You are here: The Team
Pioneering a unique approach to community-based rhino conservation
SRT was founded by the late Blythe Loutit and her husband Rudi, in collaboration with government and local traditional leaders, to fill a critical gap in field-based conservation efforts at a crucial time when the future for the world’s largest population of black rhino persisting on formally unprotected lands hung in the balance.
Today SRT is a beacon of hope for rhino conservation and our team is proud to continue the work to keep our rhinos save.
Today SRT is a beacon of hope for rhino conservation and our team is proud to continue the work to keep our rhinos save.
One of the founding members, the late Blythe Loutit, with the team of trackers.
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Three decades later and still going strong.
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chief executive officer |
After achieving his MSc with Merit from the University of Kent, Simson became SRT’s Director of Research. In 2014, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of SRT. Simson is a member of the African Rhino Specialist Group and winner of the Namibia Nature Foundation Environmental Award. Like all the best conservationists, Simson looks towards to the future with respect for the past. “I strongly believe that my success is due to the late Blythe Loutit and Mike Hearn, who both helped me and encouraged me all along. Now it is my turn to help make a difference. Through education and communication, I am able to pass on my knowledge to the next generation, and I know that my work will carry on. That’s why I love it.” |
chief operations officer, |
Andrew has worked in conservation in Namibia for a number of years and has extensive understanding of community based natural resource management in the Kunene region as well as nationally and internationally.
Andrew started at SRT in January 2019: ‘The black rhino population in the north-west is unique in so many ways. This makes our work at SRT dynamic, challenging and extremely rewarding. It is truly inspiring to be a part of a team that is made up of so many dedicated individuals, with all energy focused on saving rhinos’. As COO Andrew is responsible for overseeing operations are carried out in accordance with SRT’s Strategic Plan. Andrew is based in Swakopmund but travels regularly to our field bases. |
director of field operations, |
Lesley is a born and bred Namibian and started his employment at Save the Rhino Trust in September 1993.
Lesley is as a hard diligent worker who excels in transferring skills to new field trackers and training of SRT trackers as well as Rhino Rangers. His field of expertise include, but are not limited to excellent photography, tracking and knowledge of the area we patrol and monitor. Skills that makes him a rarity and a much valued asset to SRT in the field is his administrative, supervisory and training abilities which are much needed given that the staff are mainly from the conservancies and not highly educated. |
Fundraising and PR manager,
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In 2008 her career took a new direction as Project Manager at University of Pretoria where she build experience in donor reporting and care. She has a fierce passion for conservation and since joining SRT in 2016 was able to apply her skills in raising the profile of SRT both nationally and internationally.
SRT is an NGO that is 100% reliant on donations. Part of her role includes all aspects of the fundraising program, including strategy development and day to day management of the acquisition, cultivation and retention of donors. |
science ADVISER,
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This was shortly after completing his MSc in Conservation Biology from the University of Cape Town.
In 2006 he accepted an invitation to serve as Save the Rhino Trust’s Science Adviser and continues to hold this post under his employment with the Minnesota Zoo. Jeff brings scientific leadership to SRT by managing and analyzing SRT’s rhino monitoring data and conducting applied research on rhino ecology and tourism that supports decision-making. He also coordinates the Conservancy Rhino Ranger Support Group. He completed his PhD through Stellenbosch University on tourism as a rhino conservation tool in 2016. |
We aim to provide a solid framework to enable the field operations and other programmes to function to maximum efficiency, with a well-run office and a highly motivated and enthusiastic team.
objectives:
The Board of Trustees will focus on developing and maintaining a current strategic 5-year plan to guide the organisation.
Members of the Save the Rhino Trust’s Board of Trustees:
Ms Maxi Louis (Chairman) / Mr Rob Moffett / Mr Wolfgang Grellman / Mr Brandon Munro / Ms Ginger Mauney
Mr Amos Shikuya / Mr Christopher Munwela / Adv. Daniel F Small
- Trustees to review and approve an annual operating plan, with additional two-year projection, which is developed by the CEO and the Team in support of the strategic plan. This plan is to be approved before end November each year.
- Continue to develop the efficient functioning of the support team including finance, administration, fundraising and communications.
- The CEO to ensure that the organisation complies with legal requirements e.g.: legislation relating to an organisation for no gain as well as an employer; compliance with health, environmental and occupational safety standards; compliance with obligations imposed by the Ministry of the Environment and Tourism; the annual audit etc.
Members of the Save the Rhino Trust’s Board of Trustees:
Ms Maxi Louis (Chairman) / Mr Rob Moffett / Mr Wolfgang Grellman / Mr Brandon Munro / Ms Ginger Mauney
Mr Amos Shikuya / Mr Christopher Munwela / Adv. Daniel F Small
SRT has no law enforcement function, but it became clear that monitoring rhinos was no longer enough to keep them save.
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Poaching and the illegal wildlife trade is devastating populations of wildlife species throughout Africa and Namibia’s wildlife, including our rhinos, is being targeted by poachers. SRT has no law enforcement function, but it became clear that monitoring rhinos was no longer enough to keep them safe. In November 2014 a formal Operations Centre was formed at SRT’s base camp. Spearheaded by MET, a multi-agency anti-poaching effort was rolled out. This includes patrols by ground teams as well as substantial air support (both fixed wing and helicopter). Our efforts are augmented with partner-stakeholders such as the Rhino Rangers, Namibian Police, IRDNC staff and Conservancy Rhino Rangers (CRRs). SRT is constantly evaluating and adjusting its strategy to deal with this threat, and together we will save the rhino. Minister of Environment and Tourism Pohamba Shifeta, reported at the end of 2017 that the country wide poaching incidents for 2017 were 27 compared to 60 in 2016 and 95 in 2015. Our efforts are showing results, which is a huge motivator to our teams. However, we stay resilient in our efforts to ensure that we reach a point where we do not loose a single rhino due to poaching. SRT is working closely with our partners at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), conservancies, local communities and within Namibia’s law enforcement agencies to fight back. The African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) rates the desert rhino population of northwest Namibia as a Key 1 Population, representing the only desert-specific population of black rhino (Diceros bicornis bicornis) in the world. Given that there are only seven Key 1 populations throughout Africa, SRT’s rhino conservation work in the Kunene Region is clearly hugely important, on both a national and international level. All species living in the rhino range benefit from the reintroduction of rhino, through increased surveillance, patrolling, and monitoring of animals in general. |
The new operating regime requires a completely new support and reward approach for SRT members. This change brings new risks and threats. Our approach was to hire respected individuals from local communities to perform regular anti-poaching patrols. By 1986, SRT was supporting 3 tracking teams and 10 community game guards and had established a more systematic monitoring programme. Currently this has grown to 11 tracking teams and 66 community game guards.
Despite patrols, poaching reached crisis point in 1989. This called for desperate measures. SRT together with the Directorate of Nature Conservation & Tourism (the former Ministry of Environment and Tourism) de-horned a number of rhinos in an effort to deter poaching. Following the de-horning in the late 1980s, the last recorded poaching event was an isolated incident in 1994. |