Going on an African safari is a truly heart-pounding, life-changing experience. Getting up close to the “Big Five” makes you appreciate the power and beauty of these incredible animals. And if you look down, you can observe the ‘little critters’ that are known as the ‘engines rooms of the ecosystem’. But what if your safari could be even more?
What if you could understand the real, untold stories that have kept these animals safe and their ecosystems safe? It’s the story behind the scenes that also needs to be told. This is the highly risky and tireless work of rangers who are at the frontline of wildlife conservation and ecosystem restoration – from looking after the mega herbivores to protecting the micro-ecosystems in which insects and other invertebrates live. These conservation efforts are the foundation of the safari experience we know today, and they deserve to be a central part of every guest’s journey.
To tell this story in a meaningful and relevant way, the many modalities of experiential design can play a fundamental role. By using experiential design and immersive technology, conservation agencies, private game reserves and safari lodges can transform the safari experience into an active, emotional connection. This is vital if we want to keep our wildlife around for future generations.
Making conservation real and personal
Imagine you’re at a lodge in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park. Instead of observing a paper-based map, you put on a VR headset. Suddenly, you’re hovering over the park in a helicopter, just like a ranger. You can see the vast landscape and watch a live feed of elephant herds moving through a new corridor that rangers are actively protecting. It suddenly turns your safari experience into a conservation mission that you feel a part of.
Not everyone can handle the adrenaline dump of being on foot in the bush, especially if you are chasing an incident of wildlife crime. It’s probably best to leave this mission to the trained rangers, but with augmented reality, you can join them. Through this augmented experience you can walk right up to and see how a fence line acts as a buffer between communities and wildlife. You can join rangers on foot, tracking wildlife by observing footprints, or picking up evidence of poachers by observing subtle signs in the surrounding environment.
Elevating the safari experience
The goal isn’t just to add a high-tech layer. When integrating technology into a safari experience, careful consideration needs to be given to the human-wildlife interaction. The goal is to create a deeper, more meaningful experience, while staying true to the raw authenticity of the safari experience. By telling these stories in a way that guests can see, hear, and feel, experiential design inspires empathy and a lasting sense of connection to Africa’s wild spaces. With our work, we aim to make people feel like part of the conservation efforts on the ground.
A layer of experiential design gives game reserves, lodges and safari operators a way to stand out. You’re not just offering luxury accommodation and wildlife sightings; you’re providing an unparalleled journey that connects guests to the very heart of the continent. It ensures that the legacy of Africa’s wildlife, and the heroes who protect it, become a cherished part of every guest’s story long after they’ve returned home.
