Kalahari Diaries
17 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 months ago -Greetings! I'm Val from the expansive Kalahari Desert in Botswana. For over a decade, I've dedicated myself to conservation and tourism. Among my most cherished experiences is raising Sirga, a lioness I rescued as a mere ten-day-old cub. Through our countless journeys together, she's mastered the art of hunting, and today, we wander freely across the vast stretches of the Kalahari we proudly call home. Join me in this podcast series as I bring the captivating tales of the African bush directly to you!
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Episodes
Is Sirga a free lioness?
October 07, 2023 22:00 - 49 minutes - 39.6 MBHello Everyone! We're thrilled to announce that our podcast the "Kalahari Diaries" is making a comeback after a break of over a year. Due to various commitments and priorities, the podcast took a backseat, but we're now back! In this episode, which you're getting a sneak peek of before its public release, we delve into the world of the Sirgas reserve. - What's Inside This Episode? - The inspiration and thought process that led to the creation of Sirgas reserve. - A detailed look at the dive...
Can Carbon Offset Save the Kalahari?
September 08, 2022 22:01 - 40 minutes - 33.3 MBSorry for the long break, we are finally back in track with the Kalahari Diaries! In this episode I talk to the three Co-founders of the Gazelle, an award-winning team behind a new app, that accommodates carbon offset in the Kalahari Desert. Find out where your carbon tax goes and how it can help preserve our ecosystem. Become a supporter today and gain access to exclusive content like bonus podcast episodes, video and audio material as well as regular Q&As: https://www.patreon.com/sirga T...
Walking with Sirga
February 11, 2022 09:35 - 50 minutes - 41.2 MBSirga and I have been roaming the Kalahari since she was a small cub. Now, ten years later, she's a grown lioness. In this episode, I'll take you with me on a walk. I have been lucky enough to witness how she hunts and observe her behavior close up. If you ever wanted to know how an apex predator like Sirga finds her way through the bush and finds her prey. Become a supporter today and gain access to exclusive content like bonus podcast episodes, video and audio material as well as regular Q...
Talking Bushfires with Dr. Thoralf Meyer
October 26, 2021 05:15 - 53 minutes - 42.9 MBWe recently had some of the worst bushfires in my time here in Botswana. Millions of hectars of Kalahari burnt down in the last months. Although we were working relentlessly to keep the fires out of our reserve, one fateful night it jumped our firebreaks and steamrolled through our place. In this episode I have invited Dr. Thoralf Meyer. He's not only a long time friend of mine but also a professor at the University of Texas. Nobody knows more about bush fires in Botswana than he does, so na...
Q&A Session
September 27, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 52.9 MBToday I am answering your questions. Recently I asked our followers on social media and our patrons on patreon.com to send in their questions concerning Sirga, my life or anything else I could have an answer to. Become a supporter today and gain access to exclusive content like bonus podcast episodes, video and audio material as well as regular Q&As: https://www.patreon.com/sirga Thank you for listening to this episode of the Kalahari Diaries. Did you enjoy this Podcast? Great! You can help...
The art of tracking
July 27, 2021 13:30 - 43 minutes - 35.6 MB+++ Want to be part of the podcast episode? Send your questions as a voice message to [email protected] +++ Tracking wild animals in the bush is a skillset that I have been training intensively for the last 10 years. I never thought that interpretating tracks, marks and little hints nature leaves for us can be so exciting. In my daily life tracking plays a vital task. Let me introduce you to the art of tracking in the bush - you'll be as surprised as I was when I first started to learn about i...
Trophy Hunting - conservation or immoral practice?
April 14, 2021 05:30 - 59 minutes - 47.8 MBWe all know the shocking images of smiling trophy hunters posing with dead African wildlife. The images spark outrages all over the world on a regular basis. The solution to this seems easy enough: Ban trophy hunting. What are the alternatives? What are the facts out there? Let's dive deep into this uncomfortable matter. Let me share my opinion on this topic. Become a supporter today and gain access to exclusive content like bonus podcast episodes, video and audio material as well as regular...
How to manage a wildlife area
February 23, 2021 15:30 - 1 hour - 50.3 MBOur 75km2 area is dwarfed by the neighboring Kalahari Transfrontier Park, it's a tiny speck of land that we call home. From a different perspective it's breathtakingly huge. Come and take a look "behind the scenes" and find out what it takes to manage a wildlife area in africa!
