Hermanus youngster joins fight against poaching

Writer & Photographer: Taylum Meyer.

I have loved animals ever since I can remember. I used to watch wildlife shows on TV and anything that had Steve Irwin in it – he was definitely one of my biggest idols,” recalls Corné Uys (19), while we sit in his garden with his bearded dragon, Lucy, a few days before his departure to Hoedspruit in Limpopo.

This latest adventure in the life of Hermanus’s intrepid snake catcher and wildlife enthusiast will entail six weeks of military training with the anti-poaching company, PROTRACK, after which he hopes to pursue a career in wildlife conservation.

Corné with two of his snakes, Ashley (ball python) and Snowy (corn snake), his bearded dragon (Lucy) and his tortoise (Jumbo) in their garden.

Corné’s passion for wildlife started when he was seven years old. That was when he moved from Cape Town to Berghof with his parents and first became interested in snakes. At that time, Berghof was still mostly undeveloped, which meant that there was a lot of wildlife for young Corné to enjoy.

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