Four British uni pals have dodged elephants and coped with 40 degree heat as they drive 6,000km across Africa - in two tuk-tuks.
The group, who call themselves Tuk South, have been travelling in their auto-rickshaws for the past five months to fundraise for wildlife rangers.
Ivo Horsey, his brother Jasper Horsey and their friends Robbie Thouless and Josh Porter set off from the equator in Nanyuki, Kenya last November.
They hope to reach the southernmost tip of Africa, Cape Agulhas, by September - and have already had their fair share of experiences.
Ivo, 25, said: “These little machines were originally designed for the high streets of Italy, not for some long-forgotten dirt track that leads to the base of Africa's largest active volcano.
“We have pushed and pulled our way to some of the most extreme locations Sub-Saharan Africa has to offer.
Journeying across Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa,, the friends' choice of transport has left them deprived of air conditioning and four-wheel drive.
They wanted to purchase the “ridiculous” vehicles to travel across ill-suited terrain to raise awareness wildlife rangers protecting Africa’s wild spaces, who have come under pressure during pandemic.
The group are producing a documentary as well as a series of TikTok videos, highlighting the effect of Covid lockdowns on wild spaces and communities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Ivo, Jasper, 29, Robbie, 25, and Josh, 29, have teamed up with charity 'For Rangers' and are raising money through brand sponsorship and selling merchandise.
Ivo said: “Ultimately, we just really hope that we can do something, however small, to help wildlife rangers in East and Southern Africa.
"The conservation of wild spaces really is of paramount importance in this day and age.
"In Africa we have the last great collections of big game animals in the world, this is worth protecting."
The idea for the expedition came from Jasper and University of Manchester alumnus Josh when they went travelling in Sri Lanka in August 2010.
Ivo, from Laikipia, Kenya, said: “On one sunny day they rented a tuk-tuk and went crashing off into the Yala National Park to go chasing some wildlife.
“Surrounded by huge 4x4’s, confused tourists and the occasional herd of elephants, they experienced their first taste of just how thrilling and funny exploration in a tuk-tuk could be.”
** This content is being managed by SWNS. To licence for editorial or commercial use please contact licensing@swns.com 0117 9066550**
Subscribe to our channel to be the first to see our viral, breaking news videos.
#adventure #travel #africa #tiktok #viral #uni #friends #backpackers #tuktuk #awareness #poaching
