Zarek Cockar - Privately Guided Safaris

13/04/2024

- ZAKOUMA -
The richness and abundance of Zakouma is often astounding. A pan with almost 10,000 Black-crowned Cranes, Knob-billed Ducks, and Spurwinged Geese is also a crucial waterhole for thousands of Tiang, Lelwel's Hartebeest, Waterbuck, Kob, and more Bohor Reedbuck than most people see in a lifetime. And all of this is overflown by tens of thousands of Doves and hundreds of thousands or millions or Red-billed Quelea forming endlessly changing murmurations, swerving to escape kites, harriers, kestrels, fish eagles, and Marabous all hungry for a snack. No photos or video could ever do Rigueik Pan or nearby Dikeri justice. And I will never tire of it.
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Guiding for Chalo Africa in Zakouma National Park with massive respect for African Parks
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04/04/2024

- ADDAX -
By 2016 only around 40-60 Addax were left in the wild, in 4 disparate populations around the Sahara - fewer than 10 of these were left in Chad. They were declared Critically Endangered, and it seemed their extinction was close at hand. Unregulated hunting and poaching using automatic weapons and motorised transport across their range were at the centre of this decline. But, once again, the hard work of Sahara Conservation and Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi intervened to stop that from happening. A reintroduction programme was started in Ouadi Rimé Ouadi Achim Faunal Reserve in central Chad, and by 2020, they were celebrating their first wild birth in decades.
Now, over 100 Addax roam these vast plains, a combination of introduced adults and a good number of subsequent wild births. A further 10 have been transferred further north into the Ennedi reserve at the end of last year. So while numbers are still exceptionally low, hope continues to grow for this incredible antelope.
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Like their Oryx cousins, Addax are supremely well adapted to their arid environment. They spend most of the day in the shade, nasal panting, & opting to do most of their eating in the cool hours before sunrise.
- with Chalo Africa
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31/03/2024

- Scimitar-horned Oryx -
Declared 'Extinct in the wild' in the late 90s, this species suffered precipitous declines from over-exploitation through civil war and unregulated vehicle-based hunting across their Sahara-Sahel range. But with the hard work of Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi and Sahara Conservation these Oryx now roam the deserts and plains once more through a very successful reintroduction programme in Chad's Ouadi Rimé Ouadi Achim (OROA) Faunal Reserve.
After their latest IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assessment, they're now considered 'Endangered', having completely slipped over the 'Critically Endangered' designation.
Over 600 individuals now roam the dry, sandy grasslands or OROA, a combination of introduced adults, wild births, and subsequent generation births!

This is a story of conservation success and hope. Ironically, some of the highest Scimitar-horned Oryx numbers in the world are in big hunting ranches in Texas. And it's from these ranches that some of these reintroductions originate. Unregulated hunting/poaching can have disastrous effects on wildlife, but well-regulated hunting provides a value to wildlife that can result in an increase in habitat and populations.
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- With Chalo Africa
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29/03/2024

- Moila Snake -
Also known as a False Cobra, the spread hood display is so convincing that I yelled out "Cobra!" as we passed it next to the road. It was only after we'd stopped and I could get a close up view that I realised this was something else entirely.
Apparently one of the most common large snakes of the Sahara and northern Sahel, it's a primary food source for the Beaudouin's Snake-eagles so often gracing the skies.
Rear-fanged with haemotoxic venom, very little is known about the potency, but by all accounts a bite is unlikely to prove lethal.
- with

28/03/2024

The colours of Ennedi
- with .ennedi

25/03/2024

- The Nomad -
A Daza, or Toubou, nomad and his son make their way across a rare grassy plain between the towering sandstone cliffs of Ennedi.
With in .ennedi

21/03/2024

- Desert Biodiversity -
Contrary to what many believe, deserts are not void of life, but rather havens for a host of specially adapted species, many of which are nocturnal. One just has to look at the average sand dune to see a wide variety of tracks and signs. Tramlines, tail drags, hops, slow walks, burrows, take-off points - they're all there in all shapes and sizes.
Over 5 days in the Sahara proper we saw 12 mammal species, 46 bird species, 6 herps, at least 1 fish species, and uncounted invertebrates.
The lizard above is a Long Fringe-fingered Lizard (Acanthodactylus longipes), a lightning fast denizen of the dunes.
With in .ennedi

18/03/2024

- ANCIENT ROCK ART -
The Ennedi masssif is littered with scores of ancient rock art sites dating back 4,000 - 10,000 years, some from a time when savanna wildlife and cattle still roamed the plains, before it all dried out. Some of it is reasonably easy to decipher, while other images leave one scratching one's head. It's all a fascinating window into the Sahara's human and environmental past, a new dimension to add to a classic safari beyond wildlife and scenery.

