I've enjoyed reading all the replies here and am curious to know more... My two cents:

1)Are you an experienced safari traveler or hoping for your first safari?

A: Experienced? I've been on one really incredible safari, to Kenya and Tanzania. Hoping to return someday, and explore other countries as well.

2)If a camp/lodge/operator gave you a wildlife checklist would you check off the species you have seen?

A: I kept my own little list of animals and birds that I saw in each park, as part of my journal. I wasn't interested in marking things off on a checklist, though. I do think it's a different experience to start with a list, versus starting with a blank page in a journal.

3)If the data from your checklist would help future travelers would that encourage you to check a list?

A: Possibly -- as others have mentioned above, it depends on what you mean by "helping" future travelers. For example, I wouldn't do it if it was just for marketing purposes for the camp. That would feel like a chore.

4)If data from your checklist would help monitor and conserve wildlife would that encourage you to check a list?

A: Absolutely.

5)If a lodge/camp/operator gives monthly reports on what they see does that add interest in their operation?

A: I did enjoy reading online reports from some of the camps we visited while we were counting down the months to our safari (Oliver's Camp leaps to mind, and it was fun to follow some of the websites that try to track the migration). If the website is well done and well-written, it's a fun way to psych up for safari. But it didn't really influence what I expected to see while there.

Ooh good point made by someone above:

"Sightings" reported by travellers are often unreliable. When we visited parks such as Addo, Hluhluwe, Ithala, Kruger, they often had display boards providing information on sightings reported by other guests.

I remember noticing one report for black rhinos in an area in which we saw several different white rhinos but no black. It was mostly open grassland so not really the kind of environment I'd expect black rhino to favour, though they were present in other areas of the park.

And then, sometime later, in a camp restaurant, I overhears a bunch of people talking about rhinos and how they'd seen a black rhino that morning. How did they know it was a black rhino? It was much darker than the white ones they'd seen the previous day!

I've also been at camps in the Okavango to be regaled with stories of guests who had had a wonderful sighting of a tiger on their drive that morning, had we seen it?

And believe it not, I've commonly come across confusion between cheetah and leopards. The expression "a leopard never changes its spots" doesn't help given that I'd describe the pattern on a cheetah's fur as spots but that on a leopard's fur as rings.

1) Experienced
2) Yes, and I take notes on every game drive on the estimated number of each species seen (even for impala, elephants and other species seen in big numbers).
3) Yes
4) Yes
5) Yes

Hi Bill,

late to this thread but here goes

Geoff.

1)Experienced safari traveler

2)No - I use my own journal

3)No

4)Yes - I used to enjoy doing Selinda's monthly survey. Particularly the late night drive.

5)Yes - I enjoy reading game sighting reports.

1. I've been 5 times
2. yes, if I can keep it and particularly if it includes bird species
3. Yes, but I'd need two copies so I could keep one
4. yes
5. I find I don't pay much attention to the journals on hand listing what's been seen. An overall list of likely-to-be-spotted animals is helpful in identifying what we see.

Samcat

1) experienced
2) yes-helps me remembr tri when back home years later
3) no
4) yes
5) yes absolutely

1) #2 trip coming up soon
2) Yes, I printed out the ones off the Mala Mala website already.
3) Most likely
4) Yes
5) Yes, I prefer weekly/bi-weekly like Mashatu and Mala Mala. Something would be better than nothing though.
<):)

1. Experienced
2. Yes
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. Yes

Just look at the value of Project Feederwatch, I totally get it.

little late, but if you're still taking answers then:

1) Been once, planning 2nd trip

2) Perhaps, we wrote down the species that we saw, so I suppose it's no different than using a checklist

3) Yes

4) Perhaps, but I think I would want to know in what way it was being used. I'm not a scientist, and would be concerned that the info is not usable anyway

5) No, there is no guarantee that those animals/species will be seen when I am there anyway.

1.) Regular visitor

2, 3, and 4) No, will not check any list ..... if it's for conservation purposes, will gladly donate any photos or information (as you know Bill).

5.No, because I believe it's just marketing for lodge/camp/operator.

Cheers
Marc

1)Are you an experienced safari traveler or hoping for your first safari?

Experienced by your definition but I blush in this company.

2)If a camp/lodge/operator gave you a wildlife checklist would you check off the species you have seen?

I might. Half the time I do, the other half I don't.


3)If the data from your checklist would help future travelers would that encourage you to check a list?

Yes.

4)If data from your checklist would help monitor and conserve wildlife would that encourage you to check a list?

Absolutely in that case!

5)If a lodge/camp/operator gives monthly reports on what they see does that add interest in their operation?

A big yes. One of the first things I look for is the sightings book in the lodge. (I prefer it when they have a sightings book maintained by the rangers and then the guests can make comments in the guestbook).

I think monthly web reports are a good indication of what wildlife is being seen in their lodge. Something like that would have saved many of us from the disappointing news on arrival at a lodge known for wild dogs that they had not seen any that entire year.

1. Working on being experienced! Three safaris so far.

2. No, probably easier to keep track in my notebook.

3. No.

4. Yes, if I felt the data was useful. That would mean rigor in identifying animals and their location at time of sighting.

5. Yes, but I think there's potential for 'marketing' as opposed to 'reporting'.

1. I don't consider myself experienced but I've been to safaris in Kenya/Tanzania, Namibia and South Africa

2-5 Yes to all

Bill,

I think you finally didn't explain the reason or objectives for the poll. I'm kinda curious to know, especially after you recent disclosure

thanks

1. Experienced (4 trips)
2. No. We maintain our own list for our own enjoyment and for relating to photos taken.
3. No. Have provided our "lists" via narratives posted on this forum.
4. Maybe. Depends on the gist of the survey.
5. Would enjoy seeing such but would also take "with a grain of salt" knowing conditions change.

Hari said it better than I could. At one point I thought guides would be the ideal way for generating list but after having a really lousy one in Kenya have second thoughts. Probably the exception as the rest we have had were great.

Thanks for topping this, I have been meaning to get back to it with an explanation but have been sidetracked. This is completely different than my recent disclosure and I will be sure to read back through it and post sometime today.

Hi Bill,

1. We work on our experience, three safaris (SA, Bots/ZIM/SAM, Tanz/Kenya) so far and next one in 3 weeks (Kenya).

2. No. We note all in a little book if we are not too tired in the evenings.

3. No.

4. Yes, if data would be useful.

5. Yes and no. It is nice to know eg whether the migration is at some point or not. But detailed infos are as well causing disappointment. I think the adventure is nice and just not to know what the day could bring. Just to tell very general info is ok.

All the best for your new business (lucky you!!!)
Steff

Hi,
1)Leaving next month for 1st time safari
2)yes-I'm a list person
3)sure
4)absolutely
5)yes, I think it would if I were more experienced and hadn't yet seen something specific.

I hope this helps, Kym

O.K. I did make it back technically by the end of my day and I have tabulated every answer but now it's past 3 a.m. and I don't want to give a lazy explanation.

Thanks to everyone for your time, having reviewed it all was very interesting and within the next 24 hours I will definitely share what this was all about.

1. Experienced
2,3,4 No
5 yes provided it is brief, factual and available on a blog or web site etc, not forced down via spam email.