Are Biking Safaris the New Walking Safaris?

"When Matt Perry, the general manager of the fund, arrived in 2008 to what had been a fairly moribund private hunting concession, he remembers going out on one of his first nights and being surprised to see a series of glowing lights across the plains. They were the fires of poaching camps, literal butchering stations where bush meat was being processed and dried, to be ferried to illicit markets."

"Today the wide-ranging antipoaching effort, led by Glen Steyn, a former British Royal Marine, incorporates manned observation posts and aerial surveillance, and is coupled with community outreach including education and microloans for business development. It has paid off. Since 2003 there has been a 16 percent average annual increase in the numbers of lions and an average 7 percent for elephants, and a general fivefold jump in nonmigrating herbivores."

"Events like this also provide a way to bring the increasingly popular active-travel segment into the safari world, which, despite its rugged reputation, consists largely of being ferried about in Land Cruisers. The money raised will help support years' worth of patrols, go toward hiring scouts for a new rhino reestablishment program, and keep the Special Operations Group, a select crew that includes Mwarancha, up and running."

Singita Grumeti reserve in Tanzania has undergone dramatic conservation transformation since 2008. Once plagued by poaching camps processing bush meat, the reserve now thrives with abundant wildlife including lions, elephants, giraffes, and diverse bird species. Comprehensive anti-poaching measures led by former British Royal Marine Glen Steyn include manned observation posts, aerial surveillance, and community outreach programs featuring education and microloans. Results demonstrate significant success: lion populations increased 16 percent annually and elephant populations 7 percent annually since 2003, with nonmigrating herbivores increasing fivefold. The reserve now hosts active-travel events like safari rides that generate funds supporting ongoing patrols, rhino reestablishment programs, and specialized operations teams.

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