Conservation Safari | Mopani Expeditions

SAFARIS

CONSERVATION

with

Explore the unexplored wilderness and immerse yourself into the world of African wildlife conservation with this highly personalized safari experience. Our friends and partners at Painted Dog TV have crafted a truly unique experience offering you the chance to dine with biologists, work hands in the field alongside conservation projects, and get an up-close personal view into the world of wildlife conservation.

Your entire trip is catered toward engaging you with nature from the moment you land to the moment you depart Africa. As you navigate through the bush in open seater game viewers you'll find that the rhythm of life changes. You'll start to see life in a new way. There's a saying in the bush, "it takes three days." That's how long it takes your mind to unplug from your world and re-wild itself to engage fully into the African bush. You'll begin hearing bird calls differently. Tracks in the roadways will become more obvious to you. Suddenly you'll recognize the stillness as a sign there could be lions, or leopards, somewhere near-by.

Get in touch to set up a consultation call.

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Meet the Painted Dog Guides

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Brent Leo-Smith

CEO & Founder

Having grown up in the KwaZulu-Natal hinterland of South Africa, Brent Leo-Smith knew that a career in the bush was inevitable. He was home schooled at Phinda Game Reserve and a result is a real “wild child”.

He then tried his hand at studying law, but the bush called him back, resulting in six months in Zambia doing crocodile and big game capture, and running game farms. Brent returned to his then home in Botswana and worked for his father at Kwando Safaris, before making the move to the Kruger National Park to take up a position as a guide at the Lebombo Concession. Later, he went to work at Londolozi Game Reserve as a guide and camp manager.

In 2010, Brent began work in film production, both behind and in-front of camera, having featured on Animal Planet and Nat Geo Wild, where he presented over fifty episodes of the #SafariLive series. In 2019, he co-founded Painteddog TV, a technology driven wildlife and conservation media company.

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Gareth Poole

Presenter, Private Safari Guide & Planner

Gareth is a passionate expert photographic safari guide with over 12 years’ experience at the leading safari destinations in Southern and East Africa.

Gareth’s parents worked in safari lodges in South Africa, with his love for wildlife photography also coming from his father, a former guide himself always in persuit of that perfect shot.

While Gareth enjoys photographing all of Africa’s wild animals and landscapes, leopards hold a special place in his heart. The process from tracking these beautiful yet elusive big cats to finding them and capturing that dream photograph is what excites him the most.

His passion extensive knowledge of the African wild and calm nature makes him an absolute pleasure to be on safari with, whether in-person or on a Painteddog.tv LIVE Safari.