Meet the Team

Dennis Taylor
Founder and CEO

With over 20 years of experience in the field of zoology and conservation, Dennis Taylor is a highly regarded expert in animal behaviour, conservation science, and ecological research. Dennis has dedicated much of their career to studying the diverse and intricate relationships between wildlife and their environments.

Qualifications:

• BSc Botany and Zoology
• FGASA 
  – Field Guide (Level 3)
  – SKS Dangerous Game
  – Trainer

Alex Tweedie
Charity Manager (East Coast Animal Care) Programme Manager (Safari4u)

Alex moved to South Africa in 2009 to work with wildlife after serving as an officer in the Royal Australian Navy. Before joining the Safari4u team, she was certified as a Level 2 FGASA Field Guide and worked with several volunteer research groups on Big 5 reserves in the Greater Kruger area in research and anti-poaching, and ended up specialising in the population, identification, and management of Spotted Hyaena. 

Whilst Alex has been a part of Safari4u in various capacities since 2015, in 2022, Alex moved back to Australia to formalise her Vet Nursing qualifications and also gained certification in Adult Education. Her primary focus is managing the charity, East Coast Animal Care, so we are able to provide even more health care options for animals in the local area.

Alex loves working with wildlife and with the local community, as well as making sure her dog, Squigs, is living the best life.

Qualifications:

• Diploma of Advanced Nature Guiding and Wildlife Conservation 
• Diploma of Business (Frontline Management) 
• Diploma of Government (Management)
• Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing
• Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
• FGASA 
  – Certified Field Guide – Savannah Guide
  – Marine Guide
  – Astronomy Specialist
  – Tracker Level 1
• Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation
• Venomous Snake Handling

Asi Mqhathu
Veterinary Technician

Asi is from Flagstaff, Eastern Cape, South Africa. She began her career as a Veterinary Technician in 2020, completing her work-integrated learning at Queenstown Vet Clinic and Veterinary Laboratory before transitioning to the Department of Agriculture as a Verifying Officer, and later to Animal Health Technician.

She has always been passionate about working with animals and helping people, so she has a history of volunteering as a veterinary technician as well. Her goal is to open her own Primary Animal Healthcare facility.

Qualifications:

• National Diploma in Animal Health

Emily Kerr
Vet Nurse (Game Capture)

From Kent in the South East of England, Emily grew up on a farm and always loved animals and being in the countryside. Her first trip to South Africa was in 2013, and after graduating from Middlesex University in 2017 with a Degree in Veterinary Nursing, she returned to South Africa in 2018 to study and volunteer. She again returned in 2021 for further study and started with Safari4u in 2022. In 2024, Emily completed a 3-month internship with a wildlife vet. 

Whilst she has a big passion for South African wildlife and conservation, when she’s back home in the UK, she works in a mixed practice and an emergency out-of-hours clinic.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Veterinary Nursing
• Diploma in Animal Management
• Diploma in African Wildlife and Conservation Studies
• Diploma in Elephant Studies
• Clinical Coach for Veterinary Nursing Students

Mirtelize Kreuiter
AI and PD Instructor (Live. Stock owner and technician)

Growing up in Malmesbury, Western Cape, Mirtelize spent school holidays milking at her father’s clients’ dairies and working with their local Livestock veterinary surgeon. After graduating from university, she moved to the big Angus ranches in the USA, where she was involved with everything on the farms, including lambing, calving, breeding, feeding… working cattle and sheep all day. 

On returning to South Africa, she began working at the South African Holstein Breed Society, classifying cows, marketing, helping at shows and giving cattle selection courses at universities and schools, but after a few years, she was back with the family operation, managing their Dairy, Sheep and Simmental farms. The company Live.Stock was born out of the need for on-farm ultrasounds and reproduction management, where it has now expanded to cover most of the Western and Eastern Cape provinces in South Africa. 

For the past 5 years, Mirtelize has been a part of World Wide Sires working with genetics, animal health and breeding programs/selection tools, along with inseminations, pregnancy and scanning, as well as offering specialised training and courses.

“People often ask me, if you could do anything else, what would you choose? and my answer has stayed the same for the last 14 years … I’d choose this industry (agriculture) over and over because it is my passion!”

Qualifications:

• BScAgric (Animal Science)
• Animal improvement Act SA: Certificate in Cattle insemination and Pregnancy Ultrasound

Andrew Kruuse
Animal Husbandry Instructor (East Coast Dairy owner)

Andrew is Eastern Cape born and bred and has taken over the family business of a successful dairy farm situated in Kwelera, Eastern Cape.

As a youngster, he worked alongside his father and enjoyed looking at all aspects of dairy farming. From pasture management, breeding, and milk production. He is intrigued by the influence each of these aspects has on the success of the overall farming experience. Andrew got into teaching by watching his parents interact with school visits to the farm for excursions, where he began explaining the operations of dairy farming, and his interest has only grown from there.

In his spare time, he enjoys training his German Shepards for obedience and man work shows, and if he gets the time, rowing on one of the many local waterways.

Layla

Director of Naps

Qualifications:

Expert in Napping and Relaxation Techniques

Bumble

Office Supervisor

Qualifications:

Squigs

Chief Fetching Officer

Qualifications:

Clover

Minister of Affection

Qualifications:

Patches

New Kid on the Block

Qualifications: