Episode 271-Sound Safaris for the Blind

A few months ago, I did an interview on the program with Sarah and Derek Solomon, who are safari guides in southern Africa. If you listened to that episode, you may recall that their work is pretty unique. First, in addition to doing traditional photo and wildlife viewing safaris, they also do sound safaris, usually at night. Their safari guests can’t see the animals, but they can hear them, thanks to special microphones mounted on the front of the safari vehicle and headphones at each seat. Then, they met a young South African filmmaker who was producing a documentary about a remarkable young South African girl, blind since birth, and her experiences of seeing the world through sound. Brett, the filmmaker, needed a safari guide to help this young girl “see” African wildlife in her own way—with her ears, rather than with her eyes. Sarah and Derek were perfect for the job. The film, “Call of the Wild,” has been a big hit at film festivals ever since its release. But equally important is the impact that the experience has had on Sarah and Derek. After working with Brett, and the young girl, Annika, A thought struck them: Why not offer sound safaris for people who can’t see? Well, after a great deal of effort and planning, their idea has become a reality. I reached out, and asked them to give me an update on how things are going.