When you can just blend in with the wildlife 🐍

Racing towards the inferno.

Traveling through the Madre de Dios, I had seen forest devastated by logging and hunting as well as places degraded by gold mining and its long-lived mercury contamination. But, in contrast, I had also seen the most secluded and pristine wilderness imaginable and the resulting riot of wildlife. Again and again the inverse rule held: the farther from humans you travel, the more animals you see. Now, traveling upriver on a boat for days I was considerably farther from civilization than I had ever been. With each bend in the river, the beaches were more crowded with tracks evidencing the visits of large animals, the hulks of basking caiman, and endless flocks of birds. Likewise, tree branches exploded with life. It was a celebration of human absence. —Excerpts from my first book: Mother of God: An extraordinary journey into the Uncharted Tributaries of the Western Amazon Photo by @thomasstephane

At night we see the sky in its full aspect, a brilliance and millions-multitude of stars that seems un-believable because we have had our perceptions dimmed for so long. The morning comes like something from Joseph Conrad's basement tapes. Light creeps over the canopy well before the sun, the world growing a little less black, to purple to blue, the stars gently fading as the dawn chorus rises from the jungle. Every animal is waking and stretching, shaking the dew from their feathers and scales and fur. When the sun comes up in the east it is a miracle and the jungle becomes a celebration of the new day as the air fills with clouds and rushing birds, and the treetops crash with the moving troops of monkeys. It seems unbelievable, surreal even, to be in such a reality, surrounded by such life. Then it all circles back and you realize...

BIG NEWS! I want to take you to the jungle! So we are doing something we never do: Only 5 slots. You stay in our brand new research station cabins for 4 nights and then the @altasanctuary treehouse for 1 night. I’ll be your guide through it all 🐍🦋🐍 Dates: 6–11 of November Price: $4200 Email: adventure@tamanduajungle.com My team will bring you in! Learn more at www.altasanctuary.com

Here’s the big news! I want to take you to the jungle! So we are doing something we never do: Only 5 slots. You stay in our brand new research station cabins for 4 nights and then the @altasanctuary treehouse for 1 night. I’ll be your guide through it all! ⚔️ I wanted you to have first crack at it before I post it on the main feed ❤️ 6–11 of November $4200 (but I can get you a discount with a DM’d discount code) Email: adventure@tamanduaexpeditions.com My team will bring you in!

Sound on 🔊 for moments moving through Amazonia. The lush periphery of the human presence on our planet. Little thatched villages and vast expanses of nameless jungle—beauty and brutality are abundant in this wild backcountry. @darkgreen_film

Some special moments with one of my favorite elephants — he is one of the few that gets curious and comes close to us on his own volition. So I offer my hand for him to smell. Most elephants move off. Dingane likes to hang. He likes to come at us, flare his ears out to let us know he’s big and tough, and then come in real close and smell us. Then for a long time he was 6ft away just chewing grass and watching us. It was INCREDIBLE. He’s such a legend. Even more legendary is that this young male carries the “big tusk” gene so as he mates with females across the @buffalokloof reserve he’s going to be bringing back the mammoth 🦣 faced tuskers to the eastern cape! This elephant is important, and part of the incredible work being done by the amazing people on this reserve. You can join me in the field with @vetpaw this Feb. there’s only a few spots available. But it’s going be an unforgettable week. Link in my bio to apply.

The long wait is over! @mattgutmanabc ‘s new book #notimetopanicbook is out. Matt and I have gotten to work together in some pretty intense moments and beyond that he’s been ALL OVER the world covering everything from war zones to earthquakes, and natural disasters. The news and social media are great at showing us the polished perfect version of everything — which makes this book all the more valuable! Pick up a copy! “Deeply personal and infinitely readable, No Time to Panic both reassures the reader that they are not alone when it comes to anxiety and panic, and offers hope.” -Judson Brewer MD, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Unwinding Anxiety Big congrats @mattgutmanabc 🤘🎩🤘

Some moments from life in the wild. When the sun sets on the jungle the sheer immensity of lifeforms that are moving through the darkness is barely comprehendible. In between trillions of botanical connections are untold numbers of eyes and heartbeats. All out there in the blackness. I sleep in a tiny tent, a little flimsy orb. Hope a tree doesn’t fall on my tent, I hope leaf cutter ants don’t decide to disassemble it. In the jungle night, it is both terrifying and thrilling to know you are at the mercy of forces far greater than we know. Scenes from @darkgreen_film

Elephants ❤️

Friends there’s a special discount for YOU as a subscriber of mine if you sign up to the February trip WITH ME in South Africa this week! Check out the link in my bio and story 🔥 see you out there!