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Meet The Crew
We think it's important for you to meet the crew that breathe life into Perrys Bridge Reptile Park. Sharon CoetzeeSharon would put superwoman to shame! Born and raised in South Africa's Lowveld, she is one of eight children, with a younger sister and six older brothers. She started school life at Mpise Primary School near Acornhoek, then moved on to Magwagwaza High School, before settling close to Hazyview to finish both secondary and tertiary studies, with Public Relations as a specialisation. Her passions are twofold: interacting with people (which is why we hired her!) and long distance running....at the tender age of 18 she completed her first Comrades marathon. Subsequently she has completed another 3 Comrades, as well as many 10km races, marathons and ultra marathons. She is one tough cookie! She is also a well travelled cookie - aside from the many places in South Africa where her running has taken her, she recently returned from travelling and living in Europe, with time spent in the United kingdom, Germany, France, Poland and Spain. She is multilingual, speaking 10 of our 11 national languages as well as a smattering of various European languages.Sharon says that she is a "people person", loves meeting new people and exchanging ideas. Her motto in life is "LIFE IS FULL OF SURPRISES, YOU JUST NEVER WHERE IT TAKES YOU TOMORROW" - I'm pretty sure she never expected it to take her to work at a reptile park though :)Carolyn Budai - The Boss's Wife
Born in Australia, Carolyn grew up with two older brothers on her parents farm, surrounded by Tasmania's north-eastern highlands. A childhood filled with pony club, working horses, working dogs, cattle, (and the inevitable sheep), meant a love of animals was assured. Encounters with Australia's unique wildlife included growing up with a "joey" (baby wallaby) called Cassidy, and sharing the farms dams with duck-billed platypus. Carolyn's claim to fame (we think it's hilarious), is being bowled over by a rampaging wombat. Carolyn spent most of her free time during university years either rockclimbing or bushwalking, and occasionally sampling new adventures - land yachting, gliding, and white water rafting.Her first job during university holidays, was as a rouse-about in a shearing shed - yarding sheep, throwing fleeces and pulling out fly struck wool. She eventually joined the corporate world and spare time for these pursuits diminished,but in 2000 she needed a 'nature-fix' - and realised her life-long dream of visiting Africa (This would lead to the eventual demise of my bachelorhood). Carolyn's trip through Zimbabwe and Zambia made her fall in love with Africa and its wildlife (and her guide - me!) In 2001 Carolyn returned to South Africa for good. Apart from being involved in the park she is currently employed at the Drifters lodge in Hazyview where she continues to care for injured wildlife. To date she has successfully cared for and rehabilitated numerous antelope, warthog, otters, genets, bushbabies and a host of birds.An invaluable crew member keeping me under control. Rick Budai - The Boss (owner)(I have Carolyn's permission to say so)
My interest in wildlife and exploration began in France, my country of birth. Sitting comfortably on my father's shoulders we would explore the countryside and canal systems looking for colubrids that my father would catch, and then later release. Every possible waking moment was spent exploring the surrounding areas. My first capture (aged 5) was a rat which I caught in an alley behind the restaurant where my parents were dining. Needless to say, the chaos that ensued as a result of wanting to introduce my newfound pet to the entire restaurant was not met with the enthusiasm that I had hoped for. I later obtained a diploma in journalism and photography, with the idea of publishing a wildlife magazine, which never materialised. Further studies eventually lead me to work throughout Africa, where I was most comfortable, and more importantly where I needed to be ...out in the bush. Whether it was out on the plains of the Serengeti and Masai Mara, the ancient Namib desert, the lush Okavango delta, or the dry game rich plains of Savuti... this was the Africa I loved. Meeting Carolyn meant a change of lifestyle (it's always a woman). Achieving a balance between married life and the great outdoors is never easy.Moving to Hazyview allowed me the opportunity to take my interest in reptiles a step further. By removing so called "problem" animals, I was able to collect valuable data such as DNA, from the specimens captured prior to releasing them. The next evolutionary step from there...Perry's Bridge Reptile Park....where I think I lead the crew. All the crew members are dedicated and believe in the conservation of reptiles. Please use our contact form if you would like to contact one of the crew members. Be sure to visit our online store for great reptile and amphibian gifts.
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