Destination Kenya

Born in 1941 in Burton on Trent, England, Dave was educated at the local Grammar School. He joined Derby Aviation (now British Midland), where he qualified as a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (Engines and Airframes).After working for Allied Breweries on their executive aircraft Dave decided a change of venue was required and, with his wife Val, came to Africa in 1970, working for the Zambia Flying Doctor Service in Ndola, Zambia. The initial introduction to African wildlife came on the first of many visits to Luangwa Valley National Park, where his passion for all wildlife, but mainly Elephants, started and continues unabated to this day.

After nearly 5 very happy years in Zambia the Richards’ came to Nairobi, Kenya in 1974, where Dave was in charge of the Major Maintenance hangar at Safari Air Services, Wilson Airport. In 1978 he joined Geosurvey and worked in Tanzania for 2 years and then for a short time in Conakry, Guinea, West Africa.

Soon after arriving in Nairobi he became involved with the East Africa Natural History Society and was elected to the executive committee, on which he served until 1985. He was also one of the founder members of SCOPUS, the Ornithological Sub-committee of the EANHS and sat on this committee until a couple of years ago.

In 1982 he moved into the Safari business full-time and was invited to join Ker & Downey, one year later becoming a full shareholder. Some of the clients he has escorted on safari are: Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter, Mr. & Mrs. Jim McDivett, the astronaut, Roger and Natalie Whittaker, the singer and family, members of the DuPont family. Donal O’Brien, the Chairman of the Board of Audubon and his wife, and David and Pamela Hasselhoff, of Baywatch fame

Dave’s many interests include, Travel, Natural History, particularly Elephants, Cats, birds and writing on Natural History subjects for travel and wildlife magazines.Photography plays a big part in his career. In 1983 he was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society (FRPS).
His photographs have appeared in magazines and books from Hong Kong to the USA.

Dave is the author of:
‘Birds of Kenya – A Celebration’ a coffee table book (all his own photographs).‘The Globetrotter Guide to Kenya’, co-authored with his wife, Val (the majority of the photographs are Dave’s).
‘Photoguide to the Birds of East Africa’. Dave wrote the text and supplied the majority of the photographs.

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