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 perfected the art of ambushing cars for food, and a nasty male leopard who chased away six other leopards when he moved into the area!

Mevan also tells us about the one leopard encounter that still gets his heart racing after thousands of sightings, why Sri Lankan leopards are the prettiest in the world, and the split second moment that separates an ordinary shot from the one you'll never forget.

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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've learned along the way. Caren also grills me on where I'm headed next, and I'll be honest, there's a moment toward the end where she says something that caught me completely off guard. 😮

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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 Ratna has been instrumental in training the first batch of women guides in Central India since 2011, and what it really takes to lead on safari as a woman in a male-dominated field. Karen and Amy are asking all the good questions too, from love stories to future plans in lesser-known sanctuaries.

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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 river with some local street dogs, and Karen made such a good impression helping an elderly lady down a massive flight of stairs that I reckon she's earned some serious karma points.

Today we're heading up to around 4,500 metres into a valley called Shanglung—which literally means the valley of wolves. Our wildlife expert is out there trying to spot a Eurasian lynx (even rarer than a snow leopard to spot), along with wolves, woolly hares, and golden eagles. The weather is absolutely cracking, and we've got David Bowie pumping as we drive towards the mountains.

This is the best start to a day!

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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 we're heading up to around 4,500 to 5,000 metres into Shanglung, the Valley of the Wolves. We're on the lookout for Eurasian lynx (even rarer to spot than snow leopards), wolves, woolly hares, and golden eagles. The weather is perfect, the sky is clear, and Dorje reckons we've got a real chance. Come along as we venture deep into one of the most remote and wild corners of the planet.

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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 stunning photos of these gorgeous little antelope mid-flight. But the real magic happened with the predators. We spotted Indian gray wolves, including a male with a fresh kill, and then something I absolutely didn't expect: five wolf puppies with their mother across a lagoon. But that wasn't even the highlight. We also saw jungle cats with kittens, and then came the moment that stopped us dead: a striped hyena. Not once, but twice. Same spot, same time. Our guide knew her routine, and patience paid off in ways I've never experienced before.

Now we're headed to Gir National Park on the search for Asiatic lions. I've spent loads of time with lions in captivity and in the African wild, but these ones are something entirely different. Come along as I chase the story of how these lions ended up where they are.

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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 (from Namibia to the Serengeti) after studying at Sokoine University of Agriculture. He's a true professional who's lost count of how many lions he's immobilised, working tirelessly with the brilliant team at KopeLion to mitigate human-wildlife conflict. From reinforcing community bomas in Kikesio with local guardians to tracking ageing lionesses like Nadine and the elusive Nang'ida in Ndutu, his mission is all about creating a harmonious bridge between the Maasai pastoralists and the predators that roam their borders.

But working with Africa's heavyweights means facing down moments that'll make your heart stop. While darting lions is almost second nature to Dickson now, nothing prepares you for the sheer unpredictable danger of a black rhino in the thick bush. He recalls one terrifying operation where he had to step out of the safety of the vehicle and track a massive, injured black rhino completely on foot!

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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 Ndutu, where I’m back among lions I’ve followed and photographed for years. In the dark, we sit with two massive males, as their roars shake the vehicle, and I spot my first striped hyena in Ndutu, which was a ridiculous little safari gift.

The heart of this episode is Nang’ida, a wild lioness from the Twin Hills Sisters story, as the team prepares to replace her collar. I follow along with Kimani, Ingela, Dennis, Ndolok and Dr Wambura as they locate her, dart her, check her condition and wait for her to wake safely in a landscape full of hyenas and other lions. It was tense, emotional, slightly cheeky, and one of the greatest privileges of my safari life!

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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-time Tanzanian guide and dear friend, Firoz, who knows this landscape like the back of his hand. Together we talk about how we each found our way into this life, what still gives us that rush every time we head out on game drive, and why the best safaris are never just about ticking off animals from a list.

We get into the things guests don’t always see at first, the pressure guides carry, the trap of chasing the perfect photo, the emotion that catches people off guard, and the way a place like this can quietly rearrange something inside you.

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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 can’t wait to see what the Serengeti has in store for us.

I’m joined on this adventure by Tim and Mark (two legends I once shared a shipping container with in a frozen Antarctic storm) who’ve brought along Tim’s parents, Max and Valerie. It’s been awesome watching them trade their quiet life in Tasmania for the organised chaos of the Arusha markets and the raw grit of the Ndutu plains.

One afternoon in the scrub (just when we thought we’d seen it all) we were watching two massive elephant bulls having a bit of a scrap - and one of them turned his focus directly on us and started a charge!

I hope you enjoy this episode, and if you do, please leave a review - and share it with your fellow safari lovers!

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