Safari Life with Bobby-Jo

G'day legends!

I'm sitting on the edge of the Indian Ocean in Kumana National Park, southeast Sri Lanka, with my friend and guide Mevan Piyasena. Mevan's been obsessed with leopards for over 40 years, and after the sightings we've just had (10 leopards in Yala, another six or seven here in Kumana), I can see why.

We'll introduce you to a mother leopard called Sankani and her two bold cubs, a notorious tusker named Gamunu who's perfe...

G'day Honey Badgers!

This one's a bit different. I'm sitting in the bar at the Ranthambore Kothi Hotel with a cappuccino in hand, and my guest Caren has completely taken over the podcast. She's running the show, asking me about rutting deer calls, whether human blokes should scream down the street when they're in rut, and what makes a good safari guest.

We talk about the early days with Bradd in Dubbo, going independent, and what I'...

G'day legends!

I'm sitting on the banks of the Bunja River in Kanha National Park's buffer zone with my good mate Ratna, her partner Wasim, and our honey badgers Caren and Amie. Two days ago, Ratna and Wasim surprised me with access to a dhole (Asian wild dog) den just 1.5 kilometres from the lodge, and I got to sit within 15 metres of four-month-old pups and adults. It's honestly a life highlight!

In this episode, we look at how Ra...

G'day Honey Badgers!

I'm still in Ladakh in northern India at 3,500 metres above sea level, and I've officially kicked off our snow leopard expedition. Karen Jenkins is here with me, and we're diving straight into the deep end. Yesterday we spent the day exploring the monasteries, learning about Buddhism and the Wheel of Life from our guide Dorje (I've nicknamed him Dorje Cat for reasons you'll understand). We also hung out by the r...

G'day Honey Badgers!

I'm checking in from Ladakh in northern India at 3,500 metres above sea level, and we've officially kicked off our snow leopard expedition. Yesterday, we spent the day exploring monasteries in Hamath, learning about Buddhism and the Wheel of Life with our guide Dorje (the cat man of Ladakh). My mate Karen even helped an elderly lady down a massive set of stairs, which apparently earns serious karma points.

Today ...

G'day legends!

I'm sitting down on the edge of rural India, fresh off a red-eye from Kilimanjaro with about zero sleep under my belt. Maxine's here with me, and we've just wrapped four incredible safaris in Velavadar Black Buck National Park. This episode is all about what we found there, and mate, it was nothing short of extraordinary.

We saw huge herds of blackbuck, watched them stotting and pronking across roads, and got some stun...

I'm sitting down at Ingela's house on the spectacular rim of the Ngorongoro Crater after an absolutely epic week in the African bush.

In the episode, you'll meet the ultimate conservation badass, Dr Dickson Wambura, the lead wildlife veterinarian for this incredible landscape, alongside the legendary Kimani from KopeLion.

Dickson's journey is one of pure grit, spanning seven years of intense veterinary work right across Africa (fro...

I’m back in one of my favourite places on the planet, the Ngorongoro and Ndutu landscape, catching up with Kimani and the brilliant KopeLion team for a few days of bomas, lion monitoring, dust, rain, roaring males and proper bush nerves.

We start by visiting a Maasai boma that was built to help protect livestock from predators, and I get to hear first-hand how it has changed life for the family using it.

Then we head into Ndut...

This one is a little different!

We’re out in the eastern Serengeti at Serenity Camp, with dust on our boots and the plains stretched out around us, and for once I'm the one being interviewed. Tim has pinched the mic, which means you’re getting a behind-the-scenes chat straight from the bush about guiding, photography, conservation, and what safari life really looks like once the engine’s off.

Joining us is my long-...

For this episode, I’m back in the dust and magic of Tanzania (Kilimanjaro to be exact) and buzzing to be back for the start of safari season!

I’ve just reunited with my absolute badass of a guide, Firoz, along with a group of Honey Badgers who are fresh off the flight from Australia. It’s a butterfly-inducing moment being back in the bush (especially with the short rains finally starting to stir the landscape) and...

I’m sitting down on the edge of the Luangwa River at the iconic Flatdogs Camp, catching up with the absolute legends behind the operation, Jess and Ade. These two are total safari royalty who've spent over three decades dedicated to this wild corner of Zambia. I first met them back in 2017 while working for Conservation South Luangwa, and returning here always feels like coming home.

We’re chatting right from the riverb...

I’m sitting by the Luangwa River at the Flatdogs Camp for a conversation that has been years in the making. Today, I’m joined by a true MVP of the valley, Rachel McRobb.

Rachel is the CEO and founder of Conservation South Luangwa (CSL), and she’s someone I’ve looked up to for many years. She’s a phenomenal human being who has dedicated the last 25 years to protecting this landscape, and I’m so ho...

In this episode, I'm connecting with you from South Luangwa National Park. I'm heading up in a two-seater 1959 Super Cub to see the valley from a completely different perspective.

I sit down with Gareth and Jeremiah from Conservation South Luangwa to talk about the vital role of aerial patrols in protecting this landscape. I haven't seen wild dogs for two years, and spotting a pack with puppies from the air was an incredible highli...

In Part 2 of my chat with Dr. Matt Becker from @zcp_zambia, we're looking at the management challenges, political pressures, and funding hurdles that come with leading a team of 100 people across Zambia's national parks.

Matt shares the exclusive details of his five year collaboration with the BBC on a series that tracks the intersecting lives of dogs, lions, hyenas, and leopards. We're also talking about the resilience of individu...

I'm coming to you from the stunning South Luangwa in Zambia, where I've spent the last two weeks with my good friend, Dr. Matthew Becker. Matt is the Director of the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP), and he's spent the last 17 years dedicated to the conservation of Africa’s most iconic predators.

We're sitting down to talk about the vital work being done across eight Zambian national parks to protect the delicate balance of ...

Well Honey Badgers, I'm connecting with you from my lounge room for a very special start to the year. My nieces Layla, Amirah, and Luna have just finished a day at the zoo, but now they're turning the tables to interview me about my life behind the lens.

You'll hear their unfiltered questions about my favourite safaris, the time I got stranded in South Africa, and the reality of fear in the wild. We're talking about the thrill of ph...

I'm in South Luangwa, Zambia, specifically in Mfuwe. I've joined forces with Conservation South Luangwa (CSL) and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW). We're racing against the clock because an elephant calf has been stuck in the mud for hours, and its mother is pacing nearby, agitated and protective.

You'll hear the raw audio from the back of the Land Cruiser as the team executes a high-stakes plan. We have to immob...

We're drifting through the dense channels of the Mabamba Swamp in Uganda. It's the final leg of our journey and the stakes are high. We're searching for one of the most elusive and prehistoric-looking birds on the planet.

We're talking about the Shoebill Stork. You'll hear the raw audio from the boat as we search for one (hoping for a glimpse) only to have the most incredible encounter!

We then head to the Wildlife Education Centre ...

I am back in Uganda, and cannot wait to share this adventure with you. We are starting in Queen Elizabeth National Park and heading straight for the water.

In this episode, I take you aboard the best boat cruise I have ever experienced on the Kazinga Channel. We're talking elephants getting uncomfortably close, a hippo with a rare pigmentation condition, and a mongoose with a very questionable haircut. But the real magic happens whe...