All about Christy

 

​Christy's love, some might say obsession, with wild life began with her unique upbringing in South Africa. One of her experiences with the natural world was delivering her first lamb at age of 4! Her fearless nature and curiosity allowed her to explore the wonders of the world around her in South Africa and then her less exotic relocation to England. Her severe tom-boy style led Christy to question the Brownies and become one of the first girl Scouts in the UK. She is now a dab hand at building campfires, bivouacs and other such survival skills in the wild.


Christy later qualified as an advanced open water diver and took her skills to the islands of Fiji where she took part in a conservation effort to save the reef. Christy's trip inspired her to study her passion at university and finally gain the credentials to match her infatuation with nature. She studied zoology at the University of Wales, Swansea, gaining at 2:1 and a first in her dissertation on the behaviour of black handed spider monkeys. Christy's first step into the real world was as an educational speaker at the London Aquarium. Here, she found her true place, simultaneously inspiring and entertaining children about conservation. Her soft spot for primates took Christy to the Trentham Monkey Forest, where she worked as a researcher for Roehampton University on a grooming behaviour study of Barbary macaques. In Christy's own words, "I can't think of anything much better than watching monkeys for 8 hours a day!"

For the past four years, Christy has been coordianating projects for the Orangutan Foundation UK in the jungles of Borneo. It has become a second home to Christy who is now fluent in the Indonesian language and familiar with the culture and ecosystem. Her first endeavours as a wildlife presenter began here with a short documentary on the primates of Borneo.

 

Last year, Christy ventured out to South Africa, where she became a surrogate mother to orphaned baby chacma baboons. During her time, Christy learned to speak "baboon", forming close bonds with the orphans that she was teaching how to live with other baboons, so that that can ultimately be released back into the wild. This required early morning wake up calls (as with all new mothers!) and making at least 25 milk bottles every morning at 5am to feed the infants.

 

As well as rehabilitating the traumatised babies, Christy was monitoring their behaviour, as well as the behaviour and relationships between a group of ex-lab adulkt chacma baboons. Her knowledge of primates and patient observational skills made Christy a perfect individual for the task. 

 

Living in a remote part of Africa, Christy became deeply involved in the environment and the animals that crossed her path in their camp, from lions to wart hogs and crocodiles. 

 

She learnt tracking skills and how to put these to good use out in the African bush!

Christy has proved herself to be an inspiring individual to others with a natural ability to connect this passion with children and adults alike. Her sense of humour and knowledge make for a winning combination.