Dr. Chris Foggin
- Course Principal
Chris was born in Salisbury (now Harare), Zimbabwe, in 1947 and graduated from the Onderstepoort Faculty of Vet Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa in 1970. After five years in private, mixed veterinary practice in Zimbabwe and UK, he joined the Veterinary Research Laboratory , in the Ministry of Agriculture and remained in the Government Veterinary Services from that date until his age-compulsory retirement in August 2012.
In 1989, the Wildlife Veterinary Unit (WVU) was formed within the Department of Veterinary Services, in response to a rapidly expanding wildlife industry in Zimbabwe. Dr. Foggin was appointed Head of this Unit, a position that he held until his retirement.
Dr. Foggin was the veterinarian attending to rhino veterinary requirements during the period 1996-2010. In this work, he had to perform some 1400 field immobilizations of black and white rhino for routine management operations as well as for translocations and emergency treatments.
Chris lectured in his first drugs course in 1980 and has attended every year since. Dr. Foggin was largely responsible for the organization of the Course, on behalf of the ZVA Wildlife Group, with volunteer conveners from the 1990s to 2012. Moving of the Course to Malilangwe in 2000 has been the one major change that turned it from being a largely theoretical course to a highly practical one. Dr. Foggin, as a true “silver-back” and stalwart of the course, has been instrumental in bringing the Course to its current status: diverse, professional, truly international and immensely practical.
Our Team Philosophy
Commitment to learning - Pay experience forward
Dr. Chap Masterson
- Course Director
Born and raised in Zimbabwe with a livestock and game ranching background, Chap graduated vet school at Onderstepoort, University of Pretoria in 2001. He worked for 10 years as a wildlife veterinarian in South Africa before returning home to Zimbabwe with his family as the veterinarian for the Lowveld Rhino Trust.
Besides his ongoing work as a wildlife veterinarian supporting rhino conservation in Bubye Valley Conservancy and Gonarezhou National Park, in 2012, Chap founded the Wildlife In Livelihood Development (WILD) Programme and has developed and coordinated a number of large donor grants - funded primarily by the European Union - promoting Integrated Landscape Management and sustainable participation of communities in green economic development and natural resource management in the Zimbabwean portion of the Great Limpopo Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA).
Chap took over as Course Director in 2012 and was privileged to be the veterinarian overseeing the historical reintroduction of black rhino into Gonarezhou National Park in 2021.
Dr. Michael Kock
- Senior Lecturer
South African born and raised in Zimbabwe, Dr Kock qualified as a veterinarian from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, UK in 1976. In 1980, the combination of a Residency in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine and a Masters (MPVM, Epidemiology) at UC Davis, California, USA provided the basis for development of a career in Wildlife and Conservation. Dr Kock has travelled and worked on 3 continents and 14 African countries providing veterinary inputs into wildlife management, conservation and community programs, mostly with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). As an example, the AHEAD (Animal and Human Health for the Environment and Development) program coordinated by the WCS and partners (now a Cornell University project), provided an opportunity to marry veterinary skills with a more holistic approach to dealing with health and livelihood issues within communities in southern Africa. These communities often live on the boundaries or even within protected areas. He has specialised in elephant (savanna and forest) and rhino work for much of his career but has a strong focus on rural communities, their health and livelihoods. As a veterinarian, Dr Kock has been at the forefront of developing Conservation Medicine and adopting a One Health approach to address the complex issues and challenges within the biodiversity and conservation spheres. Looking through a One Health lens has been an important part of his Conservation Toolbox. Apart from time spent in the field, Dr Kock was a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, Onderstepoort (2012-2015) and was involved in the development of One Health as part of the Veterinary curriculum. He currently resides in the Western Cape and is at the latter stage of his career. He is involved in training programs (having been involved in the Zimbabwe Capture Course for 35 years) and self-publishing two recently books: “Through My Eyes: Journey of a Wildlife Veterinarian” 2019 www.through-my-eyes.co.za, and “Chemical and Physical Restraint of African Wild Animals” (3rd Edition) 2022 www.cprwa.co.za. He is senior editor and publisher for the CPRWA, his co-Editor is Dr Richard Burroughs. He is a SAVC recognised wildlife specialist
Dr. Dave Cooper
- Senior Lecturer
After a short stint as a student in the Kruger National Park, Dave qualified as a Veterinarian at Onderstepoort in 1981. At that time the Game Industry was still in its infancy and after unsuccessfully applying for a position with various formal Conservation agencies in Southern Africa, he resigned himself to mixed animal practice in the Eastern Cape.
