+27 82 687 8967
trout@universe.co.za
Charlie aka “Trout” grew up in Cape Town and from an early age had strong ties to exploring the environment. Both his parents actively sought to travel and explore southern Africa with 3 kids in tow. His formative years were, as Charlie puts it, “like paging through a copy of National Geographic”.
After completing his schooling at St Andrew’s College, Charlie did a game ranger apprenticeship at one of the bush lodges in Mpumalanga province, adjacent to the Kruger National Park. Having obtained a diploma in Nature Conservation from Cape Tecknikon, he then returned to the area to lead guided tours. Furthering his studies, Charlie obtained a Masters degree at the University of Cape Town through the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology. He was involved in several projects including, “The effects of small predators on gamebird species”, and his thesis, “Factors affecting the decline in Helmeted Guineafowl populations in KwaZulu-Natal.”
Subsequently, Charlie returned to his guiding roots, and has been guiding for the last 17 years using Cape Town as his base. Being both a qualified cultural and field (Safari) guide, Charlie has the unique position of being able to guide you through a variety of experiences, whether they be in a urban setting, or hosting you in the wilderness on safari. He is married with 2 daughters, and his travels have crisscrossed Africa to include Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Zambia, Angola and Tanzania. Gabon is next… “an awesome cocktail of my 3 passions – birds, wildlife photography and fly-fishing.”