Jaco Fourie

Jaco joined the Cape Leopard Trust team in August 2019 as the Cederberg-based Environmental Educator. Jaco grew up on a wine farm in the Olifants River valley close to Vredendal. As a young boy, he had a variety of abandoned animals in his care – anything from meerkats to duikers found a loving home in the Fourie household.

His love for animals led him to study a BSc degree at Stellenbosch University. He then furthered his studies at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth where he received a Diploma in Game Ranch Management. After his studies, he worked at Bushmanskloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat for eight years as head field guide and reserve manager, and this was where he first made contact with the Cape Leopard Trust.

Jaco loves to share his knowledge and passion for nature with young and old, from informal chats with children to more formal presentations for educational purposes. He believes that the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow and they are the ones that will have to make important and educated decisions regarding nature and the sustainable utilization thereof. Education is the easiest way to kickstart conservation!