Animal Tracking 101: How Guides Spot Wildlife
By Anna Kagenya
If you’ve ever been on safari, you might have wondered… how on earth do guides seem to know exactly where the animals are? It can feel almost mystical. One moment you’re driving along what looks like an empty stretch of savannah, and then—there’s a lion, resting under the shade of an acacia tree.
The truth is, animal tracking is a skill. Part science, part intuition, and part experience. It’s a language of the land that isn’t taught in classrooms in the traditional sense. It’s learned by spending countless hours observing the smallest details, the kind most people overlook.
I’ve been lucky to work with some incredible guides through Two Star Safaris Ltd here in Kenya. I’ve seen them pause mid-sentence because they’ve noticed a faint track in the dust, or a bird call that signals something unusual nearby. Sometimes it’s so subtle that, if I’m honest, I completely miss it.
Reading the ground
Let’s start with the obvious—tracks. Most animals leave some kind of footprint, but the challenge is reading them in context. A fresh lion print might tell you the animal passed by just minutes ago, while a drier, dust-filled track could mean hours have passed.
A good tracker doesn’t just look at the print itself. They’ll check how crisp the edges are, whether there are insect marks crossing over it, or how the soil has been disturbed. In one case, I remember a guide noticing buffalo tracks that seemed ordinary to me. But he pointed out that the pattern showed they were moving in a hurry—likely spooked by something. Sure enough, a few minutes later, we found fresh evidence of a lion pride not far off.
Listening to the bush
You might think safaris are about looking, but sometimes, listening is even more important. The African bush has its own soundtrack—bird calls, insect hums, the rustle of leaves.
Guides learn to distinguish between the ordinary background noise and what you could call “alarm calls.” A sudden change in tone from a group of baboons might mean a leopard is nearby. The agitated chatter of guinea fowl often means they’ve spotted something unusual. Even silence is telling—when the bush goes quiet, it usually means something big is moving through.
Following subtle signs
Not all signs are tracks or sounds. Sometimes, it’s about vegetation—branches bent in an unnatural way, grass trampled in a certain direction, or the smell of an animal nearby. Yes, smell. Many guides can pick up the scent of a buffalo or elephant long before they see it.
And then there’s behaviour. Animals often react to other animals in ways that give clues. For example, if impalas are bunched together and staring intently in one direction, there’s usually something of interest over there… though it might not always be what you expect. Once, a group stared so intensely that we thought it had to be a predator. Turned out it was a large warthog. The impalas seemed equally unimpressed and cautious.
The role of experience and instinct
The more time you spend in the wild, the more you start to notice patterns. A guide who has worked in a particular area for years will know where a leopard likes to rest during the heat of the day, or which waterhole elephants tend to visit just before sunset.
But here’s where instinct comes in. Sometimes the signs aren’t clear. The ground looks untouched, the bush is quiet, and yet… the guide decides to turn down a certain path. And there it is—a cheetah, perfectly camouflaged in the tall grass. You could call it luck, but I think it’s the kind of luck you earn through years of paying attention.
Why this matters
For visitors, this skill makes all the difference. A safari without animal sightings is, well, still beautiful—but it’s the encounters that make the stories you tell later. For guides, tracking is also about safety—knowing where animals are helps keep both people and wildlife protected.
I think it’s also a form of respect. Tracking is about engaging with the environment in a way that’s deeply attentive. It’s not rushing to “tick off” the Big Five, but being present enough to notice the subtle conversation between land, animals, and time.
Speaking of being part of something bigger, Two Star Safaris Ltd from Kenya is honoured to be a nominee for the 2025 Go Global Awards in London this November. It’s not just an awards ceremony—it’s a gathering of some of the world’s most forward-thinking minds in business. A place to exchange ideas, spark collaborations, and explore opportunities in an ever-changing global landscape. For us, it’s a reminder that the safari world is connected to something far beyond the horizon we see each day. And we’re proud to carry the spirit of Kenya’s wild places into that space.
So the next time you’re on safari, take a moment to watch your guide at work. Notice how they pause, look, listen. You might not always understand what they’ve picked up on—but you’ll feel it when they steer you into that moment where you lock eyes with a leopard, or watch a herd of elephants crossing the road. And perhaps you’ll realise… the real magic isn’t just in spotting wildlife. It’s in learning to see the land the way they do.
