What a Journey Through Africa Taught Me About Conservation

Falling in love with elephants

Our first stop was Game Rangers International (GRI), where orphaned elephant calves are given a second chance after losing their mothers to poaching, human-wildlife conflict or other tragedies.

Watching them thunder down the path towards their keepers for feeding time was unforgettable. Despite their size, they still behaved like excited children, splashing in water, throwing mud over themselves with their trunks and playfully wrestling one another.

It would have been easy to simply admire how adorable they were.

Instead, I found myself thinking about why they were there at all.

Every calf represented a loss. Somewhere, something had happened that meant these elephants couldn’t survive without people stepping in. Rehabilitation isn’t just about caring for orphaned animals, it’s about giving them the skills they need to one day return to the wild, where they belong.

Conservation is about people

As we travelled deeper into the Kafue ecosystem, one message became impossible to ignore.

Successful conservation isn’t only about protecting wildlife. It’s about supporting people.

At Musekese Conservation, we learned how reducing illegal settlements by around 50% wasn’t achieved through fences or force alone. Alongside wildlife protection, the team works with local communities to create sustainable livelihoods.

Women’s savings groups help families start businesses and generate income, reducing financial pressures that can lead to bushmeat poaching. Education, employment and community partnerships all become conservation tools.

Climate change is also adding new challenges. Longer droughts, energy shortages and increasing demand for charcoal mean more pressure on forests and protected areas. People still need to cook, farm and provide for their families, so conservation has to recognise those realities if it is going to succeed.

That was one of the biggest lessons I brought home: conservation works best when wildlife and people both have a future.

Every animal has a story

Some mornings began before sunrise with strong coffee poured into flasks before heading into the bush.

One such morning, we rounded a corner to find a lion carrying part of its prey, its face stained red from the night’s hunt. Nearby, lionesses and nearly grown cubs fed while vultures circled overhead.

Later that same day, our guides tracked a pack of painted dogs using satellite collars. The dogs had cornered a leopard high in a fig tree before it leapt down and disappeared into the bush with the pack close behind.

These moments felt like scenes from a wildlife documentary.

But unlike documentaries, we also saw what happens behind the camera.

Thousands of litres of fuel are used every few months by monitoring teams and anti-poaching patrols. Rangers spend countless hours tracking wildlife, collecting scientific data and responding to threats. Conservation isn’t just dramatic wildlife encounters—it’s persistence, planning and long days in the field.

Small actions make a big difference

One project that particularly stayed with me was the work being done to protect painted dogs.

These incredible animals aren’t only threatened by habitat loss and disease. Something as ordinary as a road can become deadly.

The teams are monitoring vehicle collisions to build evidence that can support changes such as speed restrictions and traffic-calming measures. Active monitoring also allows rangers to slow traffic when painted dog packs are nearby. Last year, three dogs were killed on roads, but without this work, that number could have been much higher.

Elsewhere, researchers collect dung samples to monitor the health of wild populations. Data like this may not sound glamorous, but it helps scientists understand how populations are doing and informs future conservation decisions.

Sometimes conservation is collecting elephant dung.

Sometimes it’s recording roadkill.

Sometimes it’s spending hours driving dusty tracks before seeing a single animal.

Every piece matters.

Inspiring the next generation

One of the most uplifting parts of our journey was visiting local schools and education camps.

Children welcomed us with songs before performing short plays about poaching and wildlife protection. Their performances showed not only the consequences of illegal hunting, but also how communities can choose different futures.

The projects explained that by reaching children early, they hope to inspire lifelong conservation champions. They even invite parents to join the final day of camp so that conservation messages reach entire families.

Watching these young people speak so passionately about protecting wildlife gave me enormous hope.

Why hope matters

There were countless magical moments during the trip.

Watching hippos surface beside us at sunset.

Feeling the cool mist of Victoria Falls drifting across the bridge.

Listening to painted dogs call to one another in the early morning.

Sharing stories around campfires with conservationists whose passion was infectious.

But what I’ll remember most isn’t a particular animal.

It’s the people.

The scientists collecting data. The keepers raising orphaned elephants. The anti-poaching teams working tirelessly across vast landscapes. The educators inspiring children. The communities finding new ways to live alongside wildlife.

Conservation isn’t simply about saving species.

It’s about creating a future where people and wildlife can thrive together.

After two weeks immersed in these remarkable projects, I came home with far more than photographs.

I came home with a deeper appreciation that every donation, every volunteer, every ranger patrol, every education programme and every conversation about nature contributes to something much bigger.

Protecting wildlife isn’t the responsibility of a handful of conservationists in Africa.

It’s something all of us can be part of.

And that’s a journey worth taking.