Cal Perry
Cal has always been wildlife obsessed and was fortunate enough to travel to Africa with his family as a child.
It was on a volunteer project at 18 years old that Cal decided to make this passion a career. Spending the best part of a decade living and working in Southern Africa, Cal has been involved with various aspects of the safari industry, from research projects, to guiding guests, to managing conservation programmes.
Cal’s Recent Travel Experience
Cal recently returned from a mega trip through Zimbabwe and Botswana. As always, Botswana seriously delivered and Cal loved exploring the Linyanti region in the north as there’s very few other vehicles and tourists. Mana Pools in Zimbabwe absolutely stole his heart though. Even as Cal drove from the airstrip to the camp, he was in love! The Winterthorn Forests, the beautiful Zambezi River and the stunning mountain view on the other side are all magical. The walking safaris there are seriously special; close-up encounters on foot with lions and elephants were particular highlights for Cal!
Cal’s Most Memorable Experience
“This is always such a tough one to answer – pick an animal! One experience that will always spring to mind was when I had three of my best friends come visit me in South Africa from the UK. I picked them up from the airport in Joburg and we headed straight for the Kruger Park. Driving in through Malelane Gate, we had quite a way to go to reach Satara Rest Camp. Always the best sightings are when you are racing to get back for gate closing time, and this day was no different. As the sun began setting, 10km north of Tshokwane picnic site we found a porcupine walking along the road – already a very special sighting. Then I saw some spots in the grass and knew we were in store for something special. For the next hour and a half, we watched this male leopard try and fail to catch this porcupine many times. He sat next to the car pulling quills out of his paws and looked like he was about to give up. However, he pulled the last quill out and got going again before eventually capturing his prickly prey. This amazing ordeal was over, or so we thought… in my wing mirror I saw a spotted hyena approaching. The leopard realised just in time, managing to haul his meal up a nearby shepherd’s tree, just avoiding the jaws of this jumping hyena. It was so special – and safe to say, my friends were blown away!”
Cal’s Bio
After achieving a Master’s degree in Conservation & Tourism, Cal moved out to South Africa full time. His first year was busy with training to be a game ranger and helping set up a non-profit company in Hoedspruit. After a few years bouncing around various reserves in the Greater Kruger, he packed up his bag (yes, just one bag) and moved 500km west to the Marataba Contractual National Park. This is where he started to do things beyond his wildest dreams. He helped set up Marataba Conservation Camps, getting stuck in with painting, digging, building, and all sorts before they first welcomed guests. As a conservation guide, he was a member of Marataba’s amazing conservation team as well as guiding guests for a conservation-focused safari. He eventually moved into the conservation team full time as the Rhino and Predator Monitor, while running a volunteer programme. Here they introduced state-of-the-art technology to collar rhinos in order to reduce poaching, and translocated many different species, such as lion, buffalo, elephant, cheetah, zebra, wildebeest, and more. Cal worked closely with the cheetah metapopulation project, helping to move cheetah all across Southern Africa. He loves Africa and is forever grateful for the opportunities he has had to work in close quarters with its incredible wildlife and people.
Expert Destinations
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Botswana
From dusty salt pans to delta floods, Botswana is a celebration of pristine African wilderness.
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South Africa
Big Five safaris, lively cities, and dramatic coastlines. South Africa delivers exciting contrasts and variety.
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Zimbabwe
Home to the legendary Victoria Falls and authentic safaris in remote, untouched wildlife reserves.
Cal’s Top Lodges
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Marataba Residence
Enquire for pricing Contact Us for pricing detailsAgainst the magnificent backdrop of the Waterberg mountain range, on the edge of the Matlabas river, the exclusive-use Marataba Residence is a luxurious nature retreat with a family-friendly ethos and a diverse range of wildlife- and nature-focused…
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Mala Mala
From AU$2,341 – AU$2,341 ppMala Mala Camp is one of three privately owned properties within the Mala Mala Private Reserve in South Africa’s wildlife-dense Sabi Sands Game Reserve, bordering Kruger National Park. Guests can expect handsome accommodations, fusing contemporary style with…
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Mokolwane
From AU$1,326 – AU$2,068 ppNestled within 180,000 hectares of pristine Okavango Delta wilderness, Mokolwane is a small, informal camp run by Natural Selection in an area boasting the third-highest density of leopard recorded anywhere in Africa. It’s also particularly popular with…
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Wildwaters Lodge
Enquire for pricing Contact Us for pricing detailsAs its name suggests, it is owned and operated by Lemala, a company whose portfolio includes Yellow Zebra favourites Kuria Hills Lodge and Ndutu Camp. Lemala provides comfortable accommodation in remote settings across Safari Africa. Wildwaters is suitable…
