The Team
Drew Abrahamson
Co-Founder
Drew Abrahamson is an internationally recognised conservation leader specialising in wildlife rescue, ethical relocation, and governance-led conservation across Africa.
Raised in a family deeply embedded in wildlife rehabilitation, Drew grew up working alongside rangers and wildlife veterinarians. This early, hands-on exposure shaped a lifelong, field-based expertise in animal behaviour, ecosystem protection, and conservation practice under real-world conditions.
Over nearly two decades, Drew has played a pivotal role in high-risk wildlife rescues and re-homing operations—from wild animals requiring urgent intervention to those removed from exploitative commercial contexts. Her work prioritises ethical outcomes, long-term welfare, and solutions that balance conservation, community, and institutional realities.
In 2016, Drew founded Captured in Africa Foundation, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to protecting Africa’s wildlife through advocacy, intervention, and systems-level change. Through the Foundation, she has led complex operations, international campaigns, and cross-sector collaborations where ethical conservation solutions were required over culling or extraction-driven responses. She is also a Director of Pit Track, contributing strategic oversight to one of the region’s leading conservation and environmental protection operations.
Known as The Lion Lady, Drew maintains trusted working relationships with conservation organisations, regulators, and enforcement bodies across southern and eastern Africa. Her work spans borders and sectors, and she is regularly engaged by government departments, environmental regulators, and national institutions to advise on animal behaviour, ethical relocation, and evidence-based responses to human–wildlife conflict, habitat pressure, and environmental crime.
Carl Thornton
Co-Founder
Carl Thornton is a recognised leader in anti-poaching operations and conservation security, specialising in the deployment of highly trained K9 units for wildlife protection, tracking, and intelligence support. He is the Co-Founder and Director of Pit Track, providing operational leadership to conservation security and environmental protection initiatives.
Raised in the bush on a family farm in Vaalwater, Carl’s conservation work began early with hands-on wildlife protection. Over time, his dual expertise in working dogs and field operations evolved into the development of dedicated K9 teams supporting wildlife protection across multiple species and landscapes.
With extensive experience in anti-poaching and operational K9 work, Carl is regularly engaged by government authorities to support human scent tracking, intelligence gathering, and enforcement operations. He maintains strong working relationships with SAPS, Nature Conservation, Green Scorpions, and National Intelligence, and is trusted for his practical, solutions-focused approach to complex conservation challenges.
Carl is also an experienced public communicator, delivering conservation and security briefings internationally, including engagements in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. He is frequently called upon by media and news organisations to provide expert commentary on wildlife crime and conservation security, and regularly conducts education-focused outreach through interactive, field-informed presentations.