‘There is sometimes a disconnect between wilderness as a living system
and wilderness as an Instagram backdrop’
In light of an apparent increase in wildlife incidents, Cameron Doyle, a specialist in conservation tourism and consultant to the Mantis Collection, offers a holistic view on safari safety, conservation and community.
Recent reports, including the tragic death of two women during a walking safari in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park, have put safari safety in the spotlight. Similar incidents have occurred in other regions, including the Kruger National Park in South Africa. These events remain extremely rare compared to the millions of safe safaris enjoyed each year but they highlight important issues that should be better understood.
Is this apparent increase an anomaly or a trend?
Africa’s population has grown from 140 million to 1.4 billion over the last century and this has created extensive pressure on wildlife habitats. Habitat loss, agricultural expansion and increasingly unpredictable climate conditions have changed the way wildlife behaves and moves across the landscape.
As more land is converted for farming, wildlife is confined to smaller areas with fewer resources. Livestock and wildlife increasingly share the same spaces; a cow consumes the same grazing as roughly four impala, which shows how significant this pressure can be. These changes reduce the tolerance wildlife has for human presence, especially where past encounters have involved conflict or displacement, so we have seen an increase in incidents.
Are walking safaris particularly dangerous?
Walking safaris remain one of the most powerful and meaningful ways to connect with nature however, they also bring you into a space where you do not control all the variables.
For example, an elephant encountered on a walk could have been chased away from a nearby village or crop field the previous night. That context is invisible to guests but it informs the elephant’s response to human presence. In these moments, guides are the first line of defence, not only at interpreting behaviour but deciding when to retreat, redirect or calmly stand ground.
In South Africa, rangers leading such walks complete more than 200 hours of dangerous game walking in training. They follow strict protocols and are taught that firearms are a last resort. Even so, a protective elephant, moving at full speed at close distance, leaves very little margin for warning shots or hesitation.
Many guides recall moments where quick thinking and small margins made the difference. Such incidents are reminders that wildlife is inherently unpredictable and precisely why strict standards and situational awareness are so important.
The wilderness is not a theme park
Safari experiences are often marketed as intimate, immersive adventures. While that is true, it must be balanced with clarity around the realities of wild systems. Responsible operators never overstate danger but it can be easy for messaging to become romanticised. Viral videos showing dramatic encounters may generate interest but they can unintentionally encourage thrill-seeking and distort the respectful, measured approach that defines professional fieldwork.
Human behaviour: The other half of the risk
While ecological pressures drive much of the risk, human behaviour is a factor we can control. In self-drive situations, it is increasingly common for tourists to leave their vehicles for a better photograph or move too close to wildlife. In some areas, drones are flown despite clear rules prohibiting them. These behaviours stem from viewing wilderness as a backdrop rather than a living system.
True safety relies, not just on guides and protocols but on guests being willing to follow instructions and accept that wild places do not need added danger to be meaningful.
Guided walks, when conducted by qualified professionals in appropriate settings, are safe and transformative. But they depend on a few non-negotiable rules that exist, not to restrict the experience, but to protect both people and wildlife.
At Mantis, registered qualifications such as FGASA are mandatory and lead trails guides must log substantial situational hours, under pressure. These are not seen as formalities but as investments in long-term guest trust and wildlife protection.
Do you feel that human risky behaviour and over-confidence in a wild environment plays a significant role?
As someone bluntly put it: “You can be stupid in the bush or you can be old. You cannot be both.”
Guidelines for bush safety include:
- Never run: It can trigger predator/prey responses.
- Stay in single file: This keeps the group controlled and visible to the guide.
- Be wind-wise: Avoid routes where wind carries scent toward wildlife.
- Avoid sudden movements: Even raising a camera can provoke defence.
- Keep quiet: All communication is managed by the guide.
- Trust your gut: If unready, don’t go, once in the field, the guide is in charge.
- Don’t try to interpret animal behaviour yourself, signs are easy to misread.
Critical moments: When and where to be extra vigilant
Certain encounters carry higher inherent risk: A female elephant with a calf; a lone buffalo in dense vegetation; a predator feeding on a fresh kill or a hippo during dry season with limited water. These situations are often avoided entirely. The goal is not to push into danger but to experience wildlife on their terms, within appropriate boundaries.
Tourism, conservation and community
Tourism remains one of the most powerful tools for conservation. It funds anti-poaching work, employs rangers, supports education and directs economic value to areas where there may be few sustainable alternatives. However, for this model to endure, communities must be part of the solution, not simply beneficiaries but genuine partners.
If people living alongside wildlife feel unsafe or unsupported, their willingness to support conservation decreases. Often, these communities face higher everyday risks than tourists do and with far fewer options for mitigation.
Investment in early warning systems, community patrols, fair compensation and open engagement is essential. When communities feel protected and valued, they are far more likely to see wildlife as an asset rather than a liability.
Conservation is a dynamic, evolving process. It works best when community, tourism and wildlife are understood as a single, interdependent system. If we want these wild areas to exist in the future, we must invest in shared responsibility, safety and long-term education.