How I became a bush pilot
January 06, 2021 06:30 - 44 minutes - 35.9 MBHey friends, we had a little bit of break. Nevertheless, let's kick off 2021 with a brand-new episode. This time I am telling the story of how I became a bush pilot. We're starting way back in my childhood and the fascination for aeroplanes, learning how to paraglide with YouTube tutorials and google in my twenties and finally becoming a licensed pilot in 2018!
Moving a lioness across Botswana
November 01, 2020 06:00 - 45 minutes - 37.1 MBToday, I am telling the story of how we moved Sirga 850km across the country to her new reserve in the south western part of Botswana
Rain dictates life
September 30, 2020 05:00 - 56 minutes - 46.1 MBIn this episode, we’re looking at the Kalahari Ecosystem. Botswana is a country that named its currency „Pula“ - the Setswana word for „rain“. Rain dictates life. Massive thunderstorms cross the vast open plains of the Kalahari and create heavy local downpours. The mighty Kwango river floods the Okavango Delta in the north, turning the dry sand into the worlds largest inland delta. Thousands of animals make their annual migration to grazing grounds - and in their shadows, predators like Lions...
Lockdown in the Kalahari
August 31, 2020 05:00 - 18 minutes - 15 MB2020 was supposed to be the year when we would reopen our camp for tourists. We had it all planned out, excited to open our gates in June. Well, as we all know it all came different. The corona virus claims lives all over the world and lockdown measures are being implemented. International travel has become virtually impossible. Although Botswana might be one of the least populated countries in the world, we make no exception. In this episode I am taking you through 6 months of lockdown. Up...
How africa’s second largest wildebeest migration disappeared
August 11, 2020 14:59 - 1 hour - 49.3 MBThis episode centers around a sad fact: Botswana used to be home to Africa's second largest Wildebeest migration, only second in size to the Masai Mara/Serengeti Migration. This migration disappeared decades ago. Hundreds of thousands of antelope died off. Why it happened, and what we could do to bring these numbers back - in this episode of the Kalahari Diaires! Become a supporter today and gain access to exclusive content like bonus podcast episodes, video and audio material as well as ...
How raising a lion cub has changed my life forever
July 02, 2020 05:00 - 52 minutes - 42.8 MBIn this episode, we're going way back! I often get asked how Sirga, a tiny lion cub, came into my life, how I raised her and how we formed a unique bond. In this episode I read from my diary in which I documented Sirgas first 60 days with me - the last time I had a look at it, was at the time I wrote it. 8 years ago. I am also telling the story of the very first kill she made when she was just 16 months old. Many "Lion experts" told me, that after her first kill, everything in our relationsh...
Does petting a lion help African wildlife?
May 27, 2020 05:00 - 43 minutes - 35.1 MBMany people dream of being close to African wildlife. Being close to lions, cheetahs and leopards is not a question of "how" than rather a matter of "how much". All over the world, there are facilities which meet the demand of animal lovers wanting to pet lions and other wildlife. But do these facilities fulfil the claims they make to draw in well-meaning tourists? Does the "orphaned" lion cub get raised and released back into the wild? Is there even space for more lions in the wild? Does the...
How I ended up in the Kalahari
April 24, 2020 12:14 - 47 minutes - 38.2 MBMy name is Valentin Grüner. I live in one of Africa’s most remote Wilderness areas. The Kalahari in Botswana. Nature and Wildlife is my biggest passion. I hand-raised Sirga the Lioness and walked the Kalahari to join her on her hunts. I work in tourism and nature conservation. How I got here? Well - it’s kind of a long story! Join me for my very first podcast episode! See you next time on the Kalahari Diaries!
How I Changed My World to Dedicate my Life to Conservation
April 24, 2020 12:14 - 47 minutes - 38.2 MBMy name is Valentin Grüner. I live in one of Africa’s most remote Wilderness areas. The Kalahari in Botswana. Nature and Wildlife is my biggest passion. I hand-raised Sirga the Lioness and walked the Kalahari to join her on her hunts. I work in tourism and nature conservation. How I got here? Well - it’s kind of a long story! Join me for my very first podcast episode! See you next time on the Kalahari Diaries!