Expedition Leaders
Wildlife Research Expedition in South Africa

Peter Bradford - Country Director - South Africa

South African born and bred, Peter joined GVI in July 2004 as the Karongwe Expedition Leader. His roles and responsibilities have expanded over the years and he now oversees both the Karongwe and Venetia bases, the SANParks internship programme and various other GVI projects in the country. He came to GVI with over three years experience guiding and managing safari lodges in the Timbavati and Sabi-Sands Game Reserves bordering the Kruger National Park. He is a level 3 guide with the Field Guides Association of South Africa (FGASA) and a registered South African nature guide. Peter has a National Diploma in Forestry and worked in the Kwazulu-Natal Midlands and Drakensberg region managing sustainable forests for four years before moving into eco-tourism and conservation. He is well travelled having spent two and a half years backpacking in Europe, North- and South America. He’s a qualified EFR instructor, has his advanced weapons handling certificate and, apart from English, also speaks Afrikaans and Zulu.

Lourens Leeuwner - Expedition Leader

Lourens Leeuwner 25 year-old Lourens is originally from the Northern Cape town of Springbok, though he grew up in Plettenberg Bay on the south coast, where he discovered his love for nature. He studied nature conservation at Cape Technikon and is currently busy with a BCom in marketing. He has worked in various reserves around South Africa including the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Mont Eco Private Nature Reserve and Amakhala Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape.. His travels are not limited to South Africa however, as he survived an epic two year working vacation in the UK and Europe! Lourens is a level 1 FGASA guide, 1st Aid level 1 qualified, FGASA advanced weapons handling certificate, SASSETA, ATV safety and handling of all terrain vehicles certificate and is DEAT registered as a South African nature guide He has a passion for wildlife- birds and hippos in particular. He’s participated in the tracking of problem lion, leopard and other predators in the Kalahari, loves off-roading and travelling the African wilderness, and is an enormous rugby supporter! As a self-confessed extrovert he enjoys conversation and socialising with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds.

Anton Pretorius - Research Assistant

Anton joined GVI in April 2007. He is a born South African and has lived here all his life; Anton is fluent in Afrikaans and English. By the age of 16 he was a proficient rugby player and travelled to America and Canada where he played hooker and prop. At 18 he joined the South African Army where he gained excellent rifle handling and bush skills. After two years with the Army he left to pursue his love for the African bush. He trained with FGASA at Bush Academy for one year where he achieved his Level One field guiding qualification and was then placed at Makalali Private Game Reserve. He continued working there after finishing his placement, tracking and guiding guests until he found his opportunity to join the GVI team. Anton has extensive experience in field guiding with the following qualifications and experience. FGASA level 1, DEAT registered field Guide, 1st Aid certificate, Advanced weapons handling, SASSETA weapons handling, Public Drivers Permit, 1 years experience in driving 4 X 4’s as a safari guide in Big five reserves. Anton loves all wildlife but Buffalo and Honey Badger in particular.

Sandra Jacob - SAN Parks Programme co-ordinator

Sandra joined GVI in July 2007 as Research Assistant at Karongwe Game Reserve while on a placement from Bushwise Field Guides. She is originally from Brisbane, Australia and has lived and studied in South Africa since December 2006. She has completed FGASA level 1 field guiding, Trails Guide, Advanced Rifle Handling, Advanced Snake Handling and Emergency First Response. She gained full time employment at Karongwe from January 2008 and recently took on the role of Sanparks Coordinator and Research Assistant. She has travelled around the world for over 10 years and Southern Africa is by far her favourite place. She is passionate about conservation and animals, and was a volunteer Wildlife Rescuer and Rehabilitator for possums and small mammals in Australia.

Kim Lieghton - Mariepskop Project Leader

Kim first came to GVI in 2004 as an expedition member looking to expand her fieldwork experience after completing BSc Hons Zoology at Leeds University. The work she was involved in at Karongwe inspired her to further her education through an MSc degree here in South Africa. She completed her MSc in African Mammalogy: Conservation and Management of Diversity in 2006 under the supervision of the director of the Mammal Research Institute at the University of Pretoria. She carried out the fieldwork element of her thesis at Pidwa Wilderness just around the corner from Karongwe, where alongside spending her days studying giraffe behaviour she gained further experience of 4x4 driving and expanded her knowledge of the bush. Kim is from the UK and is 26 years old with a passion for travel and conservation and has carried out fieldwork in several different countries including 2 months in Borneo studying wild orang-utan populations. When the position of research project leader for the mountain phase here at GVI became vacant Kim jumped at the opportunity to come back to GVI and began working for us in July 2007. She is now keen to make her mark on the research on Mariepskop and is enjoying her new role in the GVI team.

Chris Joubert - Research assistant

Chris was born in Natal and spent half of his school career thereafter he moved up to the Limpopo province or “the Old Transvaal”. He is passionate about conservation and reserve management. His bush career started in the Kruger National Park as a third year practical student and there after as a trails guide. He has 10 years accumulative experience in the bush ranging from Head Ranger at Ingwe Private Game Lodge, Senior ranger and assistant researcher at Makalali Private Game Reserve and Area Manager on Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve working for the Gauteng Department of Conservation. He decided to explore the world and completed two years as an Operations Manager for the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, London, just before joining GVI. Chris has a B.Tech in Conservation and has completed FGASA level 2, Advanced Weapons Handling, First Aid Level 2 and an Occupational Health and Safety Certificate. He thoroughly enjoys a good South African sunset and quiet, vast open spaces. His passion is contemplating the company of elephants and noticing the little things that normally pass people by.