Specialist Guide Victoria Falls [Drew Conninbear]

Born in St. Andrews, Scotland in 1944. His father worked for B.O.A.C. the forerunner to British Airways and as a child Drew grew up in places as far flung as Portugal, Egypt and Khartoum, in the Sudan. He finished his schooling at St. George’s in what is today Zimbabwe and went on to begin a career with the Department of National Parks as a ranger in 1968. He worked at various national parks around Zimbabwe until 1974 when he decided to return to university and pursue a Bsc Honours degree in botany and zoology. He complete his degree successfully in 1977 when he rejoined the department as Ecologist for Sengwa Research Station. He was later transferred to Hwange National Park where between 1979 and 1986 he completed his PhD study on elephant in Hwange. Between 1986 and 1990 Drew conducted research on the emerging game ranching industry and in 1990 he was named Chief Ecologist for the Department of National Parks of Zimbabwe. After six years including overseeing the creation of the “intensive protection zone” initiative to save the Black Rhino, Drew retired from the department and now lives in Victoria falls, Zimbabwe. From his base here he consults for various NGO’s and indulges in his other passion which is sharing his understanding of Africa and its wildlife with visitors from other countries.