By Jackie Badenhorst

This is a guest article originally posted on the NHFU website. Text by Nick Roosen, photos by Siena Crawford.

With a lot on their minds —like the subtle art of following carnivorous big cats while dodging vehicle-toppling elephants, venom-induced anaphylaxis, and cantankerous buffalo—Africa-based wildlife film-makers from the NHFU have recently turned their wardrobe choices over to legendary UK clothing company, Craghoppers, to see if their latest line of outdoor gear might be up to everything Africa and the film crew can throw at it.

If you’re someone like me, you’re decidedly groggy as you navigate the first hurdle of the day—“Now, what am I gonna wear?” At face value, it seems like a trivial question, not worthy of dedicating any more than a handful of neurons to in those wee hours. But what if this decision not only determined your level of comfort for the day but also your chances of survival? I’m thinking of you, fire departments, plunging into hellish infernos. Or you, astronauts, braving the brutal vacuum of space. Fire-proof textiles and air-tight space suits make sense for these adventurous spirits, but what about wildlife filmmakers?

Ice-locked continents, scorching deserts, and steaming jungles—these are places where people with apparently limitless patience wait to capture rare and wondrous moments. I can just imagine reading about such a job in the classifieds: “Wanted! A strapping individual, with camera experience, is prepared to operate in environments with multiple hazards, including but not limited to plagues of insects, as well as a myriad of biting, scratching, pummeling or piercing predators.” Fantastic, where do I sign?

It’s fortunate such a rare breed exists, so that those of us who prefer it, can witness lions hunting from the slightly more comfortable vantage point of our living room. And in perhaps Southern Africa’s most epic wilderness—the Okavango Delta—there lives one such team for whom wildlife film-making is not just a job description but a way of life.

Enter the Natural History Film Unit (NHFU), headed by world-renowned filmmaker Brad Bestelink. It’s thanks to Brad and his team that the breathtaking sequences that grace our screens via programs like Surviving Paradise, The Flood, and Africa’s Fishing Leopards offered up by Netflix, National Geographic, and the BBC are possible.

Let me paint you a picture. When Brad’s team heads out into the bush, they know they’ll be living out of their film truck for days at a stretch. In fact, they’re so accustomed to their 2-by-5-meter home that they usually only return to camp for a few hours each week to restock and refuel before heading back to the bush to continue following their animal subjects. Think lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, hippos, and crocodiles—all set against the backdrop of the Okavango Delta.

The Okavango is considered to be the crescendo of a natural symphony that first begins with the thunderous roar of rain in the Angolan highlands, then transforms into a soft gurgle of rivers moving inland towards a vast oasis, and climaxes with the countless voices representing some of Africa’s most enigmatic wildlife. But to this idyllic depiction, we must add a few of the not-so-nice elements of Africa’s wilderness…

Bugs, bugs, and more bugs! In the grasslands, like forgotten land mines, lurk ticks waiting to disgorge medical maladies. Blister beetles, biting ants, and malarial mosquitoes—I could go on!

And then there’s the weather. If the Delta had an engine room, the weather would be a key driving force behind the region’s immense richness. It’s what transforms arid landscapes into a land of endless rivers and pools, fringed by rolling grasslands and leafy forests. But the climate also has a savage side.

You can start your day observing insects frozen to their morning perches and, by lunch, sit broiling in sweat under a midday sun. And when it rains, it’s a chronic deluge accompanied by sudden gusts that can topple entire trees. Against the swarms of biting insects and wild weather, the NHFU team is certainly in need of apparel that protects them from the elements.

Craghoppers! A company that is no stranger to equipping ambitious adrenalin junkies, seeking to push the bounds of their imagination and apparel. In 1975, Craghoppers outfitted an expedition team attempting to climb Everest by ascending the face of the mountain for the first time. In 2020, they were chosen as the official kit provider for the Duke of Edinburgh Award. And now, in 2023, deep in the Okavango, Craghoppers cutting edge NOSILIFE technology will face a special challenge. The NHFU crew has been geared up with Craghoppers garments featuring an EPA-approved insecticide duplicated from the chrysanthemum flower. The clothes are specially designed to repel insects, which for one NHFU cameraman, in particular, could be a real game changer.

Meet Rea. Having grown up in the bush, Rea is intensely passionate about African wildlife and sharing its unique stories. But he also suffers from allergies. A single ant bite or wasp sting could prove fatal for him. You could ask him to just change his profession. But the thing is, he simply can’t imagine devoting himself to any other purpose than wildlife filmmaking, and thanks to Craghoppers, it might be that all he needs to do is change his shirt.

So tomorrow morning, as you wipe the sleep from your eyes and stand before your wardrobe pondering the options, at some point, a team of intrepid filmmakers somewhere in the vastness of the Okavango Delta will be doing the same thing. But now the question is—is their brand-new Craghoppers kit up for the challenge?

By Jackie Badenhorst

I recently visited Rwanda for a gorilla trekking photographic expedition with Tusk Photo. To say the trip was incredible is an under statement – this experience crept into my heart as one of my most special ever. 

The scenic Volcanoes National park covers 160 km2 of rainforest and encompasses five of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga Mountains, namely Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. It borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda.

This was my first trip to Rwanda and I was truly impressed with the country. Despite a tumultuous history, riddled with violence and conflict, the people have worked together to build their nation in peace. The people we met, both young and old, were friendly, full of hope and so proud of their country, they welcomed tourists with open arms. 

The trip took place in the beginning of May, toward the end of the long rainy season. The park is open year-round but generally the high season would be June to September, during the dry season. We didn’t get a lot of rain when walking – a few drops now and then, although it did rain at night, making the area muddy the following day. We did however enjoy the cloud cover when trekking – this meant it wasn’t really hot and we good, even lighting conditions for photography. 

