By Ozzy Brown

During our trip to Senegal, we went on two different safaris. The first safari we went on was during our trip to Niokolo Koba National Park. We rode into the park on the tops of our vans and kept our eyes as peeled as possible for animals. We went through forests with palm trees and all sorts of monkeys climbing around us. In the forests, we saw many types of antelopes including a very rare Bubal. We went through open Savannas where warthogs sat and relaxed. We saw marshes where crocodiles and hippos lurked. We saw big open plains where herds of antelope watched for danger.  

Being on top of the vans and dodging the branches and getting super dusty while in the lush forests of the national park was an incredible experience in of itself but what made the Safari truly incredible was experiencing all of the animals that we found throughout the national park. Seeing the animals in their natural habitat made it feel like we were part of that ecosystem as a whole. Staying in the national park overnight also immersed us in the experience even more. I felt like I was with the monkeys and the birds the entire night.  

I loved the experience of the first safari so I was very eager to go on our second safari. The second safari was in a more touristy area and the park imported animals along with removing some from Niokolo Koba National Park. The park we went to, Bandia Reserve, promised to return the animals they took from Niokolo Koba after improving the sizes of the populations but they have not yet because they say it is unsafe from poachers. 

As we got in the vehicle for the safari I could tell that this place was very different from Niokolo Koba because of the amount of tourism. While we went through the park late there were many vehicles to ride in and see the safari so you could tell that a large amount of people went there. There was a giant restaurant right next to a watering hole where there were crocodiles. There must have been a way that they made sure the crocodiles stayed out of the water because there were a ton out of the water and we did not see that at all in Niokolo Koba. The restaurant was not small either and looked like it could seat more than double the number of people than the restaurant at Niokolo Koba could. Going through the safari on our vans we were able to see giraffes, rhinos, and ancient baobab trees that looked like they reached the sky. 

It was a great experience seeing many of the flora and fauna of Africa in one place but it felt sort of hollow in some ways. Niokolo Koba is a national park that is not as touristy and that means that there is a lot less human interference in the animals in the park. Being in Niokolo Koba felt like an authentic wilderness experience. On the other hand, the second safari felt so curated for tourists. The animals did not feel as free and there were not even any predators so it was not a full ecosystem. For example, the hyenas in the second park were kept in a zoo cage because they did not want to eat the rest of the animals. I get that they do not want that to happen but it takes away from the wilderness and the environment and its authenticity. 

The fake experience they created has better views of animals and a wider variety of more famous creatures which means on the surface the trip to the second safari would be more enjoyable. The fake experience is taking away from the real safari experience and the real wilderness. Places like the second park exist because of tourism heavily driving economies and that is something that people visiting other countries should be cognizant of. Maybe the next time you travel, think about where you are planning to go and think to yourself if where you are going is good for the natural and native environment of the place you are visiting and the animals and people who have long lived there too.