African Wanderer Safaris

23/01/2024

An unusual find Rock Rhino

24/12/2023

Merry Christmas from all of us at African Wanderer 🎄 🎅

Thank you for your being part of our journey in 2023, looking forward to all that 2024 brings 🎁

#2023

06/09/2023

Thank you to Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge for an amazing opportunity to experience Chilo and Gonarezhou National Park.

25/08/2023

28 and her daughter. I cannot believe how fast the baby is growing

30/07/2023

Moments in Matobo 🌄🦏

Thanks for sharing, Denis Grace 📸

11/06/2023

Another incredible close encounter with African Wanderer 🦏

📷

04/05/2023

Ian has been called the "rhino whisperer" and here, you can see why.

How would you feel getting this close to these majestic creatures?

04/05/2023

Matobos newest rhino 🦏

44 has a new baby boy, now 3 weeks old

📸 Dylan from MHL

04/04/2023

A South African entrepreneur built the world’s largest rhino farm. Here’s how everything fell apart—and what that means for the future of these at-risk animals.

30/03/2023

Thanks for the article John, a great read 👌

Ian Harmer - Rhino Whisperer
One of the leading lights and drivers of rhino conservation in the Matobo Hills is a local legend named Ian Harmer. Ian takes daily half and full day tours into the wonderful Matobo Hills to explore its rich scenic beauty, its unique historical and cultural history and his speciality are the rhinos. Ian is often referred to as “Mr Rhino” and it is easy to see why as a rhino encounter guided by Ian is one of the most amazing and captivating experiences anyone can ever have while on safari.
Ian is a born and bred Zimbabwean, but his family history goes way back to the days of the warlike Matabele nation who once ruled Rhodesia/Zimbabwe. His family farm was actually gifted to his family by the famous Lobengula, king of the Matabele. His connection with his country, the area known as Matabeleland and in particular the Matobo Hills is deep rooted and his knowledge as vast as the areas he roams.
A trip with Ian is unforgettable as you never know when he will stop the vehicle to look at the ground for tracks and then, if all looks correct, we will disembark and plunge into the bush tracking wild rhinos. His success rate is amazing, and we must keep in mind that these are free ranging wild rhinos, not captive bred and conditioned animals. Once we get within sight of these incredible giants then the magic that only Ian can engender happens. He has already provided us with careful instructions on how to behave but his hunting and tracking skills come to the fore once we approach the rhinos. Ian, who is fluent in Matabele, even speaks rhino. Yes, he is the Doctor Doolittle of The Matobos and he will start making the sounds he has learnt over decades, that make the rhinos feel comfortable with our presence, and he is never wrong! I have been with Ian dozens of times and dozens of times we have approached to sometimes as close as five metres of these huge creatures without incident. Ian knows the sounds, the movements, the body language of these wild animals and he knows that as herbivores they mean us no harm if we follow certain protocols he has developed after decades in the bush.
I cannot put words to the incredible feeling of sitting within metres of one of the world’s largest animals, and now most endangered, and feel totally safe but at the same time have the adrenaline coursing through your body because of the raw excitement this encounter generates.
Ian will not just provide this experience, but he will enlighten everyone about the plight of the rhino, and unlike many, he even has solutions which, currently, are falling on the deaf ears of international governments and those who have vested interest in the rhino protection industry. His opinions are based on his experience, and that of the men he supports in the field, who live with the rhino on a daily basis. He knows what these men think as he sits with them and converses in their own dialect and ensures he does everything he can to help keep them in the field.
A great story of success and dedication in the face of extreme difficulties but one which my clients get to participate in and encounter firsthand. If you are passionate about rhinos and would love to visit a World Heritage site, then come with me, and Ian, so we can share the magic of the Matobos and the wonder of the behemoths of this area – all while contributing to their protection. African Wanderer Safaris

31/01/2023

Another wonderful day in Matopos. We found 28 and 229 having a midday siesta. The busk is looking lush with all the rain we have had

25/12/2022

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2023 🎅🎄

From all of us at African Wanderer Safaris 🦏

06/12/2022

We had a great day out

06/12/2022

Last weekend the African Wanderer guides decided to go out and track down some Black Rhino. We got some great results

23/10/2022

166 with her 3 and a half year old daughter and 6 month old son 🦏

You never know what might wander into your path, be road smart when driving through national parks 🚗

12/10/2022

Ian up close and personal with 151 and her son in Matobo National Park 🦏

Have you been on a walking safari tracking rhinos with us?

10/10/2022

White Syringa or Kirkia Accuminata located below Rhodes' grave in Matobo National Park 🌿

📸 H York

03/10/2022

We've finally joined the 21st century.

Follow us on Instagram 📸 feel free to tag us in your posts, past, present or any upcoming adventures 🦓🦏

03/10/2022

Road blocks look a bit different in Africa 🦁

📸 H. York

27/09/2022

🦏 29 and 160 having fisticuffs

Not something you see every day 📷

21/06/2022

Join us in wishing our "Rhino Wisperer", a happy birthday. Have an incredible day in the bush Ian 🦏
Bushman soap has done wonders, you don't look a day over 60 😉

30/04/2022

01/04/2022

A good day in Matopos yesterday. The rhino are looking well. Dams are full . Hippo are happy.

04/11/2021

Just completed a safari with friends at Chitake Springs in Mana Pools. Definitely one of the most exciting of my career.

04/11/2021

Lions hunting Buffalo

05/07/2021

With no tourism we are in Save Valley Conservancy working with GAP ( Guides against Poaching ) doing Antipoaching work in the area. Amazing wildlife and scenery here.

07/04/2021

The rains are over. The bush is lush. The rhino are looking fat and well. 151 with sub adults today in the Matopos