Conservationist

Conservationist
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Conservationist: Marlice van Vuuren

The study and monitoring of plant and animal communities and their scientific management is the basis for this type of career. However, some staff may be more involved with practical aspects such as game capture, infrastructure development and maintenance, and tourism.
According to Marlice van Vuuren, the co-founder and owner of the N/a’an ku sê Foundation and one of Namibia’s most well-known and popular conservationists, “a conservationist is someone whose first priority is the preservation of habitats, wildlife and people. All three of these are closely interlinked and without one, the others cannot function.”
The average day for a conservationist is quite unique. “How each day runs, is dependent on which animals are at the sanctuary. My mornings are spent preparing food and bottles, making sure that the young and sick animals have blankets and hot water bottles, and that their camps and enclosures are warm and comfortable. In the afternoons, I usually spend my time monitoring the progress of the sick animals and regulating their medication and progress,” says Van Vuuren. Being a conservationist comes with many challenges when it comes to dealing with people and not actually the animals. “It can be a challenge to convince farmers not to shoot carnivores, such as cheetahs and leopards, on their land, and instead listen to our advice and allow us to fit the animal with a GPS collar and release the animal back onto their land,” explains Van Vuuren.