Mx Vincent van der Merwe

"The managed metapopulation approach for wild Cheetah conservation" (Prof Justin O’Riain)

Vincent’s upbringing on an avocado farm in Limpopo triggered an interest in all things biological. After school he completed a BSc (Hons) degree in Entomology through the University of Pretoria, specialising in the genetics of chafer beetles. On completion of his military service, Vincent worked as safari guide, ecological consultant, and biology teacher in Mozambique. In anticipation of the 2010 Football World Cup, he relocated to the University of Cape Town to complete an MSc degree on the biogeography of terrestrial game birds. Vincent was employed as cheetah metapopulation co-ordinator in 2011. When he realised the potential of the managed metapopulation approach to conserve wild cheetah populations, he decided to pursue a PhD on the subject. His research interests include the historical distribution of cheetahs, cheetah phylogeography, and the global decline of wild Cheetah populations in the Neolithic. Vincent’s hobbies include hiking, squash, rugby, farming avocados, and travelling. Vincent has been a National Geographic Explorer since 2014. In 2017, he was the recipient of the South African National Parks Kudu Award for Individual contribution to Conservation.