Shannon Hoffman

Bearded Vulture Breeding Manager, Shannon Hoffman began working full time with birds of prey in the year 2000. She began her ‘hands on’ raptor work in Dubai where she lived and worked in the Arabian desert with falcons, horses and camels. On returning home Shannon wished to use these raptor handling skills to translate the many threats that face our indigenous raptors into concepts that South Africans could see and understand. In 2006 the ‘African Bird of Prey Sanctuary’, a public awareness facility, was born. Shannon now fulfils the role of Breeding Manager for the ‘Bred 4 the Wild’ Bearded Vulture Captive Breeding Program, a role to which her unique skill set is suited.

Jenny Streatfield

Jen Streatfield, based out of Underberg KZN, is a business co-owner and mother of two beautiful ‘future conservationist’ daughters.   Her formal training was a BSc Honors in hydrology and she applies her problem-solving mind to provide essential management backup to the Programme both on the ground and at committee level. With her heart for all this wild, we are grateful to have he part of our team

Mr Mpiti

As headman to his people in the Quiting province of Lesotho, Mr Mpiti is also leader in his approach to custodianship to the endangered species. He is a member of the Bearded Vulture Task Force

Tavish Farquhar

Beginning his raptor work at the African Bird of Prey Sanctuary, Tavish assisted in the management of the initial founder population. He stands by for help in bird handling or operational logistics.

Dr Alex LLopis-Dell

As Bearded vulture captive breeding manager for the Vulture Conservation Foundation of Europe and coordinator of the Bearded vulture European Endangered Species Programme (EEP), veterinarian Alex Llopis has been involved with the successful recovery of the northern Bearded vulture subspecies since 1986. He sits on the BVBP Steer-Com guiding our African efforts with his extensive and invaluable experience in reintroduction, monitoring, and all aspects of ex-situ management.

Sonja Krueger

Facilitator of the Bearded Vulture Recovery Programme and Bio-Diversity management Plan, Sonja completed her doctorate on the species. She provides essential interface between the in-situ and ex-situ aspects of the species conservation.

Shobana Makhubu

Having spent many years monitoring Bearded vultures in Lesotho Shobana is the ideal BVBP Steering Committee species expert for Lesotho. Long-time member of the BV Task Force Shobana also undertakes important awareness work around the BV nest territories.

Dr Oliver Tatham

Ollie Tatham is our programme vet and is uniquely qualified with over twenty years of bird of prey experience in RSA. He has provided his services to sick and injured rehabilitation birds through Raptor Rescue and now does so for the Bearded vultures in the programme. Adding to his own experiences Ollie has a global network of avian veterinary experts with which he engages to ensure that our birds have the best treatment and care that we can provide.

Greme Bruschi

is a Durban based rock-climber, who has a strong affinity for hiking and climbing in the Drakensberg mountains. Tongue in cheek Grae professes to like ‘long drives on bumpy tracks and carrying heavy backs’, fortunate secondary skills required of our harvest team’s primary climber. He is a Mountain Club of South Africa KZN Committee member and part of the MSAR search and rescue team.

Scelo Shoba

A local Underberg resident, Scelo started his programme work iin the construction of the new breeding station. Now, as ‘jack of all trades’, he is grounds man, keeper, security and maintenance man to the Breeding Station for the founder population.

Kim Fraser

Offering her time and expertise to the Bearded Vulture Breeding Programme, local Underberg farmer Kim Fraser has natural rehabilitator’s heart and practical. Trained in animal science Kim expands our management capacity at the specialist breeding station whenever necessary.

Gavin Raubenheimer

Shayna Asherwood,

started volunteering at the African Bird of Prey Sanctuary in 2013 when she was still in school and quickly fell in love with the birds. After completing a BSc in Environmental Science and Geography, Zambian-born Shayna, returns seasonally to assist in all things avicultural during the breeding season.

Bill Howells

In formal conservation management, Bill has engaged with birds of prey all his life, with specialized interest in egg collecting and taxidermy. Bill sits on the BVBP Steering Committee as an independent expert. His analytical and detailed approach to breeding behaviour, raptor physiology and conservation frameworks guide us constantly in operational challenges.

Chandra David

joining us from California USA, Chandra has been part of the harvest team for the last three seasons. With over 28 years’ experience working out of LA Zoo, in the Condor Recovery Programme her knowledge or cliff nest access, incubation, rearing and vulture management has been invaluable to building our foundation group.

Mikayla Farquhar

Bringing her creativity to the table, Mikayla has undertaken much of the learning and awareness material design. She is also assisting in the photographic recording of the founder population for aging purposes.

Brett Tungay

ZAR Aviation owner Brett Tungay offers his vast high altitude flying experience to the BV harvest team for accessing escarpment nests by air in South Africa. Based from Dragon Peaks Mountain Resort (Central Drakensberg), his knowledge of the mountain peaks and nesting sites has made this high-risk exercise possible for the furtherment of this critically endangered species.