Aiken Mandlbaur
I’m a dynamic content and community strategist with a passion for storytelling, wildlife and digital innovation. My background sits at the intersection of creative media, operations and relationship building, and I’ve always thrived in spaces where ideas move fast, and structure keeps everything flowing.
At Latest Sightings, I serve as Coordinator and Relations Development Lead, working behind one of the world’s largest real-time wildlife platforms. I help guide the content we publish, support the contributors who share their sightings with us and work closely with the community that turns those moments into global conversations. My day-to-day includes content curation, influencer and partner collaborations, community strategy and helping shape the direction of the stories that our audiences engage with.
Alongside this, I’ve helped drive meaningful digital growth, strengthening our social reach, improving engagement and launching new initiatives like Ting Vision, our push into wildlife media innovation and real-time AI-supported technology. I also handle many of the operational and coordination pieces that keep our team aligned, making sure creative ideas turn into smooth execution.
At the core of all of this is my love for nature, people and purposeful storytelling. Whether I’m building partnerships, creating recruitment campaigns or developing new wildlife solutions, I try to bring the same balance of passion and professionalism to everything I do. My goal is simple: to help create work that connects, inspires and brings the wild a little closer to those who love it.
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Young Hippo Trapped on Land Bashes Through 6 Lions to Escape
This hippo got trapped on land with lions all around it in Zambia. For a moment, it looked like the lions had it exactly where they wanted it. But then the hippo spotted a small stream and made a dash for it. The lions chased, but the hippo ended up embarrassing them by bashing through…
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Calm Elephant Bull Turns Aggressive in a Second
Yesterday, a sighting of a calm elephant bull quickly turned dangerous when the elephant changed its mind on the car and stabbed right into the engine area with one of his tusks, and dragged the vehicle around off the road. Thankfully, no one was injured! This elephant was in “musth”, a condition where testosterone levels…
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Orphaned Baby Rhinos Choose Their Rescuer As Mom After Losing Everything
After losing their mothers, often to poaching, orphaned rhino calves arrive frightened and alone. Many choose one specific caretaker as their new “mom,” forming a powerful bond that helps them heal and grow strong enough for a second chance in the wild.
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Hyena Cub Found Freezing Alone Now Has a Second Chance at Life
A freezing, abandoned hyena cub was found alone on concrete during a winter night in Zimbabwe, blind and fighting to survive. Now, after a desperate rescue by the team at Chipangali Wildlife Sanctuary, he has a second chance at life.
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Satara is Under Water! Latest Kruger Flood Update
Satara has been hit hard by the flooding, with water pushing into the staff camp and forcing an evacuation as conditions worsened. The scenes coming out of the area are unreal, from buildings sitting in muddy floodwater to personal belongings being swept away, showing just how fast the water rose.
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Best-Rated Safari Guide of 2025
The Safari Guide of the Year 2025 competition has officially wrapped up, and what a week it was! This year’s event brought together some of the best guides out there, each with unique guiding experiences. The competition was tough, and while the winner was well-deserved, it definitely wasn’t an easy title to claim.
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Mid-Competition Update from Safari Guide of the Year Competition
The Safari Guide of the Year competition is nearing its conclusion for 2025, as our favourite week of the year draws to an end. To make sure you’re up to speed, we’ve put together an update covering everything that took place during the middle stages of the event.
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Day One of FGASA Guide of The Year Competition
After all the preparation and build-up, day one of the Guide of the Year Competition has come to a close, which marks the start of one of our favourite weeks of the year. Now that the nerves have settled, the competition is bound to get fierce!
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Top Guides Clash at 2025 Safari Guide of the Year Competition
Five elite guides. One unforgettable showdown in the wild. The 2025 Safari Guide of the Year competition tests the best in tracking, hosting, and storytelling. Who will rise to the top in Kariega’s untamed landscape? Follow the action through Latest Sightings
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Moose Takes A Dive For A Refreshing Meal
A moose slips beneath the pond’s surface, revealing its surprising talent for swimming and diving. This rare sight captures a peaceful yet powerful moment in the life of one of nature’s largest herbivores.
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Lion Brothers Raid Hyena Den
Two male lions raided a hyena den in Kruger National Park, turning a lazy afternoon into tragedy for a group of unsuspecting pups. The ambush was swift, brutal, and a stark reminder of the constant territorial war between Africa’s top predators.
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Buffalo Mother And Herd Try to Save Calf From Pride Of Lions
A buffalo mother made a desperate stand against a pride of lions to save her calf in the Masai Mara. The brutal coordination of the lions eventually proved too much, ending in a tragic yet powerful display of unity and resistance of the herd.
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Watch Lioness Leap To Take Down A Vulture In Mid-Air
A lioness flew with feline prowess, leaping into the air to snatch a vulture mid-flight, not for herself, but as a meal for her hungry cubs.
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Wild Dogs Learn Not to Mess With Baby Lions
This past week, on the S25, wild dogs spotted 2 lion cubs in the road and thought they were in for a quick snack. Little did the pack know that 3 lionesses were waiting for them around the corner… Never mess with a mother lion!
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Lions Interrupt Wild Dogs Catching Twin Baby Buffaloes
After 20 minutes of being tormented by wild dogs, the screams of these twin baby buffaloes attracted two male lions. The male lions went straight in for the steal. But, the Wild Dogs didn’t want to leave, so the lions had to work a bit!
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Cheetah Sacrifices Herself to Protect Cub from Leopard
A leopard on a termite mound spotted a mother cheetah and her sub-adult cub in an open field. The leopard thought it was faster than them, so it started the ambush… But, the mother cheetah knew exactly what to do to keep the cub safe. An incredibly spotty sighting!!
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Watch as Leopard Uses Unique Strategy to Fish in Muddy Water
On a hot July afternoon in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, Candice Pappin was fortunate enough to catch the activity of this gorgeous leopard while it was catching fish. Candice watched this leopard grow on the reserve, so she knew his habits well. On this particular day, she noticed the big cat had made several…
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Buffaloes Break Tree to Send Lion Cub Crashing Down
In the early morning hours of July 18, 2024, a young lion is surrounded by Buffalo and climbs a tree for safety. Cats of all species head for high ground when threatened Nic Andrew, a wildlife photographer and safari guide, observed The Mhangeni lion pride at Savanna Private Game Reserve out on a hunt during…
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Lion Cub Learns Why You Don’t Bite on Dad’s Tail
A cheeky little lion cub found herself in trouble when she pushed Casper’s (her famous dad) buttons by attacking his tail! 🤭
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Eagle Dares to Steal from Crocodile
The crocodile wasn’t having any of it!
