There’s a new herpetologist in town
Reptiles have been of interest to James Wittstock since his early childhood days.
JAMES Wittstock (24) has a passion for animal welfare and conversation and will use this, coupled with his extensive background in reptile care to help him in his new role as reptile curator at Scottburgh’s Crocworld Conservation Centre.
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James is a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Association of Reptile Keepers and before moving down to the mid-South Coast, worked as a herpetologist in the ‘Dangerous Creatures’ department at uShaka Sea World for the past four and a half years.
Reptiles have been of interest to James since his early childhood days.
“My dad is a reptile enthusiast and brought me up to have the same passion for reptiles that he does,” he said.
“I enjoy the rescue and rehabilitation side of working with animals the most, and I also thoroughly enjoy being able to have positive impact on animals and the environment.”
James has brought along a few friends too – a breeding pair of ridge-tailed monitors of Australian origin, as well as some Amazon tree boas.
After a day’s work, it’s a bit of a busman’s holiday as he returns home to a number of other snakes.
When he’s not busy with reptiles, James enjoys rugby (both as a player and as a spectator), is fond of soccer and is also a keen wildlife photographer.
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