On Safari with Eustace Matavire

Have you been On Safari with Eustace in Zimbabwe? He is currently being featured all over Wilderness social media platforms in a series of fun and educational wildlife snippets, including lions with cubs, elephant interactions at Scott’s Pan near Linkwasha Camp, as well as a special up-close encounter with a rare pangolin, amongst others.

 

 

 

 

Having spent the start of lockdown farming just outside Harare, and spending quality time with his family, Eustace’s perfect-for-film, larger-than-life personality got him called back to Hwange in May. With no access to our beautiful wildlife rich areas at this time, Wilderness staff are bringing safaris to the world with the help of the likes of Eustace and others on the ground across the regions.

 

 

So who is Eustace? Where is he from? What does he do?

 

 

 

 

Guide extraordinaire Eustace is based at Linkwasha Camp. Born and bred in Harare, and initially planning to pursue a life in accounting, Eustace experienced a major paradigm shift when he moved to Victoria Falls to live with his uncle and aunt during his school years. Introduced to the tourism industry by his uncle, his path to wildlife conservation established itself very quickly, and today his wealth of guiding and conservation experience spans ten years.

 

We’ve been lucky to have Eustace on our team since 2011: “My journey as a guide began at the old Linkwasha, but I have worked at all the Wilderness camps in Hwange National Park, and even worked at Ruckomechi in Mana Pools for a bit. What I love most about guiding is the freedom of working out in a huge ‘office’ without four walls – an environment where anything is possible”.

 

Back at Linkwasha since 2016, Eustace loves the area for its diversity of birds and mammal species. Joe Hanley, camp manager and gifted photographer, noticed Eustace’s keen interest in photography a while ago and gave him access to one of the Olympus cameras. This was the beginning of an exciting journey, one where he has soaked up every opportunity to learn, and grow his talent.

 

 

 

 

“Dry season is my favourite – I love all the wildlife drama that comes along with it and I am always armed with my camera to freeze the precious moments I am witness to in the bush. The quality of images for such a small camera is mind-boggling!”

 

Recognised for his passion, in 2016 Eustace was chosen as a speaker at the annual Wild Shots Wildlife Photography Symposium, which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Since then his interest in photography has continued to grow and seen him become a fully-fledged Wilderness Safaris photographic guide.

 

 

 

 

“I believe interpreting what occurs in nature is the duty of a guide and am thrilled to have the opportunity to live this reality every day, by sharing the wonders of the wilderness with others through my photography, as well as my guiding. These are the ways in which I am able to enlighten others on the importance of conserving and restoring such pristine wilderness areas, which is the very reason for the existence of Wilderness Safaris. I am also extremely happy to play a part in the preservation of my home country, Zimbabwe”.