A Passion for Animals & Conservation

Lucille Sive: Please tell us a little about yourself.

Dr. Johan Joubert: My name is Johan Joubert. I am a wildlife veterinarian and I was appointed as the Director of Wildlife for Shamwari Game Reserve. I have been based at Shamwari for the past 20 years.

Lucille Sive: How did you become involved in wildlife management and conservation?

Dr. Johan Joubert: After I qualified as a veterinarian, I bought a private veterinary practice and worked as a veterinarian with domestic animals. Although I enjoyed it, I knew that something would always be missing. I enjoyed surgery, and veterinary care of individual animals, but was never comfortable with intensive farming practices such as chicken and pig farms as well as large cattle feedlots and dairies. Thus I studied nature conservation part time and was eventually appointed as the veterinarian for Shamwari Game Reserve. At Shamwari I soon realized that there was a lot beyond veterinary issues, thus I initiated a well-structured Wildlife Department focusing on ecology, anti-poaching, animal translocations, disease control, rehabilitation and much more.

Lucille Sive: What do you like best about your profession?

Dr. Johan Joubert: Wildlife management and conservation of wildlife is my passion. True conservation has many practical implications, challenges and often compromises. It is very satisfactory to assist injured or orphaned animals and release them back into the wild. On a larger scale to be able to start new wildlife populations in areas where they got extinct and eventually, once animal numbers increased, to be able to expand and start the whole cycle elsewhere. Conservation is all about recreating ecosystems that were damaged or destroyed by mankind. The best of it all is to be able to make a difference.

"Conservation is all about recreating ecosystems that were damaged or destroyed by mankind."

Dr. Johan Joubert at Shamwari Game Reserve

Lucille Sive: Can you share a special memory or moment from working with the animals of Shamwari?

Dr. Johan Joubert: There are many – some negative and others positive. The first rhino that was poached at Shamwari in 2008 stands out, especially the fact that I was very familiar with this bull. Emotionally I was not prepared for it and found it hard to do the post mortem examination. I got upset when we found various AK47 (machine gun) bullets in it. At the time I had no idea what was waiting for us as far as rhino poaching was concerned.

When the first high profile animals started to reproduce. It was very special when we had our first elephant calf born and when I saw the first litter of lions at Shamwari.

Last year I treated a black rhino cow that was badly hurt by an aggressive black rhino bull. She had to stay in the bomas (our rhino hospital facility) for months and had a calf while in captivity. When I released them back into the reserve she lost her calf in dense thicket. After two days I was convinced that the lions killed the calf and called the search for the calf off. However the next evening we found them together – I just saw them for a few seconds, but they were the best seconds of my life.

"It was very special when we had our first elephant calf born and when I saw the first litter of lions at Shamwari."

Lucille Sive: How has the TreadRight Bat Hawk helped Shamwari protect rhinos from poachers?

Dr. Johan Joubert: The fact that it is based at Shamwari and available on short notice makes a difference. Animal monitoring staff and anti-poaching personnel use it to monitor rhino. It is a proactive way to prevent poaching. Rhino security is complicated and elephant poaching is increasing dramatically. The Bat Hawk is one of the best tools we have at present to combat these issues.

TreadRight Bat Hawk

Lucille Sive: What more can be done to protect South Africa’s rhinos from the threat of poaching?

Dr. Johan Joubert: My personal beliefs are the following: The personal conditions of anti-poaching staff should be improved—including salaries, time off and living conditions.

More land should be made available as rhino habitat. The black rhino especially needs space to prevent mortalities due to aggression.

Security forces should target the syndicates that are organizing rhino poaching. At this stage anti-poaching efforts focus strongly on the actual poachers. Although this is vital, we should eliminate the hard-core organizers of this sophisticated crime.

Lucille Sive: What is your favorite animal to observe in the wild?

Dr. Johan Joubert: Elephant. They are highly social animals. They have strong family bonds. Females are extremely conscious of their young and very protective of calves. Elephant can be observed all day. It is always special when they get to the waterholes – drinking, spraying themselves with water and even swimming.

"Elephant can be observed all day. It is always special when they get to the waterholes – drinking, spraying themselves with water and even swimming."

Elephants at Shamwari

Lucille Sive: Have you ever had a close encounter with an animal while you were carrying out your conservation work?

Dr. Johan Joubert: Many. I misjudged my anesthetic and a lioness that was supposed to be immobilized jumped up amongst all of our assistants. I also had a close shave when a black rhino chased me up a prickly pear (cactus) and then demolished the prickly pear with me on it!

Special thanks to Dr. Johan Joubert for participating in this interview. Stay tuned to the Lion World Travel blog for a new post about Lucille's experience flying in the TreadRight Bat Hawk and visiting Shamwari's Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.

Guests visiting Shamwari for safari are encouraged to get involved with Shamwari’s mission to build a responsible and sustainable game reserve that protects wildlife. Tented Safari In Style itinerary includes a 3-night stay at the Shamwari’s Bayethe Lodge for a unique tented safari experience. Guests can visit the Ian Player Rhino Awareness Centre and the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre to learn more about the plight of South Africa’s rhinos and how Shamwari is protecting them.