The Weekly Recap
Hello and welcome back to the weekly recap! Excuse me for my long absence, I just need to set some things straight: my father took me on what he has since called a “relaxed” mammalwatching trip to Borneo and it was nearly the death of me. Not only did I barely escape a fatal bout of some tropical disease (I had a slight fever for a day), I was also forced to get dangerously close to some of the wildlife (i.e. my dad saying the phrase “skibidi toilet” on a loop). And for his information, being cryogenically frozen is indeed the only way I could get away from him for long enough to rest…
Luckily our great guide Shavez and the presence of many cool primates – a category which is only just too exclusive for my brother and his girlfriend – made it all worth it in the end. But the highlight of the trip was definitely when the sound of rapidly approaching flip flops was followed by my panting brother bursting into my room and (rudely, might I add) interrupting my episode of Young Sheldon to tell me a Sunda Clouded Leopard was practically at eye level in a nearby tree. This was the first, and hopefully last, time in my life I truly bounced out of bed. One exhilarating sprint and boat ride later I was face to face with a napping Clouded Leopard, and got to sit and watch it for 30 minutes. Possibly the most legendary mammal chase scene since the Great Mediterranean Monk Seal Car Chase of 2014 – although my dad dodging traffic to retrieve his dropped chocolate Freddo Frog remains a close second.
Anyway, to start to make up for my delay this recap will be of posts from July 7 – 16th.
The first trip report was Ian Thompson’s from the Central African Republic. With 41 total mammal species seen, it sounded like quite an adventure – some highlights are Bongo, Cyclops Roundleaf Bat, Red River Hog and Emin’s Giant Pouched Rat.
Next was Mark Hows’ trip to Romania, where he successfully saw the 4 species of mole-rat as well as some other good mammals like Brown Bear and Golden Jackal.
My dad’s trip to Japan, mainly for Sato’s Beaked Whales and the infamous Japanese Badger I have assisted him in missing one too many times, proved to be quite successful. But the most entertaining part of his trip report is the story of how he accidentally ended up staying at a Japanese love hotel, and not only because of how much I got to mock him for it. Staying at a love hotel with only binoculars for company is a new low, even for a mammalwatcher.
Romain Bocquier’s report from Vietnam in April of last year is full of macaques and langurs, like the Crab-eating Macaque and Delacour’s Langur. He also posted a double report from Brazil (April 2023 and 2025) with loads of great primates photos and 33 species including South American Tapir, Maned Sloth and Southern Tamandua. The final trip report he shared was from his trip to South Africa in February last year, where he saw 22 species like Cape Porcupine, African Wildcat and a Cheetah.
As always, if you want to make the grave mistake (trust me, I would know) of joining a mammal trip, then you have quite a few to choose from. Royle Safaris are running a Horn of Africa trip (Ethiopia and Djibouti) at the start of December 2026. Alternatively, if you want questionable company to go along with your questionable hobby, then join my dad on a trip to Madagascar late September 2026 with Miru Adventures. But if you ask me, you’d be better off birding…
This important post about ethical wildlife watching is specifically aimed at those travelling to the Maasai Mara this summer, so make sure to give it a read!
Someone looking for a conservation based holiday in November is wondering if any hyena projects are taking volunteers around then. Ed Stubbs would like recommendations for Iberian Lynx hides in Andujar.
Two people planning to travel to the Mocoa region of Colombia in February are wondering how safe it currently is there, and would love some recommendations for where to go if it is.
Someone currently backpacking around South America was asking for some advice on where to see Capybaras in Brazil – it may be too late for them, but still comment for future people if you know any good spots!
Eduardo Ruiz wants to upgrade his camera gear and would love some advice for a camera that would be good in daylight but also for spotlighting.
Speaking of cameras, the thermal master T2 max is still on sale in the US – use the code here to get it for just $350. Or don’t, if you’d like to save me from my dad bragging about being an “influencer”…
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Thanks for reading:)
Katy
Cover photo: Nursing Long-tailed Macaques in Singapore – me (Katy Hall)
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