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I went to the serengeti in tanzania, africa to find out by scott w poindexter | boldlyexplore.com | adventurer - storyteller - traveler  beautiful cheetah surveying the savanna plains of northwest tanzania from a rocky kopje Mid-morning in the serengeti. The golden light is already warm and full, the plains stretching endlessly in every direction. and then — movement. A cheetah climbs to the top of a large rock, settles, and begins to scan the horizon. unhurried. Completely at home. black streaks down their face and copper-colored eyes reading the landscape with a precision that evolution has spent millions of years perfecting The lens comes up my breath slows in that fraction of a second before the shutter fires, the weight of this moment lands — not just the extraordinary beauty of this animal, but the stark reality of what it represents. One of fewer than 7,100 cheetahs left on earth. A species disappearing so quietly that most of the world hasn’t noticed yet. Leaving a career as a doctor to encounter the world, witness it, share it — to inspire people to get involved, to make a difference for the natural world, whatever way is your way to do it. I know first first-hand a single image, a single moment of genuine connection with the wild, can change what someone chooses to do with their experience. That moment in the serengeti — and thousands like it witnessed across east africa — is one of the reasons why this article exists....once you have experienced it you can't stop thinking about it.  eye to eye with a cheetah in northwest tanzania, this is a moment that changes everything It's more than beauty“The cheetah is not just a beautiful animal. It's a keystone species. Remove it, and the ecosystem it helps hold in balance begins to unravel — quietly at first, then catastrophically.” According to the WWF: “the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is considered a keystone species and a vital apex predator in savanna ecosystems. By hunting small-to-medium-sized herbivores, they regulate prey populations, preventing overgrazing and maintaining habitat health. Their kills also provide essential food for scavengers, supporting a biodiverse ecosystem.” We have seen what happens when an apex predator disappeares from a healthy wild ecosystemYellowstone national park, usa, wolves were hunted to local extinction in the early twentieth century. Without them, elk populations exploded — overgrazing rivers and streams, destroying willows, wiping out beavers. Beavers are a keystone species themselves: their dams create wetlands that support dozens of other species. The entire ecosystem unraveled. When wolves were reintroduced in 1995, the rivers literally changed course. vegetation recovered. beavers returned. The loss of one predator had hollowed out a landscape and its return rebuilt one. The cheetah is not a wolf. The serengeti is not yellowstone, but the principle is universal. For the communities living alongside these animals in northern tanzania — in the serengeti and the enduimet wildlife management area — the disappearance of the cheetah is not a distant ecological concern. It's a direct threat to their grasslands, their livestock, their water sources, and the tourism economy that sustains their families. When a keystone predator is lost, the land itself begins to fail the people who depend on it. A species in freefall - yet we must have hope, must press on and you can be a part of itCheetahs have already vanished from over 90 percent of its historic range — gone from 26 countries where it once thrived. In the serengeti, one of only two places on earth where a population of over 1,000 individuals still exists, the threats are relentless. Habitat loss compresses cheetahs into smaller areas, forcing deadly conflict with livestock. cheetahs lose up to 50 percent of their prey to lions, leopards, and hyenas — animals they cannot fight. The serengeti cheetah project, the world’s longest-running study of wild cheetahs operating since 1975, confirms the population is producing just barely enough young to survive. there is almost no margin for additional pressure. Conservation through a lens4 male cheetahs crossing from tanzania into kenya - enduimet wildlife management area, tanzania One day inside the enduimet wildlife management area along the tanzania kenya border out of nowhere 4 cheetahs emerged far way. I took a large collection of photographs —and donated to amboseli national park in kenya, at the foot of mount kilimanjaro. A vital node in the cross-border corridor connecting tanzania and kenya’s wild places. They use these to keep track of individual cheetahs, each cheetah has it's own unique pattern like a finger print Images have power. A single frame — a cheetah atop a sun-warmed rock, scanning the plain with absolute authority — can reach a person in a way that statistics never can. It creates an emotional connection that crosses language barriers, cultural divides, and continental distances. that connection is the seed of action. “a single frame can reach someone in a way that statistics never can. that connection is the seed of action.” How can you make a difference right now i love this photo - cheetah being a cat - curiousity is one of their enduring qualities You don’t need to be in africa to make a difference. anti-poaching patrols, community livestock programs, and decades of scientific research are all funded by people from exactly where you are sitting right now.
