Chris has grown with Wildlife ACT since 2020, progressing from Priority Species Monitor to managing the Somkhanda Programme and Emergency Response, and now heading the Wild Dog and Cheetah Conservation Programme. With a BSc Honours in Biodiversity and Ecology and field guiding experience across southern and East Africa, he leads the protection of two of Africa’s most threatened carnivores.
Chris has felt most at home outdoors and immersed in nature for as long as he can remember, a connection shaped by hiking, exploring protected areas with family, and scuba diving in the cold waters of Cape Town. After finishing high school, he volunteered with Wildlife ACT during a gap year and discovered that protecting endangered species could be a full-time profession, spending long days in the bush tracking African Wild Dogs and other threatened wildlife.
The experience confirmed his desire to pursue a career in conservation, and he went on to complete a BSc Honours in Biodiversity and Ecology at Stellenbosch University, followed by a year-long professional field guiding course that took him to protected areas across southern Africa and several months working in remote national parks in East Africa.
Chris joined Wildlife ACT professionally in 2020 as a Priority Species Monitor. He went on to manage the Somkhanda Programme, coordinate Emergency Response efforts, and now heads up the African Wild Dog and Cheetah programmes, overseeing the monitoring and protection of two of Africa’s most threatened carnivores alongside Wildlife ACT’s wider work with priority species. He is based at Somkhanda Game Reserve and works across protected areas in Zululand.
Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time in nature, birding, hiking, travelling, cooking, photography, and time with friends.
“I am particularly proud of my development as a conservation leader over the past few years, especially under my role as the conservation coordinator based for the Somkhanda Project. Working with limited resources, I was forced to think outside the box and come up with innovative and effective solutions to many challenges.”