So many people and their good wishes are needed to make a trust such as the Wild Horizons Wildlife Trust successful. It will be impossible to name everyone...

Board of Trustees

Gavin Best joined the Department of National Parks and Wildlife with the then Rhodesian government in 1978. He worked in a number of Parks whilst gaining vast amounts of experience in the conservation management field. Gavin’s career with National Parks concluded with him in the position as Warden of Sinamatella Camp in the Hwange National Park. Gavin married Shayelene Best in February 1988. He decided to join the White family business and left the National Parks towards the end of 1988.

Gavin and Shay worked at Imbabala Safari Camp for the next 12 years (Gavin both managed and guided at Imbabala). In 2000 Gavin and Shay moved to the Elephant Camp on Woodlands Estate on the outskirts of Victoria Falls and took over the management of the operation.

Since then, Gavin and Shay have been actively involved in caring for both the adult elephant involved in the Wild Horizons Elephant Back Safaris while at the same time caring for and hand rearing orphan elephant that find their way to the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary and Orphanage.

The Wild Horizons Wildlife Trust was Gavin and Shay's dream and after their tragic passing away, we continue to do everything possible to make their objectives for the Trust a reality.

Born in Zimbabwe in 1963, Larry Norton grew up on a game farm in north-east Zimbabwe. He started drawing as a boy and in 1988 began a professional career. Since then he has exhibited around the world including several successful exhibitions in New York and London. Larry Norton works in oils, water colour, charcoal and pencil and specializes in African subjects, including wildlife, landscape and people of the continent. He works from his home studio in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and travels extensively on field trips all over the world to gather material for future paintings.

Paul Connolly is a Zimbabwean to his core.  He was born and raised in Zimbabwe and as a child he knew he wanted to live his life on the Zambezi River and in the African bush.  After completing a law degree at university,  he joined the prestigious law firm of Atherstone & Cook, where he became a partner.  After making the decision to resign from the law,  he continued to pursue his passion of canoeing. 

In 1985, Paul moved permanently to Victoria Falls and became very active in working together with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife and setting the rules and guidelines for companies involved in rafting, canoeing and kayaking.  In addition to his work in tourism, Paul also started Victoria Falls Primary School so that he wouldn't have to send his children away for schooling at such a young age.  These days Paul can be found still canoeing the Zambezi commercially, as well as taking his once a year journey to a remote river in Africa.

In his free time, we are pleased to have Paul as a trustee where he is making a difference in the welfare of animals and forests which he feels is a good cause as it helps combat global warming.  The trust will be able to preserve species for future generations.  Paul believes that the Wild Horizons Trust is important as not only is it a humane and compassionate cause, but it protects things that can not protect themselves. So when his grandchildren are canoeing the Zambezi they will still have the privilege of seeing some truly magnificent wildlife.    

Peter McLoughlin was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in 1971, and educated at Plumtree High School, where he gained an appreciation for the Bush and Wildlife as a teenager. Being near Matopos he spent a fair amount of time there, when working in Bulawayo.

Peter did his Articles with Deloitte in Bulawayo and has a BCom Degree from The University of South Africa, and is an Associate Certified Practicing Accountant (Australia). He has lived in Victoria Falls since 2000, and works for Spencer’s Creek (a diversified business holding) in Victoria Falls since his arrival.

Peter served on the Victoria Falls Primary School Board and the Elephant Hills Golf Club in different capacities since 2002.

He is well known to the community in particular the Wild Horizons Group and Trust members.

Bruno De Leo joins the trustees of the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary and Orphanage as Managing Director of Wild Horizons.

Bruno was brought up in Zambia and schooled in Johannesburg, South Africa. After completing his Business Management diploma, Bruno moved to Chobe, Botswana where he started game viewing activities. Bruno lived in Botswana for 8 years before moving to Victoria Falls.

Bruno has a genuine passion for wildlife and the environment. His unwavering commitment has made a reality of the Wild Horizons Wildlife Sanctuary and Orphanage.

Craig Ward White was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in 1963. Craig first attended Baobab Primary School in Victoria Falls then went onto Gifford High in Bulawayo.  After Gifford, Craig went to the Zimbabwe Polytechicon, to study Civil Engineering. He qualified as a Civil Engineering Technician, in 1982 and went to work with the Water Development department, designing & building dams in Zimbabwe’s rural areas. In 1983/4 Craig moved to Botswana to work for Gametrackers, in the Okavango Delta as a Safari Guide.  In 1987 Craig moved back to Victoria Falls to start up Wild Horizons with his father, Ron White.  He became a Professional Guide, and started overland safaris through Zimbabwe.  In 1989 Craig together with Ron, built Imbabala Safari Camp in Kazungula, and opened to their first international Safari guests in 1990. After Imbabala, Craig built Jijima Safari Lodge in Hwange, on the border of Hwange National Park, and then he went on to build The Elephant Camp in Victoria Falls, where the first Elephant Back Safari started in Zimbabwe. 