The image that never leavesThere is one image that stays. not one that appears in this article — one carried in memory. a young cheetah female, barely past adolescence, sitting alone on a large rock overlooking the serengeti plains. Always scanning. always calculating. the wind, the light, the grass, the horizon. She turned and looked directly at the camera. not through it, not past it, at it, there was something in that gaze — ancient, alert, completely unbothered by the enormity of what this species faces. She did not know that fewer than 7,100 of her kind remain. she did not know that three generations from now, if we do nothing, her descendants may not exist. She knew only the wind, the light, the grass, and the horizon. we are the ones who know and that knowledge is not a burden -- it is a gift, it is the reason for this work — every hour in the field, every frame, every story shared decide to act, right now, today. the cheetah cannot advocate for itself but we can. “we are the last generation with a real chance...let that be the reason we act, not the reason we give up.” about the authorscott w poindexter is a wildlife conservation photographer, photojournalist, adventurer, traveler and storyteller. leaving a career as a doctor to encounter the world, scott now shares stories through boldlyexplore.com to inspire deeper connection with the natural world — from kenya’s grevy’s zebra trust to the serengeti’s great plains. walking across america for wildlife crossings to his cheetah photography has been donated to amboseli national park, kenya. follow his work on instagram and linkedin. boldlyexplore.com #cheetahonservation #serengeti #wildlifephotography #savethecheetah #boldlyexplore #amboselinationalpark #enduimetwildlifemanagementarea
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5 Quick Tips on How to Explore and Have Fun in the U.S. National Parks with a Conservation Mindset3/2/2026 Would you like to have a better experience for you and your family on your travel to a National Park? Read On “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity” ― John Muir, Our National Parks  that cover 52.2 million acreas, more that anyone could ever cover in a lifetime. Amazing Right! And every year millions of people travel to and visit these parks and never really understand or appreciate what it has taken, what it still takes and most importantly will continue to take for these national treasures to survive. What each of us does before, after and while visiting any national park can either help or greatly damage these national treasures. The nature, wildlife and natural resources inside the parks. What you'll get from this blog post to help your travel plans are great tips on how to get the best experience out of your trip to national parks. As well as do more than just visit by "making a difference" while visiting and after you leave the national park(s).  Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming Have you ever heard of Kaplan's attention restoration theory? How about Plutchik's psycho-evolutionary theory of emotion? Both of these theories stress the importance of bringing nature into one's life.
The attention restoration theory, hypothesizes that exposure to nature helps us to renew attention after challenging mental endeavors, improving our focus and ability to concentrate. The psycho-evolutionary theory takes us back to our ancestral development. Plutchik theorizes that primary emotions are evolutionary, and that our responses to these emotions are likely to deliver the highest level of survival possibility. For our ancestors, this would be things like open spaces enabling us to be alert to predators, and water... things you can find in nature. Since these are hard to come by in our urban societies, it makes sense that city residents are prone to higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Not only is spending time in nature enjoyable, but research shows, that Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the never ending noise and fast paced actions of western society? Concrete, plastic, noise, destruction, consumption? it never seems to end and it takes a huge toll on our human emotional, physical and spiritual well being. "Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better" Albert Einstein CRAZY! Nature-based recreation has declined 35 percent in the U.S. in the past four decades, according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.  I'm not sure I need to go to deep into research articles to convince anyone of the above truths. A quick google search will bring up numerous articles to read. But here you go for you worker bees from Entrepreneur believe it or not about taking work outside. And here's a recent article published by Yale University Forestry and Environmental Studies on Ecopsychology! And one of the greatest articles to read about this truth is "Take 2 Hours of Pine Forest and Call Me in the Morning". shows numerous benefits from walks and experiences in nature (without your ipod or phone) decreasing stress hormones, increasing immune cells and calming of the prefrontal cortex our thinking area. It needs rest. Yet, reading articles does nothing to get you into nature and out on an adventure by yourself or with family. Take a moment right now just stop and imagine a trip into nature into fresh air and being surrounded by beautiful colors no car or western noise to find just pure natural sounds of the wind, birds, squirrels the music of nature.  Take a moment and think how can I and my family reconnect with nature today? are you in a city find a park hopefully not to crowded so you can find a safe space to just sit and observe the trees, grass, flowers, birds and any other nature and wildlife. Can you get out of the city? no question the effort to do so will rep great rewards to your emotional, physical and spiritual happiness. "Nature always wears the colors of the spirit" Emerson And while you're at it take a few moments to locate a local organization that supports and works to keep nature, wildlife and wild places in and around your area protected. Remember the "butterfly effect" anything you can do will make a difference not only for you but for future humans on this one planet. This is a fantastic way to get yourself out into nature and connect with others who understand the benefits of being involved in the natural world. Last, PLEASE not only be respectful of others that may be out for nature yet also the places you visit. At a minimum use the Leave No Trace 7 Principles for your natural wildlife and wild places experiences so these places and wildlife remain healthy as well. And as always remember... Explore On     BE a WILDLIFE difference maker Hello… so I got to thinking how can we/you make a Wildlife difference when people are so busy?  MY BUTT NEEDS YOUR HELP PLEASE. In this post I'll show you how sitting at home, the office or from about anywhere you can make a huge impact on conservation efforts.