17/03/2024

- Guelta d'Archei -
An incredible canyon with a cold water spring in the middle of the sweltering Sahara Desert. Witnessing the daily parade of camels and donkeys to this spring feels like a step back in time. Barbary Falcons hunt Rock Doves over the camels heads, and 3 West African Crocodiles, mysteriously, ply the waters, eating mostly fish and possibly a few frogs.
African Parks Ennedi Natural & Cultural Reserve is an astonishing place of rugged beauty, rich cultural heritage, ancient history, and fascinating biodiversity.
Guiding for Chalo Africa with Eyte' Voyages Tchad

19/02/2024

- Kenya Montane Viper -
A "near-threatened" Kenyan endemic. I did a little dance when we found this amazing snake up in the Aberdares last month. A lifer for me, and one I've dreamt of seeing for years.
Threatened by habitat loss through fire and by opportunistic, unregulated collection, the population trend is unknown, as there just isn't enough funding to conduct regular assessments of every reptile species in Kenya.
When you're walking around the thick moorland tussock of the Aberdare mountains or Mt Kenya, watch where you step!

15/02/2024

- AFRICAN WOOD OWL -
One of around 420 bird species we encountered on a recently completed safari around Kenya. Owls are some of my favourite birds.
Despite the many superstitions that surround them, owls are great birds to have around to keep rodent, reptile, and insect populations in check. Owls are not evil. They're intelligent and crucial predators keeping ecosystem processes in balance.

24/12/2023

Wishing you all a happy Christmas and new year. Stay safe.

30/11/2023

*Last Minute Opening*

Take advantage of a last-minute opening on our Chad Adventure slated to take place from Feb 22 to March 8, 2024. This expedition-type all-charter flight safari will visit the Ounianga Lakes, Ennedi Reserve, Ouadi Rimé & Zakouma NP. The last minute cost of this open spot is 11,750 Euros (no SS), which is a huge bargain compared to the original price of Euro 16,260 per person! Don’t let this one slip you by!

https://www.chaloafrica.com/safari-tours/lets-go-to-chad-in-2024-with-zarek-cockar/

Chalo Africa Let's go to Chad in February 2024 to Ennedi – Ouadi Rimé Ouadi Achim – Zakouma, 6 Person small group.

12/10/2023

- Gabon 2024: 3 Spaces Left! -
Come join me in Gabon in August 2024! A phenomenal country with 88% forest cover and masses of biodiversity, this is the best opportunity to see a Mandrill in the wild, along with Red River Hogs, Forest Elephants, Western Lowland Gorillas, and heaps of rainforest birds. Check out the link below to access a PDF to download all the details. Get in touch with Chalo Africa to sign up! 3 spaces left!
https://www.zarekcockarsafaris.com/post/let-s-go-to-gabon-in-2024

02/10/2023

- African Wolf -
One of my favourite sightings of the year so far. We found a good spot to scan and it hadn't been 15 minutes before we caught a glimpse of dust being kicked up in a chase. We swung the car around just in time to watch this African Wolf catch a hare. No sooner had he subdued it and a pair of marauding Tawny Eagles who'd been watching were attacking him to steal his meal. Luckily his mate appeared and they managed to fend off the eagles to enjoy their meal in peace.
And the best part? Despite being in Amboseli in peak tourist season, we enjoyed this sighting all to ourselves in a quiet corner of the park, right at golden hour.
"Wolves", you say? Yes! What for years were referred to as Golden Jackals have been shown to be related closer to the European Grey Wolf than to any Jackals in Africa or Eurasia. So they've been reclassified as African Wolves or African Golden Wolves (Canis lupaster).

