like releasing baby turtles into the ocean, this adventure had it all!I’ll take you inside the wild parks of Yala, Kumana, and Wilpattu, where we searched high and low for Sri Lanka’s leopards, dodged crocs while driving over a lake, and photographed some of the most stunning birdlife I’ve ever seen. You’ll also hear about the unforgettable characters (human and animal!) we met along the way - including a flamboyant jungle fowl that stole the show. 🐔😂Plus, you’ll get the lowdown on the elephants that act as roadside toll collectors and the hilarious, hair-raising moments that made this trip one I’ll never forget!Get in touch via social media:Instagram: @bobbyjosafarisFacebook: Bobby-Jo SafarisAnd explore upcoming safaris: Bobby-Jo Safaris💬 If you love wild stories, hit play, leave a review, and share with your fellow safari lovers!🎙️ This is a Podvan Media production.

What’s it like to search for tigers and experience India’s wilderness up close? Absolute magic – with a few surprises and lots of laughs along the way!In this episode, I’m taking you on a whirlwind journey through India’s national parks, from the rhino-filled grasslands of Kaziranga to the tiger havens of Tadoba, Kanha, and Ranthambore. Alongside my wonderful guests – Caroline, Lauren, and Susan – we share the real highs and hilarious moments of travelling on safari in India, from VIP treatment on sleeper trains to unforgettable tiger sightings.I’ll also chat about my all-time favourite spot to grab a samosa, how the mongoose and coucal became our good luck charms, and to top it all off, we finish at the Taj Mahal – still as mesmerising as ever.Come join me! 🦁 Instagram | 🐘 Facebook | 🦡 Safari ToursAnd if you enjoy this podcast, please leave a review and share it with your fellow safari lovers!This is a Podvan Media production.