2010

Having grown up in the heart of Harare, I was never really exposed to the beauty of nature nor did I appreciate the sereneness it provides. All this changed when I got the chance to visit Hwange National Park after finishing my secondary education. In pursuit of a career in Natural resources Conservation, I enrolled for an Honors Degree in Biological sciences at the University of Zimbabwe. After my studies, I got a job as an ecologist with The National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe and was deployed to Hwange National Park. Hwange National Park, the biggest in Zimbabwe, is the hub of ecological research for the organization. I have worked with renowned researchers from organizations like Hwange Lion Research and C.N.R.S. This has given me a better understanding of how ecosystems function and aroused my curiosity in ecological research. I have participated in a number of research programmes which include capturing and collaring herbivores and carnivores, the translocation and subsequent monitoring of elephants and buffalos as well as vegetation analysis. Currently I’m in the forefront of White Rhino monitoring in Hwange.

Diploma Projects

• Assessing the contribution of organic farming and woodlands to river health, as measured by invertebrate diversity indices

• Changes in home range sizes and habitat usage of female African lions (Panthera leo) in and around Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe) between 2007 and 2008