Dereck Joubert (birth 3 March 1956, Johannesburg) is a South African-born filmmaker, author, conservationist and National Geographic explorer-in-residence ^[1] based in Botswana. He is also the brother of well known South African artist and conservationist Keith Joubert.

He has been filming, researching and exploring Africa for over 35 years with his wife, Beverly Joubert. The couple have made over 40 films for National Geographic, with a strong focus on iconic species like big cats and elephants.^[2]

Joubert is the CEO of Great Plains Conservation. With lodges and tented camps in Kenya, Botswana and Zimbabwe, the company returns large tracts of land to nature through conservation tourism and community upliftment programs. 

Personal life

Joubert was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He studied geology and land surveying at the University of Witwatersrand, and later completed a diploma in ecology. While working as a wildlife ranger in several South African wildlife reserves, he first developed an interest in lion behaviour.^[3]

Joubert met his wife, Beverly, in high school and married in 1983. They have lived and worked in Botswana for over three decades.

In March 2017, the Jouberts survived a near-fatal Cape buffalo attack at their camp in Botswana's Okavango Delta.^[4]

Film career

Joubert and his wife have co-produced over 40 films for National Geographic. He writes and operates the camera, while his wife records sound.

Over the years, their discoveries in the field have challenged conventional wisdom about some of Africa's top predators. In 1992, the couple completed the documentary that won them international acclaim. It is estimated that Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas has been viewed by more than a billion viewers in 127 countries.^[5]

The Jouberts’ films have received significant accolades including Emmys, a Peabody Award and Wildscreen Panda Awards. Their Emmy-winning 2006 film Eye of the Leopard follows the life of a single female leopard from infancy to maturity.  

In 2014, the couple received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award ^[6] at the South African Film and Television Awards.

Conservation work

The Jouberts’ passion for conservation led them to establish Great Plains Conservation in 2006. The conservation and tourism organisation operates safari camps in Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe, and combines these with conservation initiatives and community projects.

The company's charity arm, Great Plains Foundation, focuses on preserving and protecting landscapes, wildlife and the communities that rely on them.

In 2009,^[7] the Jouberts founded the Big Cats Initiative with National Geographic, a long-term effort to halt the decline of big cats in the wild and protect the ecosystems they inhabit. This program has now transitioned to the Great Plains Big Cats Initiative, under the Jouberts’ leadership.

Together with his wife, Joubert is also co-founder of Rhinos Without Borders, an initiative that has moved 87 rhinos from high poaching areas to safety.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jouberts established Project Ranger, an emergency intervention to secure the jobs of rangers and front-line conservationists across Africa.

References

External links

• Dereck Joubert at IMDb