Blog 1: The Inspiring Story of Why I Wrote Nine Days in Eden

Photo Credit (both): Jenny Brennan

A Story Begins in New York, With Memories of the Okavango Delta

The first pen strokes of Nine Days in Eden, my limited-edition wildlife photography book,were jotted on a notepad, sipping a cup of tea on my sofa, on a hot New York afternoon.  I had just returned from a bedazzling nine-day mobile camping safari through Botswana’s Okavango Delta, one of Africa’s last great wildernesses. Home to African wild dogs, black-maned lions and over 600 species of birds, the Okavango inspired a series of intimate photo essays on endangered species, conservation and the beauty of life in the wild.

Renowned South African wildlife sculptor Donald Greig’s splendid bronze Leopard Descending, recently arrived via DHL from Johannesburg, dominated by drawing room, conjuring up iconic images of the young leopard perched high up in the tree with its kill that I had encountered on a night drive.

From Safari to Story: 17 Photo Tales

It took a few months, inspired by the photos of fellow travellers, Jenny Brennan and Dani Free, landing in my inbox, and by my own images, to pen the contours of my 17 Photo Tales. My memory was filled with black-maned lions from early morning drives, a spotted hyena matriarchy gathering at the communal den at dusk, an alpha female African wild dog waiting for pack members to return from an early morning hunt to feed the 15 pups in the den, the bull elephant ensconced in the Delta waters opposite my tent for the better part of my three-day stay in Khwai, the stealthy footprints of the young leopard making its way silently through the tall grasses.

By writing the 17 Photo Tales of Nine Days in Eden I hope to share insights about each animal portrayed, to show their emotions and social interactions, showcasing their depth and complexity. Such a portrayal transforms them from mere wild animals to beings with rich social lives and intricate emotional worlds. Hopefully, it humbles us to realize we are not the only species to have rich emotional lives as the series of photos of the pride of 8 lions, enmeshed in each other’s embrace in the early morning, reveals.

Photo Credit (both): Jenny Brennan

Conservation in the Wild: A Safari Awakening

For anyone who has been on safari to the Serengeti, Tanzania, witnessing the magical sight, the beginning of the great wildebeest migration, marked by the birth of hundreds of thousands of wildebeest calves in February in the southern Serengeti, conservation (in CAPS!)  becomes a key word etched in one’s mind as one becomes beset by a constant preoccupation – how to preserve all this beauty down the generations.

Witnessing these wonders of the natural world is also an epiphany in understanding how much we have become estranged from the natural world, ensconced as we are in our cities surrounded by high tech gadgets. This is a notion I hope to communicate to readers as a spur to their own action, as an exhortation to engage with wildlife conservation groups to save endangered species like the African wild dog from the brink of extinction. Leopard and lion populations in Africa have also dwindled and the Okavango is one of their last strongholds.

Wildlife Conservation Projects in the Okavango

And, good news! There are some notable conservation initiatives in the Okavango.

The Botswana Predator Conservation Trust (BCPT), headed by American zoologist Dr. John W. McNutt, runs a vital wild dog conservation programme jointly with the University of Zurich. Their goals:

• Understanding the African wild dog movements
• Creating extensive corridors for their dispersal, essential for long-term survival
• Studying large predators like lions and leopards.
• Promoting coexistence between local communities and predators.

The National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project
Launched in 2015, this project aims to conserve the Okavango River Basin, one of Africa’s largest wetlands. Efforts include:

• Biodiversity assessments
• Habitat protection
• Partnering with local communities across Angola, Botswana and Namibia, crucial for water supply, wildlife habitats and local communities.

A Call to Protect the Okavango’s Rich Biodiversity

The goal of writing Nine Days in Eden is to raise awareness of the need to protect and preserve one of the last untouched wildernesses on the planet with its unique biodiversity for generations to come. The Okavango Delta is home to:

• Over 600 bird species, including migratory birds
• 24 globally threatened species, including:
• The slaty egret
• Pel’s fishing owl
• Wattled crane
• African skimmer

Preserving this ecosystem is essential to their survival.

Final Thoughts: Act before It’s Too Late

I hope reading Nine Days in Eden will foster appreciation, for appreciation fosters love, understanding, empathy and action. The animals and birds need us! Once the African wild dogs become extinct, they are gone from the Earth forever. And even in the Okavango region the majestic wattled cranes are endangered due to habitat loss.

We must act before it is too late!