Jacques Briam is based full-time in South Africa’s Greater Kruger National Park, where he works as a photographic safari guide. Fluent in English, French, and Spanish, he receives guests from all over the world.
While Jacques enjoys showing his guests the big wildlife, he also enjoys introducing visitors to the smaller aspects of wilderness. He regularly leads guests on walking safaris as this is one of the best ways to experience wilderness in its entirety.
Jacques has a keen interest in wildlife photography and happily shares his knowledge with guests about all aspects of photography, from creative photographic techniques to post-processing tools.
Education and qualifications
Jacques is a member of the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa. Some of his qualifications include:
• Advanced Field Guide
• Trails Guide
• Advanced Rifle Handling
In addition to his nature-based qualifications, Jacques holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Saint Louis University in Madrid, Spain.
International background
Jacques has wilderness experience outside of South Africa. For example, he has backpacked 150 kilometers through remote mountain backcountry in Wyoming, USA, has done solo trekking in Nepal, and has observed wildlife in India’s wilderness areas.
Jacques has spent much of his life in South Africa, including 7 years in Johannesburg as a child, during which time he cherished family excursions to the South African bush. He has also lived in Chile, France, United Arab Emirates, Spain, and the United States.
The origins of Wild About The Wild
Jacques Briam founded Wild About The Wild in 2014 as a means to share his passion for wildlife and wilderness.
As he progressed in his career as a safari guide in South Africa, he used the website as a platform to share personal experiences in the wilderness, as well as to share news, articles, photos, and videos that display wilderness in all its splendor.
“Wilderness is a driving force in my life. I rely on it for inspiration, guidance, and even consolation.”
Another key reason for the website was to provide a “balanced” representation of wilderness — because he finds that print and TV media tend to show two extremes of wildlife. One extreme portrays wilderness in a sensationalist way through the use of superlatives such as deadliest, scariest, and most venomous. The other extreme is represented by those who feel that they literally can tame a tiger. Such people tend to describe wildlife as being “cute” and “adorable.”
“By ignoring the reality of wilderness, people diminish the power and wonder of wilderness. I believe that wilderness is grandiose enough that it doesn’t need to be sensationalized.
Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the intricacies of wilderness because they have never experienced true wilderness.”
Jacques’ ultimate goal is to inspire people to discover, enjoy, and preserve the wild areas of the world by showcasing the beauty, uniqueness, and complexity of wilderness.
To contact Jacques Briam, click here.