24/09/2023

- International Gorilla Day -
September 24th is International Gorilla Day. Africa has 2 species of Gorilla, Western and Eastern, each with 2 subspecies. This is the Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) which is faring better than any of the others, with a large percentage in Gabon's vast forests. This is the Silverback, Kamaya, of the only habituated group in Loango National Park, Gabon, the Atananga group.
He let us watch him and his family eat and explore the flooded forests of the Iguela Lagoon for an hour before disappearing beyond an uncrossable marsh. What a privilege and an honour it is to be allowed to spend time in their company.
With Royle Safaris

22/09/2023

- WORLD RHINO DAY -
A day to think about what we've done to these iconic animals and how we can be better in the future?
Poaching for their horn has been the leading cause of their decline across their range since the 1950s.
Between 1960 and 1995, Black Rhino numbers across Africa dropped by 98% to a historic low of only 2,500 individuals. We're now up to around 6,000, which is great, but they're still considered Critically Endangered due to the threats they continue to face in many areas, from poaching to habitat loss.
With a growing human population, habitat loss is a complicated issue to solve, but you'd think poaching would be simple enough. Cut off the demand, and that'll stem the supply, right? Easier said than done.
Anyway, spread the word: Rhino horn doesn't have any medicinal properties. Zero. None. Nada. Zilch.
Beautiful Eastern Black Rhino female and calf from Maasai Mara, one of the few places where ALL the rhinos are part of the original population.

21/09/2023

Lions on a giraffe kill.
Tsavo East. This is the same look of discomfort and regret I have after a big family holiday meal. But it doesn't stop me from going for seconds.....

02/09/2023

International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) 2023.
Invaluable contributors to a healthy ecosystem and to human public health, these cleaners and stoppers of disease continue to decline across Africa (and South Asia) from various growing threats. In East Africa their deaths ate often an unintentional biproduct of human wildlife conflict - pastoralists lace the carcasses of livestock killed by mammalian predators with over-the-counter deadly pesticide poisons in vengeance. They may kill a handful of lions, but it also ends up killing scores of vultures, Tawny Eagles, Jackals, Bateleurs, and everything else down to flies and carrion beetles.
Further threats include collisions and electrocution with energy infrastructure. At least one nesting site of Critically Endangered Ruppell's Vulture is severely threatened by a nearby wind farm. National Parks like Tsavo East are criss crossed with massive powerlines that vultures and other large birds collide with.
Why should we care? Because vultures keep disease at bay. They stop rabies, tuberculosis, anthrax, etc. in their tracks. Without vultures, mammalian scavengers actively spread these diseases to domestic animals and eventually to us humans.
India's has had to spend over $34 billion in public health as a direct result of their vulture populations crashing by up to 99%.
Its kind of a big deal.
Meanwhile we've lost up to 92% of all our Ruppell's Vultures, 88% of White-headed Vultures, 81% of White-Backed Vultures, and 79% of Lappet-faced Vultures over 3 generations.
It's estimated that only 5,000 individual White-headed Vultures remain in Africa today.
So spread the message that we need to do more to protect our vultures from the myriad threats they face and ensure their long term survival and a revival of their dwindling populations.

25/08/2023

- Tana River Crested Mangabey -
It was good to get back to the Tana River Primate National Reserve earlier this month to see the Mangabeys and TR Red Colobus. We also saw Pousarge's Monkey, Vervets, Yellow Baboons, Small-eared Galagos, Kenya Coast Dwarf Galagos, and Senegal Lesser Galagos, bringing our total primate count to 8. The primate reserve certainly lives up to it's name.
But it's underfunded and somewhat forgotten about by KWS. It needs more visitors. It's easy to get to on a great tarmac road in a safe area. And the campsite there is surely one of the best in Kenya. Excellent birding, beautiful, huge trees, Bushpigs, elephants, you name it. And the local guides there are serious fundis when it comes to trees and primate behaviour.
So what are you waiting for?
FYI, both the Tana River Mangabey and the Tana River Red Colobus are endemic to that region - they cannot be found anywhere else in the world. And they're both Critically Endangered due to small (and decreasing) populations from habitat loss, bushmeat poaching, and human-wildlife conflict. TRPNR needs your tourist dollars and Shillings to protect these unique species.

