Wildlife sound recording expedition to Sierra Leone
April 2027

 

Join me on this small group expedition to the jungles of Sierra Leone where we will try to record primates including Chimpanzees, pygmy hippos, forest antelopes and lots of birds. April is the tail end of the dry seasons so we should have easy access to remote locations.

Key facts

Fee - £3500 per person (+VAT if you are in the UK)
Group size - 3 attendees plus expedition leader
Dates - April 2027 - 12 days on location - exact dates TBD
Airport - Freetown International (FNA)
Itinerary - Gola Rainforest, Tiwai Island, Kambui Hills, Kangair Hills
Base - camps and lodges where available
Proficiency level - fieldcraft and sound recording knowledge required
Equipment - bring your own, some kit available to borrow
Fitness level - physical activity expected
Fee includes lodging on a single basis, permits, food, snacks, coffee, transportation, access
Fee does not include flights, visas, personal expenses, alcohol, tips
£1500 non-refundable deposit required to confirm attendance, balance due two weeks before the trip

What to bring

  • head torch

  • thermos flask

  • wet weather clothing

  • base layers, ideally merino wool

  • binoculars

  • waterproof clothing and footwear

  • insect repellent

Discussions

Introduction to wildlife and nature sound recording
Listening in the field
Recording equipment basics
Attended vs unattended recording - drop rigs, tree ears
Field recording for sound design
Working with studios and brands

Field work

We aim to spend full days in the wild exploring the national park and recording sounds. We will be driven in safari vehicles to reach our recording locations. We will do animal tracking and species observation so we can understand their behaviours and capture their calls. Our main approach to field recording will be unattended with drop rigs, but we will also bring directional microphones to capture sounds as we go. There is a possibility to spend the night out in an observation post, if the weather is good.

Our main mission in the wilds of Nepal will be to capture the sounds of big mammals. Tigers are very loud and quite vocal this time of the year, but due to their massive territories it will be a challenge to locate them and to capture their sounds. Elephants, rhinos and other mammals will be slightly easier to locate, but still challenging to record. Leopards can also be found in the area but are not very vocal due to the presence of tigers. Lastly, there is opportunity to record beautiful dawn choruses and day/night ambience.

Key species

  • Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus)

  • Crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela)

  • Large-tailed nightjar (Caprimulgus macrurus)

  • Brown Fish Owl (Ketupa zeylonensis)

  • Indian Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena)

  • Stork-billed kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis)

  • Great hornbill (Buceros bicornis)

  • Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris)

  • Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis)

  • Asian elephant (Elephas maximus)

  • Leopard (Panthera pardus)

  • Chital or Spotted deer (Axis axis)

  • Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus)

  • Golden jackal (Canis aureus)

Expedition leader

I am George Vlad and I have more than 16 years of experience as a field recordist and sound designer. I’ve worked on many high profile projects including Dune Part II, Mufasa the Lion King, Google Sound Matters for Pixel devices etc. More info about me at https://mindful-audio.com/george-vlad-credits. I’ve explored and recorded in Bardia a few years ago, and I look forward to returning to this magnificent yet poorly known part of the world.

Disclaimer

February is a great time to record wildlife in this part of Nepal, but the weather can be unpredictable. Having said that, we aim to explore these landscapes regardless of the weather. We will have support from local guides and explorers, plus capable 4x4 vehicles and excellent local knowledge.

A note on recording wildlife and nature. The outdoors isn’t a zoo and wild animals are unpredictable. There is never a guarantee of seeing/hearing certain species. Maximising time in the field and immersing ourselves in the landscape merely gives us the best chances of encounters. The rest is up to nature and wildlife.

Feedback from previous Mindful Audio expeditions

Houstin Lichtenwalner wrote a nice blog post about his experience joining me on expedition in Romania: https://fieldlog.net/blog/2026/05/fieldcraft-is-the-definition-of-a-craft/

Questions/How to book

Email me through the contact form and I will get back to you. See you out there!