Rob Punton – Founder and Big Cat Expert Handler. As founder of ‘The Last Lions’ with 15 years of working directly with big cats. He is a skilled big cat handler and a ‘hands-on’ expert trainer in operant conditioning and predatory training. Rob designed and implemented two successful captive big cat management programs. A four-year, ‘Born Wild’ program, established our project blueprint. It created the foundations to be able to develop new techniques and methodologies teaching big cats how to stalk, hunt, and master their predatory instincts for survival in the wild. Media savvy with a background in TV and documentary filmmaking.
Pete Haygarth – Photography and Drone Specialist. Pete has served 24 years in the British Police as a Tactical Firearms Specialist and Firearms Instructor. He has been passionate about African wildlife since he was a young boy and currently works as a professional photographer and documentary filmmaker, often travelling around Africa to fuel this passion. In 2019, he was ‘Highly Commended’ during the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards conducted by the Natural History Museum, London. Pete is also an experienced commercial drone operator, not only working in the TV/film industry but also in drone system testing, development, and manufacture of both rotary and fixed-wing drones.
Khrishma Preston – Scientific and Project Management Lead. Khrish holds an MSc in Conservation Biology from the Durrell Institute of Conservation, UK, with almost of decade of working in the field from the US to India. Khrishma started her career supporting PhD students within Gir National Park researching topics from genetics and behaviour of the Asiatic Lion to prey density and human-animal conflict within the ecosystem. Along with her vast experience in conservation, Khrishma has spent a decade working within the project, business, and research management for the British Education Inspectorate – Ofsted. Her breadth of experience supports our project as our field advisor and scientific liaison.
Josh Boerma – Media and Comms Specialist. Josh grew up with a fascination of big cats and is a passionate conservationist. He has worked across fields in university education and operated businesses in the creative industries. His role for The Last Lions concentrates on the media and communications required to shape, design and implement the digital and logistical systems needed to run, fund and grow our footprint. Providing expertise in improving online presence and increasing visibility for the project. His experience and contacts within allied industries provide a diverse range of funding and marketing opportunities, as well as access to new technologies such as drone monitoring telemetry.
Jamie Manuel – Outside Consultant. Jamie grew up in Kenya with a passion for big cats and is a highly regarded conservationist. He is an old-style bushman and engineer who loves to shape the environment and live off the land, rebuilding ‘Campi ya Simba’ George Adamson’s long-time lion camp. Tony Fitzjohn MBE also recognised Jamie’s talents and tasked him to lead the project raising Kora’s first ‘hand-reared’ lion cub in over 40 years – ‘Mugie’.