Anel has led Wildlife ACT’s species conservation work since 2018, now serving as Director of Species Conservation across Vulture, Rhino, and Wild Dog programmes throughout KwaZulu-Natal. With an MSc in Conservation Ecology and field experience spanning the African continent, she brings deep ecological expertise and a steady hand to managing conservation at scale.
Anel grew up in a family that loved camping, which gave her a deep appreciation for nature from an early age. At eleven years old, a night drive in the Kalahari with a passionate young ranger opened her eyes to a future in conservation, and there was no turning back.
She completed a BSc in Conservation Ecology at Stellenbosch University, followed by a year-long professional field guiding course in Limpopo, before heading to a remote reserve in Malawi for 15 months of fieldwork that formed the basis of her MSc on the ecology of Black Rhinoceros. Before joining Wildlife ACT, she gained further experience at protected areas across southern Africa.
Anel joined Wildlife ACT in 2018 and now serves as Director of Species Conservation, based at Somkhanda and working across KwaZulu-Natal. She oversees Wildlife ACT’s Vulture, Rhino, and Wild Dog programmes, managing projects and people to enable conservation at scale, from coordinating helicopter Vulture nest surveys across the province to hosting monitor training courses in other African countries.
Outside of work, Anel enjoys birding, playing with her dog, camping, and reading.
“I love being a temporary custodian for God’s creation. Wildlife and nature puts life into perspective and reminds me of how small I am.”