Casey Anderson

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While in Africa I had one of those moments that reminds you why you go, why you walk, and why you stay curious. I came across a rare and often overlooked animal, the aardwolf. Most people have never even heard of it, and at first glance you’d think it’s a small hyena, which isn’t far off since it’s actually in the hyena family, but it lives a completely different life. Instead of hunting, it feeds almost entirely on termites, using a long sticky tongue and consuming up to 300,000 in a single night. It’s quiet, usually nocturnal, and perfectly adapted to its niche, moving through the grasslands like a striped ghost, which made seeing one in the middle of the day even more unusual. Encounters like this are exactly why I love being out there. You can spend all your time thinking about lions and elephants, and then something unexpected shows up and reminds you how much more there is to see. That’s the magic of wild places, you never know what you might come across.

While in Africa, one of the things you can never forget is to look up. Because sometimes, right above you, is one of the most perfect predators evolution has ever produced, the leopard. Millions of years of refinement have created an animal that can ambush from above, from behind, from anywhere, and do it with a level of stealth that almost feels unreal. What always blows me away is watching a herd of impala feeding calmly in close proximity, completely unaware that a leopard is lying in wait, blended into the branches or shadows like it doesn’t even exist. Leopards move through their world with this quiet confidence, totally at ease, because they know exactly what they are, fast, powerful, unbelievably agile, and nearly invisible when they want to be. They’re like ninjas of the wild, masters of surprise, and yet so elusive that even when you’re close, you can miss them entirely. Encounters like that remind you how much is happening out there that we never see, and how finely tuned these animals are to their environment.

On this trek across the Okavango, water wasn’t something we could count on, we had to carry it. Day after day, in heat pushing close to 100 degrees, we were moving across the landscape with heavy packs… and on top of that, hauling anywhere from 10 to 16 liters of water each. Add the miles, the sun, the sweat, it turns into a real grind. There’s no shortcut out there. No convenience. You carry what you need, or you go without. And when it comes to water, there’s no negotiating, it’s life. It’s a slog, no doubt. But it also strips things down to what really matters. Makes you appreciate the simple comforts waiting back home in a way you don’t think about until you’re out there earning every step. New episode of Endless Venture, out now.

There’s nothing quite like watching a wild mother at work. This red fox slipped back to her den like a ghost, a mouthful of voles and field mice, special delivery for a hungry crew of kits tucked safely underground. It’s a powerful reminder that some of the most important wildlife doesn’t live far off in untouched wilderness… it lives right alongside us. Foxes are one of nature’s most effective pest control systems. Every night, they’re out there quietly keeping rodent populations in check, doing a job that benefits farms, yards, and entire ecosystems without us even noticing. But when we use rat poison, we’re not just targeting rodents, we’re poisoning everything up the chain. That mouse gets eaten by a fox, an owl, a hawk… and suddenly that “solution” becomes a ripple of unintended harm, reaching right into dens like this one. Moments like this make it clear: nature already has a system in place. It’s balanced, efficient, and it works. Sometimes the best thing we can do is step back, let these animals do what they’ve evolved to do, and appreciate the quiet work happening just beyond our back doors.

Not too long after we left camp, we ran into a pride of lions. One of the lionesses had a radio collar on, and Kane explained that these are often the lions that move out of the deep bush and onto the fringes, where wild meets cattle country. That’s where groups like CLAWS Conservancy come in, using those collars to track lion movements in real time and help local communities anticipate and avoid conflict before it happens. As we stood there, they were actively hunting zebra… and at the same time, watching us just as closely. It’s a strange feeling, being part of that moment. Not just observing, but being observed. Measured. Considered. No matter how many times you experience it, being on foot in the presence of a wild pride of lions never loses its edge. It’s always humbling. Always unforgettable. Watch the latest episode of Endless Venture, out now.

Walking through Africa, one of the most intense moments we had came when we found ourselves face to face with a hippo out of the water. It catches people off guard because when you think of danger over there, your mind goes to lions or maybe a leopard in the grass, but hippos are responsible for more human fatalities in Africa than almost any other large animal. And when you’re on foot, that reality hits fast. These animals can weigh 3,000 to 4,000 pounds, run over 20 miles per hour on land, and they don’t bluff much when they decide you’re in the wrong place. They’re incredibly territorial, especially around water and along the paths they use to move in and out, and if you end up between a hippo and its safe zone, things can go sideways in a hurry. What made it even more sobering is that this happened in the final stretch of our trip, that moment when you’ve been out there long enough to start feeling comfortable, maybe even a little too comfortable. That’s when the wild reminds you real quick. Fortunately, we didn’t let our guard down, because complacency in places like that can get you killed. It was one of those encounters that leaves your heart pounding and your mind sharp, a reminder that no matter how many days you’ve been out there, you’re always just a guest in their world.