The JONATHAN BENAIAH Podcast

Deep in the jungles of Uganda, wild chimpanzees are doing the unthinkable — self-medicating in ways that most of us thought impossible.

In this groundbreaking episode, Jonathan Benaiah sits down with Dr. Elodie Freymann — primatologist, science storyteller, and member of The Explorers Club — to discuss her astonishing paper on how wild apes engage in intentional, intelligent self-care.

What does this mean for our understandi...

Welcome to Episode 7 of our 7-part series on the history of the Great Kingdom of Buganda.

We are filming inside an ancient palace—now a royal tomb—the final resting place of four Great African Kings—The Kasubi Royal Tombs.

This series uncovers Buganda’s history, royalty, spirituality, conservation, and the restoration of the Kasubi Tombs.

My curiosity runs deep, and their ancestral knowledge will challenge what we think w...

Welcome to Episode 6 of our 7-part series on the history of the Great Kingdom of Buganda.

We are filming inside an ancient palace—now a royal tomb—the final resting place of four Great African Kings—The Kasubi Royal Tombs.

This series uncovers Buganda’s history, royalty, spirituality, conservation, and the restoration of the Kasubi Tombs.

My curiosity runs deep, and their ancestral knowledge will challenge what we think w...

Welcome to Episode 5 of our 7-part series on the history of the Great Kingdom of Buganda.

We are filming inside an ancient palace—now a royal tomb—the final resting place of four Great African Kings—The Kasubi Royal Tombs.

This series uncovers Buganda’s history, royalty, spirituality, conservation, and the restoration of the Kasubi Tombs.

My curiosity runs deep, and their ancestral knowledge will challenge what we think w...

Welcome to Episode 4 of our 7-part series on the history of the Great Kingdom of Buganda.

We are filming inside an ancient palace—now a royal tomb—the final resting place of four Great African Kings—The Kasubi Royal Tombs.

This series uncovers Buganda’s history, royalty, spirituality, conservation, and the restoration of the Kasubi Tombs.

My curiosity runs deep, and their ancestral knowledge will challenge what we think w...

Welcome to Episode 3 of our 7-part series on the history of the Great Kingdom of Buganda.

We are filming inside an ancient palace—now a royal tomb—the final resting place of four Great African Kings—The Kasubi Royal Tombs.

This series uncovers Buganda’s history, royalty, spirituality, conservation, and the restoration of the Kasubi Tombs.

My curiosity runs deep, and their ancestral knowledge will challenge what we think w...

Welcome to Episode 2 of our 7-part series on the history of the Great Kingdom of Buganda.

We are filming inside an ancient palace—now a royal tomb—the final resting place of four Great African Kings—The Kasubi Royal Tombs.

This series uncovers Buganda’s history, royalty, spirituality, conservation, and the restoration of the Kasubi Tombs.

My curiosity runs deep, and their ancestral knowledge will challenge what we think w...

Welcome to Episode 1 of our 7-part series on the history of the Great Kingdom of Buganda.

We are filming inside an ancient palace—now a royal tomb—the final resting place of four Great African Kings—The Kasubi Royal Tombs.

This series uncovers Buganda’s history, royalty, spirituality, conservation, and the restoration of the Kasubi Tombs.

My curiosity runs deep, and their ancestral knowledge will challenge what we think w...

Welcome to our 7-part series on the history of the Great Kingdom of Buganda.

We are filming inside an ancient palace—now a royal tomb—the final resting place of four Great African Kings—The Kasubi Royal Tombs.

This series uncovers Buganda’s history, royalty, spirituality, conservation, and the restoration of the Kasubi Tombs.

My curiosity runs deep, and their ancestral knowledge will challenge what we think we know—while ...

Now Available. I produce a set of interviews in form of a 7-part series on the history of the Great Kingdom of Buganda.

We’re filming inside an ancient palace—now a royal tomb—the final resting place of four Great African Kings.—The Kasubi Royal Tombs

These tapes uncover Buganda’s history, royalty, conservation, and the restoration of this sacred site.We’ll explore spirituality and the myths at the heart of one of Africa’s gr...

Today, we’re recording on location across the Nile River, in the Kingdom of Busoga—home to the Basoga people, an Eastern Bantu ethnic group.

We are with the legendary Nakibembe Embaire Xylophone Group and I will be having a chat with them about the origins, style of play, and conservation of this unique form of ancient music.

Here, the music of the African log xylophone is not just played—it’s lived. And the way the Basoga play ...

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Kia Martina for the first segment from a two-part series on the incredible work that wildlife vets do.

This special feature is recorded ahead of the International Day for Veterinary Medicine. 

Dr. Kia is the resident wildlife vet at the CTC Conservation Center, whose work I have followed and really been fascinated by for a long time.

This is one of those conversations that have been long ov...

This week on the podcast, I sit down with Dr. Kia Martina for the first segment from a two-part series on the incredible work that wildlife vets do.

This special feature is recorded ahead of the International Day for Veterinary Medicine. 

Dr. Kia is the resident wildlife vet at the CTC Conservation Center, whose work I have followed and really been fascinated by for a long time.

You'll enjoy this!

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In this episode, I count down what I believe are Africa’s top 10 safari destinations for 2024. 

These spots are not only breathtaking but capture the incredible diversity of wildlife, landscapes, and heartwarming experiences.

We’re not just talking about the classic savannas but also a few lesser-known gems – places that have changed a lot since my last visit. I’ll share fresh takes on what makes each destination unique and what ...

In an all-new episode coming to the podcast this Sunday, I will count down what I believe are Africa’s top 10 safari destinations for 2024. 

These spots are not only breathtaking but capture the incredible diversity of wildlife, landscapes, and heartwarming experiences.

We’re not just talking about the classic savannas but also a few lesser-known gems – places that have changed a lot since my last visit. I’ll share fresh takes on...

This week's episode is recorded on location, in Entebbe and it is a lot about us coming home.

We explore the incredible world of Mountain Gorillas and other Great Apes as well as a form of conservation that works.

I am so stocked to sit down with an amazing guest, one who understands them more than anyone I know around here; the CEO and Founder of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) and the deeply rich-in-taste Gorilla ...

This week's episode is recorded on location, in Entebbe and it is a lot about us coming home. 

We explore the incredible world of Mountain Gorillas and other Great Apes as well as a form of conservation that works. 

I am so stocked to sit down with an amazing guest, one who understands them more than anyone I know around here; the CEO and Founder of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH) and the deeply rich-in-tast...

In this week's episode, I chat with Fiona Tande, a wildlife filmmaker whose journey started in conservation. We will discuss the world of wildlife filmmaking on the African continent as well as the upcoming Pridelands Wildlife Film Festival.

Fiona is the director at Pridelands Wildlife Film Fest - Africa's first wildlife film festival now in its 2nd edition taking place between 26th and 29th July 2023.

Today is ...

In this episode, I am excited to speak to Dr. Alex Braczkowski, a career conservation biologist and wildlife photographer whose work has been featured on platforms like Disney Plus and National Geographic. Also joining the podcast is Bosco Atukwase and Orin Cornille who are both field coordinators currently working with large carnivores in Uganda. 

We will take a long drive into the world of large carnivores and also briefly d...