Dominic Chadbon

A childhood encounter with a tame giraffe - Sweetie Pie - at Hluhluwe Game Reserve was enough to propel this Englishman towards Africa and its wildlife. A self-confessed nature nut (he began birdwatching at the age of 5 and painted jungle scenes on his bedroom walls) Dominic completed his university education in the UK and set off for a two year round-the-world trip armed with a backpack and his brother.

Africa's klaxon call saw him make a permanent move, first spending 5 years leading mobile safaris through Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe and then migrating south to Cape Town in 1997 where he fell deeply in love with the Cape and its mountains. A keen sportsman, hiker and, er, gardener, he reads voraciously and draws on a range of influences and experiences when writing.

Happiest when lost in the fynbos and attempting to identify an obscure protea, Dominic still forlornly supports English sports teams in the vain hope that they may win something.