Dereck and Beverly Joubert are conservationists, filmmakers, and National Geographic Explorers at Large.
They are considered one of the most hard-working and effective couples in the wildlife conservation world.
They work primarily in rural Botswana, their home and land they love, recording the beauty of irreplaceable living treasures here and throughout Africa.
They helped the National Geographic Society establish the Big Cats Initiative, which provides information and solutions to stop the number of big cats, especially lions, from dwindling.
SAVING WILD’S INTERVIEW WITH BEVERLY JOUBERT, courtesy of Lori Robinson …
”The Jouberts have a wonderful love story. Both South Africans, they met in high school, bonding through their mutual love of wild places and wildlife and their desire to protect them.
During the past 30 years, they have made over 25 films, written 11 books, six scientific papers, and many articles for National Geographic magazine. All focused on large predator keystone species. Their work has won eight Emmys, a Peabody, and the World Ecology Award. In 2009 they were inducted into the American Academy of Achievement.
Of all the conservationists I have met over the years, Beverly Joubert is perhaps the one I would most like to trade lives with, despite the sacrifices and unusually tough circumstances her life’s work requires.
How did you decide to devote your life to wildlife conservation?
As a teenager, I was troubled by what humans were doing to each other and other creatures and I wanted the world to change. Then I met Dereck – a kindred soul.
We began making wildlife films in the early eighties. That helped us understand that the wilderness areas we were filming were being destroyed. That’s when we realized we were more than wildlife filmmakers. Our role was first and foremost to be conservationists.
What sacrifices have you made while becoming some of the world’s best conservation filmmakers?
Sometimes I wonder if Dereck and I appear to be aloof and abnormal. We are often on our own for months at a time filming projects. Our film about leopards took 5 years. During those times we lose contact with everyone.
We also decided to not have children. Our films are filled with the passion we would have given to a family. It has been a worthwhile sacrifice.
When we are in the wilderness we don’t have ‘luxuries’. Things like running hot and cold water, clean drinking water, fresh food (which would require a fridge), communication devices, or sophisticated tools to fix our vehicle and bush plane. Also, getting 7 hours of sleep a night, staying dry and cool, avoiding insect bites, and being able to shower and clean our clothes become luxuries!
All this makes our lives harder, but without experiencing the hardships we could not truly understand the wilderness. Or be as connected and emotionally moved by it as we are. And that makes our films more powerful.
You have said that in the last 50 years, Africa has lost 90-95% of its large predators. They are now extinct in 26 of Africa’s 54 countries.
How do you stay inspired despite the increasing negative issues we face protecting wildlife and wild places?
Getting to know individual characters like the little leopard we followed for over 5 years for our movie ‘Eye of the Leopard’ inspires us to speak out on behalf of wildlife.
We have become ambassadors for animals out of necessity and feel we must protect the last remaining ones in the few countries where they still exist.
That, the urgency of the situation, and knowing all that could be lost also keeps us inspired to do more.
Why should people care about saving wild places and wildlife?
Wildlife and wild places are our greatest natural treasures – priceless and irreplaceable.
We live in a connected world, and with a collective heart and mind, we can, and must, end the destruction. We cannot let humanity become like a deadly fungus that exterminates everything for lust and greed. While there is hope, all of us must continue to fight to protect wild places and wild animals.
Where do you find hope?
We are optimists at heart. If we weren’t, we couldn’t continue.
It takes a special kind of person to devote their lives to helping wild places and wildlife.
What qualities or characteristics do you two possess that have helped you do this work and be so successful at it?
I think compassion, curiosity, and a sense of adventure are all important qualities we possess.
Being tenacious, never giving up no matter what it takes, has also helped us. Dereck and I are never scared to take on huge issues. As the issues get bigger, so do our ideas, projects, and solutions.
We never let this disappointment slow us down. Rather, it drives us on. We won’t stop until we have done everything in our power to conserve Africa’s wilderness for future generations.
If you want to set an example and inspire others to do the same, you must know what you stand for and live and breathe it.
From all that you have accomplished, what are you most proud of?
One of our main goals is to turn ex-hunting lands into nature reserves so they will be protected in the future. We have had a number of successes on this front.
We are equally proud of the close relationships we have been able to develop with wild animals.
By giving them total respect, we have been accepted into their world, which is an immense privilege. Our work with Legadema, the little leopard in the story in your book Wild Lives changed our lives and turned us into Ambassadors for Big Cats.
Hearing from people all over the world that our work has inspired them to be ambassadors for the natural world is equally as rewarding for us.”
Dereck and Beverly Joubert are one of twenty amazing conservations featured in the book: Wild Lives. Leading Conservationists on the Animals and the Planet They Love, by Lori Robinson & Janie Chodosh.
Credit for interview: Saving Wild, Lori Robinson
For more on their work, as well as credit for the image:
Dereck Joubert, Achiever – Academy of Achievement. (February 11, 2023). Retrieved October 24, 2023, from https://achievement.org/achiever/dereck-joubert/
For more on how close wildlife is to the tipping point of extinction, see Numbers Really Do Matter