Elephant Reintegration trust (ERT) Trustee details




Brett Mitchell:
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An elephant expert specialising in captive elephants (handling & training) and the re-integration of captive elephants into a wild system.
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Has been working, handling & training with elephants for the past 20 years.
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Developed a successful re-integration model for captive elephants.
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Re-integrated over 17 captive elephants back into wild systems.
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Managing and operating a business in the safari industry specifically elephant back safaris.
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Chairman of the Elephant Reintegration Trust since 2016.
Dr Marion Garai:
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1984- 1989. Study of Zoology at the University of Zuerich, Switzerland, with specialisation in Ethology.
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1989 Diploma (MSc) on the Social behaviour of elephants in captivity (under
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Professor Hans Kummer, University of Zuerich.
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1998 PhD with specialisation in Zoology on “The Development of Social and Stress Related Behaviours of Translocated Juvenile Elephants”, University of
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Pretoria, South Africa. This included 4.5 years field work walking with
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several groups of elephants on private reserves.
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Member of the IUCN/SCC African Elephant Specialist Group since 1994
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Elephant coordinator for the Rhino & Elephant Foundation during 1996.
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Acting Chairperson of the Rhino, Elephant and Wildlife Foundation during 2000.
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Vice Chair of the “Committee for the Training and Welfare of Elephants”. Chair of the Welfare subgroup, which compiled guidelines.
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Founder of the Translocated Elephant Information Centre (TEIC) in 1992, which was incorporated into the Elephant Management & Owners Association -EMOA- in 1994.
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Chairperson of EMOA (Elephant Management & Owners Association) since inauguration in 1994 until 2006. EMOA comprised over 70% of elephant owners and managers in SA, including official bodies such as the Provincial Nature Conservation authorities and National Parks Board. EMOA was instrumental in drawing up the National Elephant Norms & Standards.
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Trustee of Space for Elephants Foundation – SEF since 2000. SEF endeavours to establish Wildlife corridors and integrate the communities that live around these.
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Chairperson of SEF 2006 - 2015
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Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Elephant Group in Germany
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Co-Founder and Chairperson of the Elephant Specialist Advisory Group, South Africa. Since 2012
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Trustee of the Elephant Reintegration Trust (ERT) since 2016
Hanno Kilian:
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B.Sc. Agric at the University of Pretoria
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B.Sc. (Hons) (Wildlife Management) at the Centre for Wildlife Management (CWM) at University of Pretoria (UP); thesis focussing on habitat and space use of elephants in the Madimbo corridor
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M.Sc (Wildlife Management) through the CWM at UP on the ecology of reintroduced lions.
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Working as Conservation Ecologist since 1999 at Big 5 reserves in the Waterberg and Kalahari
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Chairman of EMOA (Elephant Managers & Owners Association) from 2006 – 2009.
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Member of the Board of Trustees of the Lion Management forum since 2016.
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Trustee of the African Institute for Conservation Ecology & Genetics (AICEG) since 2016.
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Trustee of the Elephant Reintegration Trust (ERT) since 2016
Dr Yolanda Pretorius:
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BSc(Agric) Animal Science
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BSc(Hons) Wildlife Management with thesis on feed supplement for African elephant on a fenced game reserve (2001), University of Pretoria, South Africa
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MSc in Biology with thesis on stress in African elephant on a fenced game reserve (2002-2003), University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
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PhD in Ecology with thesis on small scale foraging by large African herbivores (2005-2009), Wageningen University, the Netherlands.
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Elephant monitor for Ezemvelo KZN parks at Ithala Game Reserve during 2004. Manager of Magudu Game Reserve’s disease-free buffalo breeding program and elephant and rhino monitoring project during 2010.
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Research assistant at Mabula Private Game Reserve on cheetah re-introduction and human-elephant conflict resolution projects between 2011 and 2013.
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Lecturer in Wildlife ecology and management at the Centre for Wildlife Management, University of Pretoria since 2013.
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Qualifications manager of the Higher Education Training Program in Natural Resource Management at the Southern African Wildlife College since July 2017
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Vice Chairperson of the Elephant Specialist Advisory Group, South Africa
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Trustee of the Elephant Reintegration Trust (ERT) since 2016