There are few places in the world where you can watch wild animals at very close range without them being affected by your presence.  Botswana's Okavango Delta is one of these rare places and if you've never seen it, believe me, it's worth the visit.

Don't worry, elephants don't get ebola.  Well not as far as I'm aware!  But that doesn't mean they won't be severely affected by the disease in other ways.  Indeed, elephant populations will very likely be impacted indirectly and I think we should be very concerned about what's happening at the moment.

Next week, conservationists from all around the world will gather in Sydney for the World Parks Congress, including my very own co-founder of Let Elephants Be Elephants, Nadya Hutagalung, who will be speaking at the world leaders dialogues with the head of CITES, Director General of WWF, Ministers of Environment of Australia and South Africa, and several other esteemed influencers.  They'll be discussing the conservation of protected areas around the world.  Meanwhile, a crisis is unfolding in Africa and in this case it's something that the general public has a big role to play in solving.

I've always wanted to check out the Philippines, and living in Asia for the last couple of years finally afforded us the opportunity to do a bit of exploring.  Ever heard of Palawan?  It's a series of islands to the west of the main Philippines islands, quite off the beaten track and home of the famous Underground River, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is considered to be the world's longest underground river.  Conde Naste magazine recently awarded Palawan the best island award as part of their 2014 Travel Awards - and here's why.

Imagine that you're sitting back with a nice sundowner, with a bowl of nibbles within reach, looking out over the magnificent wetlands of the Okavango Delta at sunset, knowing that a sumptuous dinner and a luxury room awaits you on your return to camp....  Well if you've ever wanted to do it, here's your chance to do it with me in a couple of months time!  It's just over two months til I head to the Okavango Delta, Botswana with a group of Aussies and Singaporeans, and I'm starting to get excited.  Most people travel to the Okavango in the peak dry season (June-October) but what many don't know is that the green season is equally awesome.  Crashing thunderstorms like only Africa can provide, baby animals being born and green grass rather than brown, are just a few of the season's draw cards.  Of course, it's also significantly less expensive to travel then.

Ever wondered what it's like to be a game ranger in Africa?  Find out by watching our second webisode from my Kenyan expedition with Asian TV star Nadya Hutagalung on the Let Elephants Be Elephants youtube channel by clicking here or watching below.  This video is a unique behind the scenes look into the real world that elephants live in today, and the dangers that rangers in Kenya from the Big Life Foundation face on a daily basis.  Take a journey with us into the magnificent East African plains to see what is really happening on the ground.  Please share it on your social networks and help us spread the word!

Today, on World Elephant Day, 12^th August, the Let Elephants Be Elephants team is releasing our first webisode from Nadya and my Kenyan expedition.  It's only 7 minutes long and you can watch it right now below!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfYuodU2hJc&feature=youtu.be&ct=t(LEBE_WEBISODE_LAUNCH8_11_2014)&mc_cid=cec26a5d7b&mc_eid=0a0818c616

If you love baby elephants, you’ll love this short behind-the-scenes video from Africa.  Please help us by spreading it as far and wide in your social networks as you can.  Stay tuned as there are more to come soon!  And don't forget, if you haven't done it yet, please take the pledge to say no to ivory at http://www.letelephantsbeelephants.org Thanks for your support!

Take the pledge to say no to ivory at http://www.letelephantsbeelephants.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read the full article at Sassy Mama by clicking HERE.

 

A long while ago - back in 1995, I met a woman known to the locals in Zimbabwe as Madam Mvuu, which translated into the Shona language means literally 'Mrs Hippo'.  Back when I was aspiring to be a wildlife conservationist in Africa, something that seemed like an impossible dream at the age of about 17, Karen Paolillo encouraged me to take the plunge, not just in her words of encouragement, but by setting a fine example.  While volunteering for her, I recall being in the driver's seat of her dilapidated old Peugeot bakkie, holding my foot on the brakes on a downhill slope near her house, while she tried to save a puff adder that had crawled inside the engine with a long stick, before walking across rocks to where hippos slept in the midday sun, sunning themselves on the river bank.  What an adventure every day was!  For a fledgling researcher, it was the stuff of dreams, and these early encounters with wild animals drove me to help make my dreams a reality.  Almost twenty years later, Karen and I are still friends and I'm delighted to share that her biography, "A Hippo Love Story" has just hit the book shelves.  My oh my, is this a gobsmacking journey!  This is one worth reading, folks.

Two spots have opened up on my Okavango Delta safari this year (26 Nov to 3 Dec) due to 2 unrelated cancellations.  If you are a couple or a single who wants to bring their best mate on one of the most incredible adventures you're ever likely to have, with me as your host, this is your chance!  Please drop me a line by clicking here now.  This was the first safari I offered through my new company, Matson & Ridley Safaris, so the price is lower than it will ever be again for these beautiful Wilderness Safaris camps in some of the best wildlife viewing areas in Botswana.  Grab your chance now!  Contact me for the full itinerary and costing through my Contact Tammie page.

The week before last I went a shade of envy-green....  After finishing up at Earth Hour after 11 years with WWF, my husband Andy Ridley, who, as you all know, I love and adore, travelled to the Okavango Delta in Botswana - without moi!  There he experienced the pure magic that only this part of Africa offers.  There is simply nowhere like the Delta.  Take a look at his photos to see why I was so jealous....  Andy has written the captions below each photo.  If you'd like to join Andy or me in Botswana next year, or if you'd like me to arrange your own personalised African safari through Matson & Ridley Safaris, drop me a line now!  Remember that safari camps in the Okavango are incredibly popular, so if you want your choice of camps it's best to start planning a year in advance.