DR. ANDREW STEIN — CLAWS Founder and Director
Andrew is an assistant professor of natural science at Landmark College and adjunct faculty to University of Massachusetts Amherst. He has over a decade of experience studying human- carnivore conflict—from African wild dogs and lions in Kenya and Botswana to leopards and hyenas in Namibia.
Andrew grew up fascinated by nature documentaries of exotic wildlife in far off destinations. A native of central Massachusetts, the opportunities to explore and contribute to wildlife conservation seemed unlikely until his study abroad trip to Kenya through the School for Field Studies. There he saw a confluence of his greater interests in culture, wildlife conservation and problem solving.
Motivated by a clear vision of purpose, he was driven to return to Africa to make a contribution to the wildlife he was passionate about and the people that faced the challenges of living with their livestock among Africa's great predators. Since his 2001 leopard study in South Africa, Andrew has become a leader in leopard conservation as he continued on for his PhD field study on Namibian farmlands and leopard feeding ecology in Botswana. In recent years he has been chosen to assist in national leopard surveys and lead an international team for the IUCN Red List to assess the global status of leopard. He has expanded his interests to explore non-lethal approaches to mitigate livestock conflict with lions in Northern Botswana and wolves on Montana ranchland.
Andrew has published a dozen scientific articles, organized field training course with the Smithsonian Institution and been featured in wildlife documentaries on National Geographic Wild and BBC Wildlife. He is also a member of both the IUCN Cat Specialist Group and Hyaena Specialist Group.
DR. EDWIN MUDONGO — Research Coordinator and Herder Training Program Manager, Pride in Our Prides
Dr. Edwin Mudongo was born in Francistown, eastern Botswana. He finished his Bachelors Degree at the Griffith University, Australia in Wildlife Biology and Environmental Science. After spending a few years getting practical experience with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, and as an environmental consultant, he returned to school to study Natural Resources Management at the University of Botswana's Okavango Research Institute for his Master of Science. He finished a joint PhD on Rangeland Ecology and Management Under Climate Change through the University of Limpopo, South Africa and the University of Cologne, Germany. Dr. Mudongo has managed a number of projects and has particular expertise in rangeland restoration. He is our research coordinator in Botswana and manages the Herding Program. His unique mix of research, community work and government experience makes him the ideal person to lead Pride in Our Prides into the next phase.
CATJA ORFORD — Program Director and Administrator, Pride in Our Prides
Catja Orford has a unique experience in conservation and environmental sustainability. She spent time in Gabon helping to develop tourism for lowland gorillas. In the late 2000s, she managed the Ladies No.1 Opera House in Gaborone. She has also led programs on sustainable energy through her consulting company EnviroDesign. Now, she is the Program Administrator for CLAWS Botswana helping organize logistics, grant reporting, accounting and new programs. Her diverse background and network are essential for our success and development.
ERIK VERREYNNE — Veterinarian, Pride in Our Prides
Dr. Erik Verreynne is a man of many talents. He is our program veterinarian that not only helps dart lions, but provides vital support to keep our communal livestock herd in good shape. He makes quarterly visits to our field site and even provides real-time diagnoses over the phone whenever necessary. Erik also has a degree in wildlife management, so his insights into wildlife greater inform our programs from both a domestic and wild standpoint. Lastly, he has worked in Botswana for decades and enjoys having spirited conversations with people of all backgrounds- government, rural communities and everything in between. His contributions keep us on target.
Binah Motlogelwa — Lion Program Coordinator, Pride in Our Prides
Binah came to CLAWS after 14 years with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks. She is particularly interested in lion ecology and behavior. Though most of her previous experience is working in the dry kalahari ecosystem, she is very excited about spending time in the Okavango for comparison.
left to right: Paul Dube and Botilo tshimologo
PAUL DUBE — Cattle Foreman, Pride in Our Prides
Paul Dube loves cattle. He grew up in Zimbabwe caring for his own family herd. In recent years, he worked on a commercial livestock farm in western Botswana before transitioning to the CLAWS team. Paul is the point person for our Herding Program as he organizes and motivates the herding team. He monitors the herd numbers, physical condition and administers treatments to the cattle from his training with Dr. Erik Verreynne.
MATHATA "PRO" TOMELETSO — Pro is a resident of Eretsha, one of our focal villages. He is the oldest of 7 children and has 4 children of his own. Pro holds an assistant guide’s license and a certificate in professional guiding. He is our local field assistant and his duties include translating between English and the many local languages, overseeing kraal building efforts and investigating livestock depredation events, along with countless other tasks. Pro’s favorite animal is the leopard because it is powerful but shy.
CHRISTOPHER DIMBINDO — Christopher is a resident of Beetsha village. He has spent years as a tracker for hunting companies and filming operations. Christopher can track a lion in thick grass, deep sand and anything in between. He assists our Lion Alert program and provides expert forensic analysis to determine the culprit when livestock are killed by predators.
Kelebogile (Kelly) Motshoi — Herding Trainers Kelly is one of our lead herders. After spending a year in South Africa at the Herding Academy, she has taken on the primary responsibility of our mobile quarantine boma. This responsibility is only entrusted to people with excellent organizational skills because the sale of Wildlife Friendly beef is dependent on our record keeping. She is also motivated to scale up the program to Guntosoga where she grew up.
NEO CHAPI —Administrative Assistant Neo does all the little things to make our program successful. She is a voracious learner and keeps track of our supplies, data collection in the field, data entry, helps with placing orders and helps with education programs. As a resident of Gunotsoga Village, she provides insight into the challenges her family faces while living in lion country.