Get involved with Ocean Plastics Conservation EffortsIn this post I'll give you 5 great ways to get involved with Ocean Plastics Conservation. From hands on to making a difference from your own home. A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation projects the oceans will contain at least 937 million tons of plastic and 895 million tons of fish by 2050.  Remote Cambodia Island By now, I hope you’re all familiar with my mission… to cross the states from west to east in a bid to raise awareness of the need for more wildlife crossings in our country. However, it can’t just be down to me. I need your help in bringing more of these crossings to the problem highways.  Me during my #Walk4WildlifeCrossings mission, Washington There is a proposed wildlife crossing that I am excited about, for the Upper Rio Grande Valley. The National Wildlife Federation is working with the Colorado Wildlife Federation, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, and other partners, to establish federal protections for wildlife habitat connectivity. The corridor would cross three national forests: Rio Grande in Colorado, the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, and the Carson and Santa Fe in New Mexico. Some of the incredible species that will benefit from the corridor will be elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer, pronghorn, lynx, black bear, mountain lions, and the rare Rio Grande cut-throat trout. It’s still along way off implementation though, and we still need far more wildlife crossings to help animals, and save lives.What animals currently benefit from crossings in the US? Wildlife bridge crossing: I-90 in Washington. Image: FHWA. My first state to cross was Washington. The state completed the I-90 Keechelus Lake Wildlife Overcrossing in fall 2018, which has already documented animals such as deer, coyotes and small mammals using it. There are also a few underpasses around Gold Creek, Snoqulamie Pass, Keechelus Lake, Rocky Run Creek and Resort Creek, that benefit both fish a wildlife.  Two mule deer use a wildlife undercrossing at I-90 near Snoqulamie Pass. Photo: WSDOT My next stop on my walk is Montana, and I hope to see some of the pronghorn and greater sage-grouse that currently are offered protection during their migrations across The Northern Great Plains. The corridor extends from Montana into Canada, support the longest migrations for both species. I’ll also be walking through Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park, home to the largest distribution of mammals in the lower 48 states. Wyoming proudly have the Red Desert to Hoback mule deer corridor, which supports the longest mule deer migration in the U.S. There’s also a network of crossings that has reduced deer collisions by around 80%, at Nugget Canyon and near Baggs. Baggs Underpass, Wyoming, Image: FHWA. Hopefully these inspire you to want to save some of your local wildlife, that are often involved in road accidents. So what can you do to get involved?Get behind the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act: an important legislation that will be a huge step towards improving wildlife movement in the United States. It is currently referred to Congress’ Committee on Environment and Public Work. Tweet them to ask them to push Senate Bill 1499. Sign the petitions. It only takes a minute. We’ve listed some of the ones currently online: Wildlife Crossings in Colorado: http://www.wildi70.org/i_support_wildlife Wildlife Crossings in Georgia: https://www.change.org/p/johnny-isakson-georgia-wildlife-crossing Wildlife Crossings in Indiana: https://www.change.org/p/evansville-city-mayor-evansville-environmental-protection-agency-evansville-parks-and-recreation-implement-the-construction-of-wildlife-crossings-within-in General wildlife crossings in US/Canada: https://www.thepetitionsite.com/300/596/513/wildlife-crossing-bridge/  Red deer: Scott Poindexter Contact your local congress men and women, to ask them to get behind the implementation of wildlife crossings. Do your research, and find the problem roads and highways in your area, if you’re not sure where to suggest a crossing should be erected. If there is data to backup the number of vehicle collisions on the proposed road, have it available to show them. Find your local senator.  Elk: Scott Poindexter Remember, when approaching decision makers, its always best to make sure they understand the cost implications and benefits. A great example is the Dead Man’s Flats underpass on the Trans-Canada Highway, which was constructed in 2004. Large mammal vehicle collisions in the five years prior to the underpass being implemented, averaged 18 per year, which is around $154,000. In the five years after the underpass was constructed, there were less than five large mammal vehicle collisions per year, which equates to around $21,000. If installation costs around $525,000, the crossing pays for itself within five years, since the savings are around $110,000 per year.Support the local and national organizations, who are working towards implementing more wildlife crossings. Here are the ones I’ve come across during my mission: Washington: Washington State Conservation, Conservation Northwest Montana: Montanans For Safe Wildlife Passage (MSWP) Wyoming: The WYldlife Fund, Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) Colorado: Rocky Mountain Wild, Colorado Wildlife Federation Watch this 25-minute safety training program, brought to you by the Forest Service. It’s aim is to help you reduce your chances of having large animal-vehicle collisions, especially with deer.  