Wildlife Conservation Safaris

The survival of black and white rhino is at a critical point: due to poaching, we risk losing them all. Any encounter you have with a rhino in the wild will therefore be an exceptionally emotional one, and anything we can do to support conservation efforts might well make the difference between extinction and survival.

One of the most important conservation initiatives is translocation: organisations like Rhinos Without Borders are moving rhino under threat to new homes for their own protection. Since the project started, over 130 rhino have made the move from South Africa’s most poached areas to Botswana, and there are similar projects in Kenya, too.

The Northern Rangelands Trust works with communities across Kenya to educate local people and build sustainable economies so that poaching is no longer attractive. You can visit their community run conservancies, including the black rhino breeding sanctuary in the Sera Conservancy.

Here, join Saruni Rhino to track rhino on foot. This is the first rhino tracking experience in East Africa, and you will be accompanied by expert guides and rangers. The rhino which have been reintroduced here are settling in well, and have already started breeding, increasing their chance of survival.

It is estimated that there are just over 1,000 mountain gorillas left in the wild: the species is critically endangered. They live in the Virunga Mountains of central Africa, straddling the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda.

The high cost and limited numbers of gorilla tracking permits are controversial, but we believe the governments of Rwanda and Uganda are doing the right thing. The income permits generate pays for conservation efforts, not only for the gorilla but also for other threatened species which share the same habitats. And as very few permits are issued, there’s no risk of overtourism: guests have an intimate encounter, and the gorilla themselves are unflustered by the presence of people.

Typically Africa Exclusive’s guests choose to join a small group — a maximum of eight people — and trek through the forests to find groups of semi-habituated gorilla. You can spend an hour with a family group, watching them eating, communing, and playing. Private trekking permits are now issued, too, and in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest you also have the incredible opportunity to participate in an emotional habituation experience with conservationists. This is the ultimate in wild mountain gorilla encounters, and something we wholeheartedly recommend you try.

There are more than 100 species of lemur, all of which are endemic to Madagascar. Tragically, however, they are the most threatened group of primates as man strips away their natural habitat. Lemur are also hunted for bushmeat. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature fears that 90% of lemur species could become extinct within 25 years.

On Madagascar, the most inspiring place to stay is at Miavana, a stunning eco resort on the coast. The island’s ancient forests are just a 10 minute helicopter ride away. Hiking along the forest trails, lemur will be all around you. Look out in particular for golden crowned sifaka, crowned lemur, and Perrier’s sifaka.

The Ranomafana National Park is another great location for lemur spotting as there are around 20 different species here. Berenty Reserve is the centre for primate studies, and if you’ve ever watched a television documentary featuring lemur, there’s a strong chance it was filmed here. It’s possible to take night walks at Berenty, enabling you to see nocturnal lemur in addition to their diurnal neighbours.