We were lucky enough to enjoy 4 gorilla treks during our 5 night stay. This is another benefit of heading there during the low season – as often there are too many people vying for the 96 permits granted per day (which breaks down to groups visiting 8 of the 13 habituated groups daily). There are also golden monkey treks on offer, although we opted for an additional gorilla trek instead.

So how does the daily trek work?

You leave your lodge and arrive at the park headquarters around 6:30/7am, where you are assigned a ranger for the trek. 

This is a well-run operation, with guests enjoying complimentary coffees and drinks while your driver guide arranges your trek for the day, is alotted your park ranger (who leads the trek), as well as the gorilla group you will be visiting.

The park rangers have a quick brief where they tell you about the gorilla family you will be visiting, what to expect when you find them, how to behave when around the gorilla family. From there, you drive to the area where you will begin your trek.

Once you arrive at the starting point, you meet up with porters who will carry your bags during the trek if you need it. These are ex-poachers, now employed to assist tourists on a daily basis. This is a vital initiative for sustainable conservation in Africa – not only do these guys stop their poaching activities but the actually start caring for for these animals’ well-being – as the gorilla’s survival ensures them jobs and resultant food on their table.  

We had so many cameras that we opted to hire porters. They were really friendly, helpful guys. There were some super muddy sections where every misstep had you sinking your feet and legs into mud. The porters always had a helping hand to get you up and out.  You needed to have hands free to grip and hold, so carrying stuff wouldn’t be ideal. I would recommend hiring a porter – this allowed me to take more equipment than what I would’ve otherwise, as well as extra water, a raincoat etc. 

Back to the trek.. As you head off, you also practice sounds you will make when communicating with gorillas. Basically a ‘we-come-in-peace’ kind of call. 

Trek distances vary according to your preference – generally between 3-5km. This is not far but there are some steep sections, so the entire trek could take anything from 4-5 hours. The porters chop through dense sections of vegetation – allowing you to get through with relative ease. As with anything in life, the fitter you are the more enjoyable the activity.

Eventually you meet up with trackers who spend their day with the gorilla group. Here you will leave your bag, take only the cameras you need and head in for an hour with the gorillas.

That first moment I spotted them took my breath away and filled my eyes with tears. It was incredible. I’d always heard how special it was but this far exceeded my expectations.

We visited the Hirwa, Umubano, Kwitonda and Urwego groups. 

Each group had completely different structures – some more silverbacks, some more youngsters. We found them to be extremely relaxed in our presence.  

No words can do the time spent with gorilla’s any justice – you’ll need to experience this for yourself. All I can do is offer some advice on equipment you may benefit from taking along.

My essentials for the trek:

• Long hiking pants with stretch – like the Craghoppers Nosilife Pro Stretch pant. Plenty stinging nettles around, watch out, the sting doesn’t last (unless like me, you lay in a stinging nettle for 10 minutes because the photographic angle is good – that night I suffered with burns and itches for hours!)
• Long sleeve shirt – Like the Craghoppers Nosilife Adventure L/S or Nosilife Pro Stretch L/S – keep yourself protected from sun, insects and stinging nettles.
• Gaiters – the long version that go up to your knee (these protect you from nettles and serious mud).
• Overtrousers (I wore the Craghoppers waterproof over trouser – this worked really well, as my clothing beneath wasn’t covered in mud, plus they are waterproof – should you get heavy downpours. I actually saw a number of the park rangers and trackers wearing them). 
• Waterproof breathable rain jacket – a must – you’re in a rainforest.
• Boots 
• Cap – it gets hot when walking, before you get into the rainforest.
• Water
• Cash for tips (you will tip your ranger, porter and tracker for their invaluable assistance)
• Cash to buy curios at end of trek (the community set up tables with their beautiful artworks at the end of the trek), plus there is a community centre on the main road with a variety of curio to purchase (they generally accept credit cards).

Photography equipment 

What did I take?

• 3 full frame camera bodies 
• 16-35mm 2.8
• 24-70mm 2.8
• 70 – 200mm 2.8
• 400mm f4.5  
• iPhone

The gorillas are generally within close quarters. You should be around 7m from them but they often come closer to you due to the confined spaces you share, which is great!

By the time we found them each day, they have done their first feed for the day and were resting/grooming/playing – this was wonderful. When they get up to feed they move fast and the photography can be more challenging. 

As mentioned above, you have to leave your bag and take the cameras/lenses you want along. The 400 was only used twice for portraits, I mainly used the 70-200mm and 16-35mm. This ensured a wide variety of shots – wide to portrait. I also used my iPhone for a few videos and behind the scenes shots. 

Go check out some of the images I captured on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jackiewildphoto/

This trip is a naturalist’s dream, highly recommended. I thoroughly enjoyed the combination of physical activity, interaction with wonderful local people, plus then the awe-inspiring moments with gorillas. To me, being on foot and in close quarters with wildlife always feels like you’re truly a part of the ecosystem, as opposed to just an on-looker from a vehicle. I find it absolutely thrilling and memorable. 

It is wonderful to see what a country can become with proper leadership and open-minded, proud people. Rwanda is filled with hope – coming from South Africa, I feel inspired by what they’ve achieved. 

We visited the genocide museum and the Ellen Degeneres campus for the Dian Fossey Gorilla fund on the drive from Kigali to the National Park – both were informative and very much worth the visit. They really give you a good background on the country as a whole, and the plight of gorilla’s over the years.

If you head out, which I implore you to do, may you have as magical a time as I did. Enjoy!