17/08/2023

- SOKOKE SCOPS OWL -
I will NEVER tire of seeing these birds, the smallest owls in Africa, whenever I visit Kenya's north coast, where they're near-endemic (a small population has been found just across the border in Tanzania's Usambara Mountains).
These owls are listed as "Endangered" due to their small, fragmented range and declining suitable habitat.
We know where they roost, we know what they eat (primarily beetles on the ground), but no one has ever seen a nest. It's assumed they nest in tree cavities like many other small woodland owls, but no one knows for sure!
Arabuko Sokoke Forest is a true gem of biodiversity, and it needs funds from visitors to keep it so. I strongly encourage everyone visiting Malindi and Watamu to spend at least 1 morning in there (but these owls are best viewed in the late evening) .
Massive thanks to Albert Baya from Spinetail Safaris as always for his help finding so many great birds around Watamu. Local guides like Albert are often on the front line of conservation in their area, educating fellow members of the community and conducting patrols with rangers. Supporting local guides in places like Arabuko is so important. Albert is surely one of the best birding guides on the coast (and the whole country).

21/07/2023

- RED RIVER HOG -
Now THAT, my friends, is a Hog! Just an exquisite animal.
More closely related to a Bushpig than a Warthog, these hogs spend most of their time secretly moving through thick rainforest in areas where you could spend weeks and never catch a glimpse. Luckily, in some areas like Loango National Park, in Gabon, they sometimes grace us with their presence out in the open, and may even approach to satisfy their curiosity about us.
This was absolutely one of the highlights of my recent trip to Gabon, guiding for Royle Safaris

13/07/2023

- Forest Elephant -
Loango National Park in Gabon provides great opportunities to view and photograph this otherwise shy species as they come out of the forest into open glades and river banks to feed and drink. Being in a boat along the Akaka River allows for some great low angle viewing.
Forest Elephants and Savanna/Bush Elephants split off from each other around 1.9 million years ago and they're now generally considered a separate species altogether. They occupy a range throughout the Guineo-Congolian rainforest belt from Guinea in West Africa across to western Uganda in the East.
And although they're considerably smaller than bush elephants, the mature bills still cut an imposing figure on a river bank when viewed from water level.
Guiding for Royle Safaris

08/07/2023

- KAMAYA - The Silverback
A loving father and protector of his family group. This 30 year old leader of the Atananga group in Loango National Park, Gabon, gave us some great views through a clearing in the thick undergrowth.
With an estimated total population of around 300,000 across their range, (Western Lowland Gorillas are faring much better than their Eastern counterparts. Loango holds an estimated 80-120,000, but only this family group is habituated to humans and readily allows visitors.
Unlike Mountain Gorillas that feed largely on Montane Bamboo, Western Lowland Gorillas are known to feed on various parts of over 160 different plant species in Loango! They spend much of their time high on the canopy, making them difficult to photograph, which is why this was such a special moment.

Guiding for Royle Safaris

30/06/2023

- MANDRILL -
Probably one of the most challenging primates to view, observe, and photograph clearly. This is a female. The males are absolutely magnificent with their bright blue and red faces and the bluest of blue backsides you can imagine. We saw flashes of blue through the undergrowth, and heard them, but capturing a photo was impossible.
This troop consists of over 850 individuals. Another troop in the area has 1200 members! Just an astonishing species, and an absolute honour to be leading a group here, in Lope National Park, Gabon, to view them.
Thanks very much to Royle Safaris for this opportunity.

29/06/2023

- STRIPED HYENA -
One of my all-time favourite mammals. Most of my sightings have been at night on a spotlight drive or at a waterhole. Daytime sightings are rare and often fleeting. But we had this individual all to ourselves for almost 10 minutes on top of Shetani Lava Flow in Tsavo West. Shy, and a little unsure, it eventually got bold enough to come closer and investigate before slowly wandering off to continue foraging.
Unlike their spotted counterparts, they tend to be solitary or live in small family groups, often in burrows in the ground.
I'm always on the lookout for them when I'm their preferred habitat (dry Acacia-Commiphora savannah) so this was a real highlight of a recent trip to Tsavo.

07/06/2023

Surveying all that's on offer across the plains, a lioness wakes up from a nap in the bright mid-morning sun to take stock.

05/06/2023

Black Rhino in the late afternoon surrounded by Lewa's silvery grass.