Through the years, Craig worked as a Professional Guide, taking guests on safari through Zimbabwe, his favorite has always been to take guests on walks in the bush, approaching dangerous game (at a safe distance) but always giving the guest that little bit more..! In 2007/8 Craig, designed and built the Elephant Wallow, where the Wild Horizons elephants now live and work.

Simon is a founding partner of Cinven, one of Europe's largest private equity firms, with offices in London, Paris, Frankfurt, Milan and Hong Kong. Prior to joining Cinven, Simon worked with an international consulting firm on multi-disciplinary engineering projects in the UK and Southern Africa. Simon lived in Zimbabwe for 2.5 years and whilst doing so observed the pressures and challenges that exist at the interface of wildlife and ever growing human populous. Simon has an MBA, a BSc in Engineering and is a chartered engineer.

Leon Varley has been a fully qualified guide for 24 years and was among the first three guides to qualify in the post independence period. He was raised on a farm in North Eastern Zimbabwe and before starting Backpackers |Africa he worked as a Professional Hunter, Army Tracker, Miner, Prospector, Farmer, Journalist, Forestry Game Ranger and Tsetse Control Officer. It was whilst working in Chizarira National Park as a tsetse control officer in 1980 that he first formulated the idea of a walking safari operation. This area has always remained a favorite and to date he has personally led over 350 walking safaris. In 1986 Leon formed Backpackers Africa with his wife Mags and together they continue to host walking safaris throughout Zimbabwe.

Managers

Roger Parry and Jessica Dawson

Roger Parry is the Wildlife Manager for the Wild Horizons Wildlife Trust, and Jessica Dawson is the General Manager for the Trust. 

Roger comes to Wild Horizons with more than 15 years experience in the Wildlife Tourism industry.  Additionally, he spent 10 years working for the Zimbabwe Department of National Parks and Wildlife where he ascended to the rank of Senior Warden of Chizarira National Park. Roger also did the occasional flying for National Parks.  Roger’s qualifications include 15 years of darting and using chemical and physical capture of wildlife. Wild Horizons Wildlife Trust will be opening the Wildlife Laboratory and Clinic in 2010 and Roger will oversee the running of this facility for rehabilitation and rescue of injured, abandoned and orphaned wildlife.

The Wild Horizons Wildlife Trust works very closely with the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit - Roger does a lot of the darting of snared and injured animals in the region, as well as in Hwange National Park and the Lake Kariba area.

Jessica Dawson is from San Diego, California, USA originally.  She has been in Zimbabwe for 8 years working closely with Roger. Jessica has a Masters degree in Business Administration. Roger and Jessica were married in the United States and are happy to be now both be working together for the Wild Horizons Wildlife Trust. 

Jessica's focus is on overseeing the operations, marketing, and fundraising of the Trust. She holds a dangerous drugs license and also has a strong interest and training in monitoring of wildlife diseases in Southern Africa. Jessica oversees our project on analyzing the genetics of rhino popultions remaining in National Parks in Zimbabwe.

Bongani joined the Wild Horizons Wildlife Trust full time in 2010 to assist with working in the field. Bongani is from the Monde area near Victoria Falls, and is fluent in both Ndebele (the local language spoken in the Region) as well as English. Given Bongani's experience, he is able to run our school's conservation interaction, darting, and wildlife orphan care.

Tweleve years ago Bongani started off as a cattle herder, and over time due to his keen interest in wildlife and conservation, he improved his position. He now also helps with managing the anti-poaching unit, and deploying game scouts as needed. Bongani has extensive training in everything from telemetry (for tracking collared animals) to tracking wildlife in the bush. Bongani works on a range of projects but specifically assists with our Human-Wildlife Conflict project. He is a huge asset to the Wild Horizons Wildlife Trust and we thank him for his help.

At the tender age of nineteen Tonya Meikle together with a good friend rowed across lake Kariba on their own to raise funding to support an orphaned rhino. Over the years to come Tonya has always had a huge interest in wildlife and conservation. With a resume sporting jobs with A&K as well as Saf Par, Tonya worked in tourism for many years. She then went on to start her own company and eventually moved with her husband Barry Meikle to Mozambique. After living for five years in Mozambique, Tonya and Barry decided to return to Zimbabwe, and moved back to Victoria Falls.

Today Tonya assists the Wild Horizons Wildlife Trust on a regular basis and volunteers her time to help us when we are darting, collaring, raising orphans and doing disease sampling. Tonya also holds a dangerous drugs license which she puts to use working together with Trust for de-snaring efforts and helping withy any wildlife orphans we get in. The Trust thanks Tonya for all of her time and assistance.