My name is Dan Chankova, and I am the Co-Founder of Safari True and private safari guide.
Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, my mind and imagination always took me to far off places across our planet. From my earliest memories, I wanted to be a wild animal veterinarian, and early on, Africa captured my attention. The continent, and specifically its iconic wildlife and landscapes fascinated me.
When I was 19 years old, while completing my degree in Animal Science at UC Davis, I spent a summer in Namibia volunteering at an animal rehabilitation center and completing a research project on the rescue and rehabilitation process of sick and injured wild animals. From the moment my foot hit African soil, my life changed forever. When I returned to home after 3 months in Namibia, I immediately made plans to move to Africa. After finishing my last classes at UC Davis, I moved to the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa's north eastern corner.