Fraud Blocker Wildlife Focused Africa Safaris Planned by a Biologist / Researcher

Legendary Safari Experiences

Wildlife Biologist-Planning &
Unparalleled Guiding

A safari should be a profound experience. Great guides can touch your heart and fill your mind with a new understanding of the natural world that surrounds you. Witness astonishing wildlife, complete with fascinating behaviors and interactions between species. Engage with people who are soulful and welcoming. Safari is like no other journey, yet most people find a fast familiarity buried deep in their DNA as this is a return to our origins.

A trip to Africa can often overwhelm the senses, much like the number of safari operators available to consumers today can make travel planning an overwhelming decision. That’s where The Wild Source comes in.

So… what makes The Wild Source different
from mainstream safari operators?
The Wild Source is a mission-driven safari operator. We specialize in wildlife biologist-planned safaris, using travel as a conservation tool to empower local people and conserve wildlife and wild places. We are known for our remarkable guiding team, serious wildlife viewing, and creating camp ownership opportunities for local people.
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Extraordinarily Unconventional Safari Experiences

World Class
Guiding

As a tour operator founded by safari guides, we know the experience, knowledge, and passion of your guide is the backbone of the entire safari experience
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Wildlife Biologist Background

Our founder Bill’s biology background informs our planning decisions. Meanwhile, our Tanzanian biologists are actively conducting field research in the Serengeti.
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Revolutionary Partnerships

We are committed to empowering local safari guides to gain ownership of camps that traditionally only benefit foreign expat owners
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Custom
Planning

Our planning team has the personal “boots on the ground” experience and deep knowledge of wildlife destinations to plan the best safari tailored to your interests.
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The Process We Use To Deliver Exactly What You Want

How We Plan Your Ultimate Safari

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It Starts with
Your Dreams

We Stay True to Our Foundation:
The best guides, locations, and local connections are the pillars of our product
 

Sample
Itineraries

We Start with the Big Picture:
We take time to explain the differences between safari styles and destinations
 

Lions in the Ngorongoro Crater

Custom Trip Review
With Our Team

We Get to Know You:
There is no “best” safari! We learn your preferences and what you want to prioritize
 

Book Your Trip
(With Our Help)

We Customize and Iterate:
Your safari planner customizes an itinerary then fine-tunes it with further input
 
Experience on safari

Go On Your Adventure of a Lifetime!

We Prepare You for the Journey:
Once confirmed, we provide a preparation packet to keep you excited and prepared!
 

Our Team

With an international team that works and lives in the USA, Kenya, Tanzania, and Botswana, our relationships spanning two continents make The Wild Source uniquely positioned to design and deliver the safari of your dreams.

We provide the convenience of a fully staffed safari planning and operations office in Colorado, but the quality assurance of our own elite guides, safari vehicles, and operations teams on the ground in Africa.  Learn more about our team by clicking here.

Featured Destinations

THE GREAT MIGRATION AND MORE

Tanzania

Home of the world-famous Serengeti National Park and the Great Migration.

LAND OF CHARISMATIC PREDATORS

Kenya

The original safari country, with some of Africa’s best wildlife in the Masai Mara.

REMOTE AND EXCLUSIVE

Botswana

Untamed, remote wilderness and the unique wonders of the Okavango Delta. 

Featured Itineraries

Epic Mara: Big Cats in Focus

This safari is designed with serious photographers and/or wildlife aficionados in mind. We combine all the essential elements for remarkable wildlife viewing and photographic opportunities. The location is the renowned Masai Mara, unsurpassed for prolific wildlife viewing. The guiding is on the legendary level, utilizing one of our 3 Kenyan guide team who are recognized among the most accomplished in Africa.

Rwanda 4-Day Gorilla Trekking

Gorilla trekking in Rwanda can be added on to any other safari.

Primates of Uganda

Experience up-close viewing of chimpanzees and mountain gorillas.

Quintessential Tanzania: River Crossing Season

With the Great Migration of nearly 2 million animals in the area, the Northern Serengeti is the stage for one of nature's most famed events - the dramatic migration crossings of the Mara River.

Botswana Desert and Delta Safari: Outstanding Value, Top Wildlife and Diverse Landscapes

This safari is customized to take advantage of the best opportunities for the green season in Botswana to observe diverse wildlife.

