Conservationist, Human–Wildlife Coexistence Specialist

Carel Verhoef is a conservationist, expedition leader, and human–wildlife coexistence specialist with more than 25 years of field experience across East and Southern Africa. Born and raised inside South Africa’s Kruger National Park, Carel grew up in open wilderness areas where his father worked directly on wildlife conflict and carrying capacity. These early years — spent among elephants, rangers, and remote bush outposts — shaped the foundation of his life’s work: protecting habitat so that wildlife and people can thrive together.

Carel has spent his career working in open ecosystems across Africa, focusing on elephant movement, ecological carrying capacity, and the long-term protection of critical wildlife corridors. After completing five years of service in the South African Navy, where he gained technical and leadership experience, he returned to the bush to dedicate his career to conservation operations, guiding, storytelling, and landscape-level problem-solving. He is the Co-Founder of Conservation Through Tourism and the Conservation Director of Kazi Ya Tembo, a pioneering human–elephant conflict mitigation program based in Tanzania. Carel leads the development of rapid-response systems using thermal drone technology, trains rangers and community wildlife scouts, and works with TANAPA, NCAA, TAWA, and private partners to protect key elephant corridors across northern Tanzania. His fieldwork focuses on reducing conflict, improving safety for communities, and safeguarding the ecological functionality of Tanzania’s largest elephant landscapes.

Carel’s conservation research and applied fieldwork center on elephant movement ecology, community-integrated mitigation strategies, and the use of new technology to protect both human livelihoods and wildlife habitats. His professional focus aligns closely with National Geographic’s mission to support biodiversity, preserve wilderness, and empower local communities to protect the natural world.

His conservation work and migration-tracking initiatives have been featured on international platforms including CNN, and he has produced multiple conservation storytelling projects designed to raise global awareness of East Africa’s ecosystems. Carel holds a BA (Mil) from the Military Academy of Saldanha Bay. He is fluent in English, Afrikaans, and Kiswahili. His guiding belief is simple: protecting elephants begins with protecting habitat. “Real conservation is about creating value for habitat — so that both wildlife and people can thrive. When both thrive, the land survives.”