Animal Keeper's Association of Africa

Although Welsh by birth, Dave’s formative years were spent in Malawi, Central Africa, Dave attended Rhodes University ten took up the post of Assistant Curator of the Transvaal Snake Park in 1981, where he became CEO in 1995. In 2000, the development of an acute hypersensitivity to snake venoms forced a move away from reptiles to birds and Dave became the CEO of Montecasino Bird Gardens.

In 2003, Dave became the first professional Executive Director of the African Association of Zoos and Aquaria (PAAZAB), the position he currently holds. Dave is a founder member of PAAZAB, having attended the inaugural meeting of the Association in 1989, and has been intimately involved with this organization ever since. In 2004 Dave was awarded the Chairman’s Award for outstanding and meritorious service to the Association.

Dave represents PAAZAB at various forums within the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). He is presently a WAZA Council member and is the Chairman of the WAZA Committee for Population Management (CPM) and sits on the WAZA Conservation Committee. He has served on the Board of the International Species Information System (ISIS), was a contributing author to the World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy and is presently on the Editorial Board of the International Zoo Yearbook. He is a member of the Strategic Advisory Committee of the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) of the IUCN. In 2007 Dave was appointed life-time regent of the Animal Keepers Association of Africa (AKAA). Dave is also an associate of the internationally renowned zoo consultancy group, Bernard Harrison and Friends, based in Singapore.

BUT WHO IS DAVE REALLY?  WE TRIED TO FIND OUT IN AN INTERVIEW…

1.  When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?   
My mother likes to say that the first word that I was ever able to pronounce properly as a baby was the word “snake”.  Whilst I don’t altogether believe her I should also say that I don’t remember a time when I was not interested in reptiles. When I first discovered the meaning of the word “herpetologist” at quite an early age, I decided that that was exactly what I wanted to be – a person who studies reptiles and amphibians. I have been pretty single-minded in that pursuit ever since, although my interests have broadened out a bit in latter years!

2.  Where or what are you doing when you are at your happiest?
Be it cruising at night in car along a seldom-travelled road looking for snakes, or perched in a hide with binos to hand, waiting for fauna to appear - like all of us - I am happiest when I am “out there”, where the wild things are.

3.  If a genie gave you three wishes, what would they be?
My first would be to go back in time – at least 500 years – and travel an Africa that we can barely imagine in this day and age. To see vast herds Quagga and the Blue Buck in the flesh!  That would be something worth wishing for.  The trouble is that I probably would not want to come back so my last two wishes would be spent on practical things to keep me there – immunity to all disease, freedom from hunger and thirst, and so on. 

4.  What is your favourite food?
I have recently developed an inordinate fondness for grilled Haloumi cheese. On a bed of rocket and coriander salad with sun-dried tomatoes, sliced avocado, and green peppers . . . .  Oh! And a glass of robust red wine . . .  perfect!

5.  Who would you consider to be the best mentor in the world, and why?
At the tender and impressionable age of 10 a family friend gave me a rather dog-eared copy of “A zoo in my luggage” by Gerald Durrell. It was defining moment as by the time I had read it, I was a Durrell fanatic and he became (and still is) my personal hero. I can say unequivocally that I am what I am today because of Gerald Durrell.  He was very much the father of the concept of captive-breeding for conservation and was a zoo man to the core. He created what was then called the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (now, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust – or simply “Durrell”) which  was ranked as one of the best zoos in the world.   I was very fortunate to meet him in Jersey in the early 80’s not long before he died. It was a mind-blowing experience. His notion –which was quite revolutionary at the time – that zoos should serve a conservation function today guides the very basics of good modern zoo operation.

6.  What is your definition of conservation?
I’m afraid that as I was very closely involved in the drawing up of the World Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Strategy (have you read it yet?), my definition of conservation follows the party line as it were – the persistence of species in wild habitats. 

7.  If you were a spiritual leader, what would be your mantra?
Carpe diem – Seize the day!

8.  What was your last holiday destination (not work related)?
Ha! I think that all my holiday destinations wind up being work-related one way or another!  After the April PAAZAB conference I traveled up overland from Cape Town to Lambert’s Bay (Striped and Heaviside Dolphins), then over the Cedarberg down into the Tankwa Karoo (Bokmakerries and Large Grey Mongoose), then up through the Kokerboom forest in Kenhardt  to Augrabies (Augrabies Flat Lizard and Dassies). From there through to the Kalahari (Kori Bustard and Kalahari Serrated Tortoise) and finally home. I love long road trips to remote places.

9.  Where will you be in ten years time?
Slim, sexy and sixty I hope. . . . . ! I’m joking! No, I’m looking at going into the training game. A huge problem in our industry is the lack of formal training  for animal care staff and zoo keepers. I plan to rectify that.

10.  With the planet being in such a green mess, what gives you hope?
The very persistence of Life itself. Life started on this planet over 3000 million years ago. We’ve only been around for about 10000 years.  Whilst our actions on this planet are destroying Life as we know it, we certainly do not possess (thankfully) the means to end all Life. Life will continue long after we have consumed and polluted our own and sadly, a great many other species into extinction.