Ultimate East Africa: Exceptional Guiding in Northern Tanzania and the Masai Mara

This incredible itinerary features East Africa's top guides on a private safari through Tanzania and Kenya.

The Latest from Our Africa Safari Blog

Winter Birding in South Africa

Winter birding in South Africa is fantastic, with a wide variety of unique and colorful birds, many of which stay in South Africa year-round. Here are some of the birding hotspots that our Operations Specialist Judy enjoyed in June (Winter) within South Africa.

Wild Cats of Chile: A Puma Tracking Adventure (Small Group Trip 2025)

Explore Patagonia, the premiere wild puma destination, with a small group. In the Patagonia region of Chile there is a large population that has become visible. Hunting was banned here and the puma found sanctuary in the stunning Torres del Paine National Park. Over generations, sightings increased until reaching a point of becoming very reliable. There can be no guarantee of finding such wide-ranging and elusive cats, but a small handful of expert trackers have mastered the craft and are now finding puma almost daily.

Bushman’s Botswana

Return to the origins of humanity as you head deep into the heart of Botswana and the world-famous Okavango Delta and Kalahari Desert. Experience the Old Way of the Bushmen - the indigenous people of southern Africa.

Okavango Origins – Painted Dog Focus – Botswana Group Trip 2024

This one-of-a-kind small group safari features an exceptional Bushman Guide team from The Wild Source, as you visit an iconic location where African wild dogs have been featured in 2023 films by BBC (Planet Earth 3) and Disney Nature (Animals Up Close). We utilize an authentic mobile camp, the ultimate for safari purists. Here the experience is in dining under the stars while sharing stories around the fire, learning of Bushman culture through the oral tradition, and being connected to the bush and wildlife at all times. You will have a nice level of comfort but never forget your special surrounds!

Featured Group Trip

Realm of the Jaguar and Ocelot Research – 2024 Pantanal Group Trip

August 23 - September 4, 2024

Jaguars have become a magnet for tourism. They are certainly the focal point of this expedition but the thriving jaguar population is also an indicator of the health of this natural system. Many of the species in Brazil’s Pantanal are charismatic, colorful, and/or simply fascinating. There is no doubt this is one of the world’s premier wildlife-watching destinations. This safari is led by The Wild Source’s Brooke Mitchell, along with our in-country Brazilian guide experts. The combination of exploring The Pantanal’s waterways by private chartered boat, with a prime land-based area in the wild southern Pantanal, delivers a remarkable wildlife experience.

This expedition features a unique opportunity to engage with an Ocelot research team (The Wild Source pioneered this in 2018), providing an outstanding chance to observe South America’s next largest spotted cat. The ocelot researcher will lead a number of activities, including game drives in an area where ocelots are frequently observed hunting along irrigation ditches, and we plan to attempt to capture/research collar an ocelot under an effort funded by The Wild Source Foundation.

 The Pantanal, the largest continuous wetland on the planet, was declared a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO and is South America’s primary wildlife sanctuary. With a total area of approximately 150,000 km² and located in the center of the continent, the Pantanal is a biogeographic mixing bowl containing elements of the Amazon Forest, the Caatinga, the Brazilian Savannah, the Atlantic Rainforest and the Paraguayan Chaco. It was formed between 2 and 5 million years ago as a large sedimentary basin and is now an isolated flatland surrounded by several mountainous areas. Biodiversity in the Pantanal includes 656 birds species, 135 mammals, 260 fish species and 50 reptiles. There are excellent populations of caiman, capybara, jaguar, armadillo, giant otters, coati, giant anteater and much more.

Our Reviews

Testimonials from real clients who have traveled with The Wild Source:

Awards and Press Mentions

FORTUNE MAGAZINE

Adventure with a Purpose

The Wild Source was recommended by Fortune magazine.

FODOR'S
 

Top 10 Tour Operator

The Wild Source was named one of Fodor's Top 10 Tour Operators in Fodor's Travel Complete Guide to African Safaris.

Conde Nast Traveller

Locally Owned Safari Camps

Read about The Wild Source's involvement with change-making outposts across the continent that are pioneering a new generation of local ownership in the safari industry.

Forbes

Disruptive Empowerment

Read about The Wild Source difference on Forbes.com. Traveling with us supports local ownership and disruptive empowerment.

CONTACT US

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