in the wild, although populations are slowly increasing despite a more recent, and concerted, poaching crisis as the price of horn climbs to dizzying heights on the black market.
Cheetahs, once found over much of Africa, are still endangered in most of their former range although this has recently been downgraded from critically endangered to ‘out of danger’.
The giraffe, once considered widespread and relatively common, is now at risk of extinction after suffering a devastating decline in numbers, with nearly 40% of giraffes lost in the last 30 years to habitat loss, civil unrest and illegal hunting.
The African wild dog, formerly widespread throughout sub-Saharan Africa, are today found only in a limited number of protected areas large enough to provide the large home ranges that they require. Just 3,000-5,000 are thought to remain, with most populations continuing to decline.
Habitat loss too continues unabated, with continued logging and deforestation destroying countless hectares of primary forest – the very hotbed of evolution. It is from the forests of central Africa that many of the animals that we see today, including Man, emerged and where new species are still being discovered today. Such unimaginable destruction must surely be Africa’s most crucial concern today.
Demand from China for hardwood furniture is insatiable whilst saphire mining in Madagascar is threatening the habitat of the rarest of all lemur species – the Indri.
Sub-Saharan Africa has more than 500 species listed as critically endangered, over 750 species listed as endangered, over 1500 listed as vulnerable, and over 500 near threatened. The majority of these are trees, ferns, cycads, fish, frogs, bird species and even insects. (Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species)
“Africa is mystic; it is wild; it is a sweltering inferno; it is a photographer’s paradise, a hunter’s Valhalla, an escapist’s Utopia. It is what you will, and it withstands all interpretations. It is the last vestige of a dead world or the cradle of a shiny new one. To a lot of people, as to myself, it is just ‘home’. It is all these things but one thing — it is never dull.” - Beryl Markham, author and adventurer.
To Do List (before you go)
Some of this advice is general travel advice, somewhat pedantic, but run your eye down the list - I'm willing to bet there will be more than one suggestion that you will find useful:
Travel Insurance Essential. You really must take out travel insurance. This is doubly important if you are travelling with children. I cannot begin to tell you how important this is. Things do go wrong – baggage gets lost, flights are delayed, stuff gets stolen and on occasion, you might fall ill and need to go to hospital. Worse still, you might somehow be prevented, by unforeseen circumstances, from even leaving home. Get yourself covered. It really is well worth the added cost – I promise.
Passport Check that your passport is current. Important: Your passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the date of entry into your destination country AND should have at least one blank page for each country you will be visiting (for visas and entry stamps), including a page for your home country. These are actual requirements and not merely precautions.
Tourist Visas (and Tourism levies) Ask your Africa travel specialist which tourist visas you will need, and decide whether you would prefer to get these before you leave home, or on arrival. Most African countries will grant you a tourist visa on entry, either at the airport or border post. A number of countries including Uganda, Rwanda & Mozambique now prefer or require you to pre-register or obtain an eVisa on-line prior to your arrival. You should be sure to check and confirm these requirements with your travel agent. Obtaining a visa on arrival does mean joining the visa queue first, before going through customs and immigration and this does add to the process – but it is usually just a revenue collecting exercise and not especially onerous. If you are short of time, have a tight connection, you might want to consider pre-completing the visa application forms prior to arriving in that country (you can get PDF visa forms for most countries from your travel agent). If doing so online, do start the process early – it can take a week or more to be approved. DO NOT LEAVE THIS UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE.
Dietary requirements & any medical issues If you have not already done so, be sure to make your travel agent aware of any specific dietary preferences or requirements you may have (and any medical issues that you may have that would be helpful for your hosts to know about, e.g. diabetic, sleep apnea or any walking difficulty re stairs or climbing in and out of safari vehicles). Most safari lodges and camps can cater for most dietary requirements or allergies if given prior notice, and will gladly reserve the closest room should you need it.
Communications & Recharging (phones, cameras, laptops)Try to check which of the camps/lodges on your safari itinerary will actually have mobile (cell) phone reception before you leave home, and do not forget to contact your telephone service provider to be sure that your phone is registered for international roaming (and to find out about any idiosyncrasies or incompatibilities that may apply in the countries you will be visiting). Remember too that voice and data roaming are two separate beasts – speak to your service provider about your options before you leave home. Wi-Fi is becoming more available in camps/lodges and this can be a real boon (and reduces your dependence on mobile coverage). Ask your travel agent for more information on the phone and Wi-Fi coverage throughout your itinerary.Be sure to purchase the necessary converter plugs/adaptors for recharging your mobile phone, video, digital camera or tablet/laptop. Each African country has its own plug type (more details below under Safari travel tips) and so a converter/adaptor plug will be necessary (possibly more than one type if you are travelling to multiple countries). If you only remember this at the last minute, you can generally get these at the airport – do not wait till you get to Africa – this is likely to be too late!
Immunisations & Prescription drugs Make arrangements to visit a travel clinic, tropical health centre or your family doctor (GP) for advice on which inoculations you might need, and get them done in good time. This may take a couple of weeks to complete, and some, like yellow fever, should be done up to 10 days prior to travel. Don’t forget malaria prophylactics if appropriate. But do not be alarmed, getting your immunisations up to date is a good thing all round, and especially if you plan to travel (a tetanus booster, Hep A & B, cholera, typhoid are all worth keeping up to date irrespective). If you take regular prescription drugs you will need to work out how much you should have on hand whilst on safari and get your doctor to prescribe the required amounts. Be sure to do this well in advance of your departure, and at the same time, you can discuss your immunization requirements (see above).If your prescription, either by its nature or quantity, is likely to attract the attention of the authorities (i.e. they might suspect you are drug trafficking – I’m serious), it is advisable to get a letter from your physician stating the reason for the medication, the dosage and clearly state that it is for your personal use *. It is advisable for such medication to be kept in their original containers displaying your name and the dosage, and should be carried in your hand luggage rather than your check-in luggage to reduce the risk of loss.* Carrying prescription medication not for your own personal use, or for someone not travelling with you, is illegal (you don't want the authorities to mistake you for a drug mule).NB: Anti-malarial: Be sure to read the instructions for your anti-malarial tablets to check when you need to start taking them – generally this will be at least a few days, or up to a week, prior to entering a malaria area (and for some days after leaving the area).
Flights: When you receive your airline etickets, take a moment to double check all is correct – specifically the spelling of your name (must match your passport) and your travel dates. You will be surprised how often this is not done and complications then arise as a result. It is also a good idea to double check with your travel agent that they have recorded a contact telephone number on your booking and confirm that all seating and meal requests have been noted
