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Amber Du Toit

@amberdutoit

Wildlife conservation and marine research practitioner with Shark and Marine Research Institute, collecting shark data and supporting conservation education.

South Africa

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At Shark & Marine Research Institute, I coordinated and mentored international volunteers while contributing to shark research, including catching, measuring, tagging and releasing sharks. I also collected population and behavior data and analyzed GoPro footage for research.

At Mabalingwe Game Reserve, I worked as an Animal Keeper, caring for animals and supporting wildlife rehabilitation, game drives and predator park guiding. I also helped with social media marketing and redesigned merchandise and information boards.

In 2025, I completed a month of marine research and field training with Oceans Research Institute in Mossel Bay. My training included great white shark tagging, biodiversity surveys, bioacoustics research and microplastics analysis; I also hold a Diploma in Nature Management from Newbridge Graduate Institute.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Marine Research and Field Training

Oceans Research Institute

Jan 2025 - Present (1 year 9 months)

Completed a one-month marine research and field training program, including seamanship, boat maintenance, ethical fish biodiversity assessment, and data collection on great white sharks. Participated in shark tagging, intertidal surveys, bioacoustics research, and microplastics analysis.

Seamanship Boat Maintenance Biodiversity Assessment Shark Tagging Intertidal Fieldwork Marine Mammal Surveys Bioacoustics Shark Egg Case Analysis BRUV Analysis ATAP Receiver Deployment Microplastics Analysis ROV Training Skipper Course

Animal Keeper

Mabalingwe Game Reserve

Jan 2024 - Present (2 years 9 months)

Provided animal care, feeding, enclosure cleaning and maintenance, fence and safety checks, and external parasite control. Assisted with wildlife rehabilitation, game drives, predator park guiding, and social media marketing.

Animal Care Wildlife Rehabilitation Game Drives Social Media Marketing Customer Service Merchandise Design Event Setup Horse Care

Volunteer

Moya's Project (Boschpoort Predators x Project Wild)

Gained exposure to wildlife rehabilitation, cheetah rehabilitation and monitoring, and basic animal care in captivity.

Wildlife Rehabilitation Cheetah Rehabilitation Animal Care

Volunteer Co-ordinator

Shark and Marine Research Institute

Coordinated and mentored international volunteers, managed schedules and operations, and led educational excursions. Conducted shark tagging, biodiversity surveys, and data collection, and educated tourists on shark conservation.

Volunteer coordination Mentorship Shark Tagging Biodiversity Field Surveys Data Collection Data Analysis GoPro Footage Analysis Marine Biology Education Social Media Database Management Team Leadership

Community Service

Faerie Glen Nature Reserve

Performed invasive plant removal as part of community service.

Invasive Species Removal Conservation

Animal Keeper

Lory Park Zoo

Handled cage cleaning, cage upgrading, animal feeding, food preparation, and animal care, with a focus on reptiles. Educated children about animals.

Animal Care Reptile Care Cage Cleaning Education

Volunteer

Kevin Richardson Foundation

Assisted with animal food preparation and feeding, cleaning and checking animal camps and night pens, and shadowing vets and tours. Helped set up and take down camps for guests, primarily involving lions, leopards, and hyenas.

Animal Care Food Preparation Camp Setup Veterinary Shadowing Travel Assistance

Volunteer

Die Stalle

Performed horse grooming, food preparation and feeding, stable cleaning, and external parasite control.

Horse Grooming Stable Cleaning Animal feeding Vaccination And Parasite Control

Volunteer

Wollies

Assisted with cage cleaning, animal feeding, and dog walking.

Animal Care Cage Cleaning Dog Walking

Volunteer

Boschpoort Predators

Performed cage cleaning, animal feeding, and food preparation.

Animal Care Cage Cleaning Food Preparation

Admin Work

Orion Engineering

Performed administrative tasks including scanning and sorting job cards.

Administrative Support Document Scanning Data Entry

Volunteer

Wagon Drift Lodge

Assisted with road maintenance, mitre drain clearing, terraforming, game counts, invasive plant control, and road smoothing using tractor and tyres.

Road Maintenance Terraformer Game Count Plant Control Tractor Operation

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Newbridge Graduate Institute

Diploma, Nature Management

Completed a three-year Diploma in Nature Management with NQF Level 6 and 364 credits, covering subjects such as animal anatomy and physiology, conservation genetics, and field management.

Dunamis Academy

Matric, General

2021 - 2021

Completed matric in 2021 with subjects including Afrikaans Home Language, English First Additional Language, Mathematics (literature), Biology, and Agricultural Management.