LES COBRAS
Unité communautaire de protection de la faune

Mark Butcher - “Butch” - spends as much time as he can in the bush. Butch’s career started as a ranger for the then Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management. He completed a BSc in Zoology and Botany at Rhodes University before moving on to work for Zimbabwe’s Forestry Commission. He soon realized that the local peoples’ support was critical to the well-being of the estate, and began to develop programs that would both engage the people and benefit the natural ecosystems. He finally left the Forestry Commission to develop these initiatives through tourism. Butch’s lifelong passion for Hwange (its wildlife and communities) has helped shape the landscape and inspire many important efforts. His leadership and dedication are felt throughout the local area, as well as across the tourism industry.

Njabulo Zondo - "Zondo" - held a first conservation position as a Project Area Manager in Hwange District for NGO the Zimbabwe Trust, focussing on capacity building to train communities and Rural District Council executive officers in conservation and project management at the beginning of the CAMPFIRE programme in North and South Matabeleland provinces. Over the course of 5 years, Zondo became Provincial Project Manager, supervising the implementation of CAMPFIRE on the ground in Hwange, Binga, Tsholotsho and Bulilima districts. Zondo's dedicated work consists of conservation education for communities, implementing development projects, lease and contract management, liaison with government, council and other stakeholder agencies.

Originally from Europe, Hannah first visited Zimbabwe in 2011 after studying environmental sciences in the United Kingdom and doing some conservation and community development projects in different countries and contexts. After completing a Masters in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security and working at the University of Cambridge (United Kingdom), after a few stings in Madagascar and Peru, she returned to Zimbabwe to help set up the Initiative and manage a number of other community and conservation projects. Her experience includes hands-on field conservation, capacity-building missions, educational workshops, research programmes and project development.

Sambulo Moyo -"Sam" - has a career  focused on rural development, intertwining natural resources management, and he is a real ‘get-it-done’ team player. With an Honours degree in Geography and Environmental Studies from Bindura University of Science Education, Sam worked for eight years for a south Matabeleland Rural District Council, and was responsible for the management of natural resources in the district, including wildlife, forestry, and quarrying. Income from these resources was ploughed back into community infrastructure such as boreholes and schools. The experience Sam gained there allowed him to provide a lot of very valuable insight, expertise and perspective to the Initiative.

Dan was born and bred in Zvishavane, Zimbabwe, and is currently supporting the anti-poaching operations and training for the group of Cobras scouts in charge of the protection of the Initiative's community rhinos. Dan spent 10 years in the British military's First Royal Tank Regiment, travelling overseas on various missions. After some time working offshore, he brought his military experience back to his home country and, coupled with his passion and affinity for the bush, has provided great value to the team of scouts, helping with training, skills development and conservation education. 

Diana is a dedicated conservation leader with extensive expertise in terrestrial ecology and rhino conservation across Zimbabwe. She previously served as Zimbabwe's National Rhino Coordinator from 2020-2024 and is a respected member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) African Rhino Specialist Group. Currently working as Senior Terrestrial Ecologist for Harare region with Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Diana brings a strong foundation in biodiversity monitoring and ecosystem stewardship to her conservation work. As a participant in the 2025 WCN Career Program focused on rhino conservation, Diana continues to expand her leadership capacity and develop bold, future-ready strategies to protect rhinos and the ecosystems they call home.

Sarah has a Masters degree in ecology and is currently reading for a PhD on rhinos. For the past 25 years she has been studying Malilangwe’s black and white rhinos, and over this period she has come to understand that the rhino community and the social relationships that develop between individuals plays a vital role in these species’ ecology and survival. Recognising this has helped direct the selection of specific individuals aimed at reducing translocation related stress and maximising the success of rhino range expansion projects.
Sarah has been involved in, or advised on rhino selection and translocations in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and Tanzania. She is deeply committed to the welfare and conservation of rhinos. 

Dr Jeremiah Chakuya is a prominent wildlife ecologist and conservationist with extensive research experience in Zimbabwe. He is currently employed by Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority as a Chief Ecologist Entomology and he has eighteen years of experience in the conservation industry. His career has focused on wildlife ecology, conservation, and community-based natural resources management.  He serves as the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority National Rhino Coordinator, an IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group (IUCN AfRSG) committee member and ZimParks Focal Person to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

Jon is an ecologist and conservation leader with decades of experience in nature, natural resources, rural development and the complex interplay between politics, economics and environmental policy.

After working in southern Africa for more than 20 years in the field of natural resource management and rural development, Jon moved to Europe where he facilitated an innovative partnership between the Zimbabwe-based ‘ResourceAfrica’ and Cambridge-based ‘Fauna & Flora International’ which he then ran for several years before joining the United Nations Environment Programme – World Conservation Monitoring Centre as Director. Jon joined the Luc Hoffmann Institute in 2016 and then became Chief Conservation Officer at the World Wide Fund for Nature International. 

M Khumalo is the Chief of Matupula Communal Lands. He grew up in Matupula, under the able guardianship of the late Chief Nejah Matupula Khumalo and Analiah Khumalo, with his chieftaincy being passed down from his grandfather.  After his schooling he studied to be a quantity surveyor until 2012 when he assumed the role of Chief Matupula. This role thrust him into the forefront of pioneering wildlife and nature conservation initiatives as his area borders Hwange National park. This simultaneously gives him the benefit of interacting with wildlife, but also means he very much sees himself and his fellow community members as gatekeepers and protectors of these same resources.

L Mlevu - "Baba Mlevu"-  was born in Tsholotsho and has worked as a storekeeper, owning and managing a shop in Mlevu village.  His role as Ward Headman is important  and he is of great inspiration to the people and his family. Baba Mlevu's close relationship to nature has always been obvious and he passes on his appreciation of wildlife. He sees the rhino as important to attracting people to the area, generating more funds for the communities and helping educate children of the next generations.

​​Ian is a wildlife and conservation professional with over 30 years of experience and a strong passion for wild places but fully cognisant of the need to integrate these into the broader development and conservation arena. With a D.Phil. degree awarded for research into crocodile ecology in the Zambezi River (Zimbabwe and Mozambique), Ian has extensive experience with protected area planning, resource inventories, GIS and mapping, cartography, biodiversity surveys, crocodile surveys/management and environmental assessments. Ian has a varied consulting career spanning a number of disciplines and countries, and this has required him to work with a wide array of clients ranging from governments, NGOs, donor agencies, community organisations and the private sector.

Bruce joined The Malilangwe Trust in 1996 as an MSc student studying the post-drought changes to habitat for Lichtenstein’s hartebeest. After completion of his MSc, he stayed on to conduct a Ph.D. on habitat and diet selection by elephants. He was employed as the Resident Ecologist at Malilangwe in 2006. Bruce’s role as an ecologist is to develop and manage an accounting system for the natural resources of the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve and to design and implement research projects to address ecological problems. The goal is to use the data from the accounting system and research studies to guide a science-based approach to ecosystem management. Bruce's research is innovative and incredibly valuable to informing landscape management.