A former conservation student at Addo Elephant National Park has returned to the Eastern Cape park as its first female Conservation Manager.
Cathy Dreyer started her career in Addo just outside Port Elizabeth nearly 20 years ago and over the years has affectionately become known as the ‘Rhino Whisperer’.
Dreyer studied Nature Conservation and completed her degree at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, after which she did her experiential training at Addo. Here she worked closely with the South African National Parks Veterinary Wildlife Service Unit which is based in Kimberley.
Following the completion of her experiential training year she joined the game capture team on a permanent basis and worked with them for 12 years, capturing and relocating a variety of species throughout Southern Africa and Africa.
In 2012 she left SANParks and took up the position of Conservation Manager at the Great Fish River Nature Reserve, managed by the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency. Five years later she returned to SANParks as the Black Rhino Surveillance and Monitoring Co-ordinator for Kruger National Park.
Dreyer now heads up conservation in Addo Elephant National Park. The park is home to the ‘Big 7’ – elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard and the Southern Right whale and Great White shark in the marine section of the park.
“I am looking forward to supporting the Park’s terrestrial and marine conservation efforts and feel incredibly privileged to be a part of such a passionate, dedicated and committed team of rangers.”
The highlight of her career was being awarded the Tusk Award for Conservation in Africa in London in 2016. She was the first South African recipient of the award and the first female to have won it.
The award is given to an individual who has been judged to be an emerging leader in conservation in Africa and in recognition of their outstanding contribution and considerable successes in their chosen field. The award was presented by Sir David Attenborough.
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