The Wild Source Staff
Bill Given - Founder of The Wild Source
Shannon Gore - Operations Manager
Deo Magoye - Partner and Senior Guide in our Tanzania Operation
Bill Given - Founder of The Wild Source
I have always been passionate about wildlife and wild places. Growing up in the Washington, D.C. area I had to cut my teeth on Wild Kingdom, the Adventures of Jacques Cousteau and trips to the National Zoo. The result has been a career as a wildlife biologist.
My long held dreams of visiting Africa became fulfilled in January of 2003 with a safari to Botswana. Usually when you want something so badly it cannot live up to the expectation. In this case, I was blown away by the experience: the wildlife, the wilderness, and the people! As I discussed animal behavior and some of my wildlife experiences a couple of guides and guests told me that I should be guiding trips.
Fully addicted to Africa I have thought of safari and the magnificent wildlife every day of my life since. I followed the sage advice I received and started leading small group trips as a Biologist Guide. Putting together group trips has resulted in me performing all the duties of a travel agent or tour operator for my clients as well as many happy returns to Africa. Fortunately my group clients have been very pleased and their word of mouth has generated lots of interest in my trips. I have become deeply involved in a critical research project to conserve African predators and between my research commitments and a growing family I can only lead a few trips a year. The formation of The Wild Source ensures that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from my knowledge and passion to plan amazing safari experiences.
The Wildlife Biologist Advantage
Much of my wildlife biologist career has been spent searching for rare species, so applying wildlife knowledge to create observation opportunities is deeply ingrained in me. I believe most people come on safari primarily to witness the superlative wildlife and spectacular natural events. The same scientific principles used to locate and study wildlife can be applied to ensure a safari provides the best chances to find certain species, observe fascinating behaviors, or to experience the widest diversity possible. We work together to identify the experience that you want and then I use my knowledge and science tools to craft the best itinerary.
Putting the Focus Back on Wildlife and Wilderness Experiences
It is somewhat shocking but there is a wide open niche to specialize in finding the best safari locations for wildlife and vintage wilderness areas to explore. The safari market has had a meteoric rise and with that marketing efforts have largely turned to emphasize luxury lodging.
Ironically, as more people flock to the wild the experience in many areas has started to tame. As lodges have been upgraded and gourmet food has become a focus point there has become an emphasis on the lodge experience, more time in camp and less watching wildlife. An example is that many camps now instruct guides to return at a certain time to be on time for dinner rather than base decisions around what is happening in the field. At some of the most luxurious camps/lodges management assumes that guests would rather sleep in their palatial tents and start game drives later missing some of the best time for wildlife viewing and photography.
A glance at travel agent sites quickly reveals this emphasis on accommodation. Most sites prominently feature recommended accommodation and yet almost none devote content to finding the best wildlife experiences. Many agents are also committed to selling only one or two lodging company product lines in a country, thus they are locked into a limited offering forcing a focus on the quality of accommodation and including the same camps and lodges for virtually every itinerary they produce.
The Wild Source mission is to put the focus back where I believe most safari travelers want it, on finding the best wildlife experiences and wild places. Guided by that principle we work with a diverse portfolio of options dictated only by the requirement that each location provides superior wildlife experiences and top quality operations. Our focus on identifying safari frontier areas also means that we specialize in delivering the most exclusive wilderness experiences and vintage safaris that are quickly becoming an endangered species. To be clear finding the correct style of accommodation for your customized safari is essential, but outstanding accommodation options abound. It is much more difficult to determine the locations at the correct times for optimal wildlife viewing. Having focused on the essence of the safari experience we can then tailor the right accommodation choices for your style delivering the complete safari experience that fits your needs.
The Biologist
As a wildlife biologist I have worked with everything from butterflies to African lions. Currently my focus is as the Co-Principal Investigator of a research project based in Botswana in an effort to mitigate predation by lions and African wild dogs on livestock. We are applying a powerful technique, conditioned taste aversion, for the first time to these species and if successful it could be a revolutionary conservation tool for predators around the globe. more details read about the project here.
As the Program Manager of the Colorado Natural Heritage program I coordinated a team of 50 field scientists to survey and document the state’s rare and imperiled species, resulting in being awarded as the Natural Heritage Science Program of the Year for the world’s 75 organizations. For the last ten years I have been the President/Wildlife Biologist for the Western Wildlife Institute, performing endangered species consulting and original wildlife research. Some highlights were discovering the first documented flammulated owl in the State of South Dakota, finding numerous new locations of the Federally threatened Preble’s meadow jumping mouse, and conducting predator research to determine species abundance, spatial use and response to recreation.
Bill Given is a Research Associate of the Denver Zoo. The Denver Zoo is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
If you're interested in going on a Safari and live within the Denver Metro area, I would be happy to set up a safari slideshow presentation at your house or a meeting place of your choice. For more information, click the link below, that most applies to you:
It is the culmination of my efforts to now be working with predators in Africa and running The Wild Source allows me to be able to afford to shift my focus to conservation efforts there.
Shannon Gore - Operations Manager
Shannon is from the wooded hills outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Her immersion into nature at a young age was impactful. Her love of the outdoors and interest in Native American culture led her out west in 1993.
Along with exploring the many wonderful wilderness areas of Colorado, Shannon incorporates travel within the states and abroad into her way of life. Exposure to other cultures and habitats provide her with an appreciated expansion of self. Shannon’s previous experience as a Social Worker, Yoga Instructor and Office Manager provide her the ability to listen to clients needs and respond with kindness and efficiency. Her enthusiasm is genuine. She is thrilled to be a part of The Wild Source.
In her free time Shannon enjoys live music and dance as well as yoga, hiking and time with friends and family.
Deo Magoye - Partner and Senior Guide, Tanzania
All companies will claim their guides are great but a quick look at Deo’s history illustrates that he is a one of a kind for this region. In 2008 Deo was featured as the Safari Guide and Bush Lore expert for the South African television show Voetspore: Journey from Gansbaai (South Africa) to Gabon, a 3 month expedition through rarely visited terrain including the Congo and Angola. This was a follow up to his role on the same series when their expedition went from Cape Town to Cairo.
Deo’s guiding skills are well known, making him the guide selected by many film crews and professional photographers. He was the head guide for a National Geographic film crew for 4 months making the film Real Serengeti, and he has guided for BBC filmmakers as well. Legendary wildlife photographer Tom Mangelsen was guided by Deo for his East Africa shoots, as were Boyd Norton and Joe McDonald who have contributed to the Audubon Field Guide for African Mammals as well as created their own books.
While it is clear that Deo is the experts choice he is also perfect for anyone who is simply excited to go on safari. When preparing such a resume of highlights it was Deo who said it is hard to single anyone out because all my clients are VIP to me. The skills to find animals and position a vehicle are only a small part of what makes Deo a special guide. His laid back but confident manner and vivid personality make him a joy to spend your time with. With more than 25 years of guiding Deo knows Tanzania like few others.