In 1993, Dave’s ambition to work exclusively with wildlife was finally realized when he joined the then Natal Parks Board (now Ezemvelo KZN Wildlfie) as a wildlife veterinarian, a position he still holds today and a dream come true! Each year Dave and his team at Ezemvelo capture and translocate a range of different species from a dozen different reserves in Kwa Zulu Natal (KZN), stretching from the dramatic Drakensburg Mountains into the savannah and coastal plains of Northern Zulualnd.
With a special interest in conservation of black rhino a career highlight has been Dave’s involvement in the relocation of over 150 black rhino as part of the WWF Black Rhino Range Expansion program. Other activities include the implementation of disease surveillance programs, facilitating and implementing research and monitoring programs, providing training for undergrad and post grad veterinary students, and the emergency veterinary treatment of priority species. Of special mention was a consultancy to the Madhya Pradesh (India) Forestry Department, which involved the training and development of a Veterinary component that culminated in the historic relocation of 50 Gaur from Kanha National Park to Bandhavgarh National Park in central India.
Dave’s role in the Zimbabwe drugs course is to lecture on a few of the key species and focus on applying the theoretical knowledge to the more practical aspects of wildlife immobilization and capture. He has been involved in the course for several years.
Dr. Markus Hofmeyr
- Senior Lecturer
Dr Markus Hofmeyr is a passionate conservationist who has been active in the wildlife veterinary space since being a veterinary student in the early 1990’s.
Markus worked as a field ecologist and veterinarian for 5 years in the North west Parks and Tourism Board, based in Madikwe Game Reserve. Part of his responsibility was to work with the Madikwe Development team to introduce all the large mammal species that used to occur there resulting in the to date biggest wildlife move as part of operation Phoenix.
After NWPTB Markus worked in SAN-Parks for 18 years where he was the head of the Veterinary Wildlife Services responsible for all veterinary wildlife related issues including extensive research. After SAN-Parks he worked in Botswana as Chief Conservation Officer and Veterinarian with Great Plains Conservation and Rhinos without Borders helping re-stablish rhino into the Okavango delta and conservation management projects in Great Plains concessions.
After the two year stint in Botswana he joined the Oak Foundation as Program Officer in the Wildlife Conservation and Trade Portfolio and now wears two hats – PO for Oak Foundation and Director of the Rhino Recovery Fund with Wildlife Conservation network. Passionate about wildlife conservation overall.
Dr Columbus Chaitezvi is the Head of Wildlife Veterinary Services in the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zim Parks)
Columbas was previously the Head of the Government Veterinary Service Wildlife Unit (GVS WU) - having taken over this role from Dr. Chris Foggin in 2012.
Along with other colleagues (Dr. Norman Mukarati, Faculty of Vet Science, University of Zimbabwe and Dr Tapiwa Hanyire of the Wildlife Vet Unit), Dr Chaitezvi deals with wildlife health issues throughout Zimbabwe as well as wildlife veterinary treatments and translocations for Zim Parks.
Columbus helps organize the CPRWA course, as well as assisting with teaching duties at the course. The GVS WU also provides some support in terms of equipment used.
Dr. Columbas Chaitezvi
- Senior Lecturer
Mark Saunders
- CEO Malilangwe Trust
Mark Saunders is the Executive Director of the Malilangwe Trust
Mark grew up in the lowveld of Zimbabwe, spending much of his free time on this property, formerly known as Lone Star Ranch.
He was educated at Falcon College and Rhodes University (B.Soc. Science) followed by a Diploma in Tobacco culture from the Blackfordby Institute. He then farmed tobacco for 10 years before investing in the retail business.
Mark has been in the position of Executive Director of the Malilangwe Trust since 2010 and is totally motivated by the twin mandate of Conservation and Community development at Malilangwe.
Lorna York
- Course Convenor
Lorna York is a Zimbabwean, an ex – farmers wife and keen photographer. Over the years Lorna has developed a photo library of activities at the CPRWA course and is adept at catching candid camera moments.
The York family have been involved in different fields of wildlife for many years, in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique.
Lorna was asked to help out on the course in 2010 and enjoyed the experience so much that she finds herself still involved as the Course Convenor and Organizer-in-Chief.
She is a pivotal person in general organization of the course and maintains a remarkable sense of humour throughout, it cannot be easy!
Malilangwe Course in Chemical & Physical Restraint of Wild Animals
© 2022-2024 Wildlife Capture School. Created by Marson Design