Sandpoint, ID Get the media involved. During my walk, I have had the opportunity to conduct a couple of interviews to gain more interest in my mission. You can write into your local paper, or organise time on air, at your local radio station. Social media is also a powerful and easy way, to raise awareness. Here is the media coverage I have had so far: Radio Interview - Omak, Washington listen here Radio Interview - Montana University listen here Article - Cascade Weekly - Man on a mission Follow my mission, to get more inspiration to support wildlife crossings and help me get my voice heard:
Facebook.com/BoldlyExplore YouTube channel: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCFE3N_qEr4nvYwBdFOfFZaw My Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/walk4wildlifecrossings #Walk4WildlifeCrossings How to have an Adventure while Saving Endangered Species: The Great Grevy's Rally...Kenya, Africa5/7/2025 By far one of the most fun and rewarding ways to enjoy the outdoors in your own area or while traveling is to get involved with an event to save endangered species. The Great Grevy's Rally in Kenya, Africa is one of those amazing, fun, exhilirating and fulfulling experiences. It's a part of the great work that the Grevy's Zebra Trust does to keep this beautiful animal on our one planet. I was blessed to be traveling in and around Kenya and found out about this event through other world travelers Every area in some capacity has events designed to invite in the public to help out in saving nature and wildlife. Great Grevy's Zebra Shaba National Reserve Kenya A simple internet search can bring up different events and organizations today/now look around and find one that you'd like to get involved with you won't be disappointed. Here's an example with a quick search I found citizenscience.gov and inside found inaturalist.org. There are many ways to get hands on involved, think about what nature and wildife are important to you look locally or globally. What an amazing weekend tracking and photographing these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat. They definetly have personality and it was on full display throughout the weekend. We'd observe them playing with each other as well as other species which hang around them. Why you ask do different species hang out is because the more eyes the easier to spot a predator in the area so it's a community project watching out for one another. Just like this event is a community project and I made life long friends hanging out with like minded special people of Kenya!
The Great Grevy is one of only 2 zebra species in Kenya, the other the plains zebra is not endangered yet has depleted numbers as well. Every 2 years, so the next one will be early 2026 (mark your calendar) the Great Grevy's Rally brings together scientists, conservationists, environmentalists and citizens you and me (citizen scientists) to count the Zebras by photographing as many Grevy's in their habitat as possible over a weekend. You can be a citizen scientist wildlife photographer and make a difference by joining in this wonderful event.
The Grevy's Zebra Trust does many other activities to entrust the future of these animals as well as the other animals their existence affects. One of those great ways it Schools & Scholarships educating the leaders of tomorrow of why Zebras are an intregal part of the ecosystem that sustains human life. Yet, they can't do it alone and they need help more than ever. Don't wait look around your area, reach out to local conservation organizations and others to see what opportunities they may have. Even better maybe reach out to a local or regional wildlife organization and "create your own event" inaturalist.org is an example to learn and create your own project to bring awareness to an endangered or valuable(they're all) species in your region.  Look how beautiful I am Thanks for the Help! Check out these Earth Loving Organizations I have listed for more ideas. If you know of any please send me a quick note so I can add it to my list and/or this post.
So get out there roll around return to nature and while doing it make a difference so nature is here for many generations(your decendants) to come. Explore On Scott Tips for Investment Planning that helps Conservation of Wildlife, Nature and Natural Resources.4/7/2025 Are you frustrated? |
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