Background check

PROFILE

I am a biologist with a passion for wildlife. I am driven to learn, grow and inspire. 

PROFESSIONAL

WILDLIFE & ANIMAL CARE TEACHER

KOGEKA  |  SEP 2006 – PRESENT

  • Teaching, coaching, motivating and guiding
  • Coordinating enrichment project (annual thesis) 
  • Coaching and evaluating internships (both abroad and locally)
  • Developing educational material
  • Organising excursions

SCIENCE TEACHER

ONDERWIJSPOOL  |  SEP 2004 – AUG 2006

  • Teaching mostly chemistry and biology in secondary schools

INTERIM ASSIGNMENTS

INTERIM AGENCIES  |  SEP 2003 – AUG 2004

  • Administrative tasks

FREELANCE or VOLUNTEER

EDUCATOR

THE WILDLIFE ACADEMY  |  2018 – PRESENT

  • Developing courses and lectures with a focus on wildlife education and sensibilisation (the-wildlife-academy.com)

ANIMAL CARETAKER / BOARD MEMBER 

VOC NETELAND  |  2002 – 2013 

  • Taking care of native species
  • Helping, developing, elaborating 

RESEARCH ASSISTENT

KMDA  |  FEB 2006 – OKT 2006 

  • Assisting on the development of the husbandry guidelines for Cinereous vultures Aegypius monachus
  • Ethological research on Asian elephants Elephas maximus  

AUTHOR

Claes, D. (2018) Wildlife: evolutie, ecologie, gevangenschap en gedrag. Published by Garant

EDUCATION

ACADEMICAL INITIAL TEACHER TRAINING

UA  |  SEP 2003 – JULI 2004

INITIAL DOCTORATE RESEARCH

UA  |  SEP 2002 – AUG 2003

BACHELOR & MASTER IN BIOLOGY

UA  |  OKT 1998 – JULI 2002

relevant CONGRESSES, TRAININGS and WORKSHOPS

HARPIJ-CONGRES (Variety of zoos, annual, 2008 until present) 

ANNUAL CRC ZOO SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM (Antwerp Zoo, 2020 until present)

REPORTING AND STUDYING ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR (CNO/Antwerp Zoo, 2020)

APPRECIATIVE COACHING (Thomas More – Donche, 2018 and 2020)

CONFERENCE: ANIMAL WELFARE IN THE ZOO OF TOMORROW  (Flemish government, 2015)

ANIMAL AND TRAINER MODULE 1 and 2 (Cursuscentrum Dierverzorging Barneveld, 2014)

ELEPHANTWORKSHOP (KMDA, 2011)

INTERNSHIP  (Olmense zoo, 2010)

INTERNSHIP (Chester zoo, 2009)

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON THE ASSESSMENT OF ANIMAL WELFARE AT FARM AND GROUP LEVEL (Gent, 2008)

TRAINING: PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE OF BIRDS  (Cursuscentrum Dierverzorging Barneveld, 2007)

WORKSHOP ON THE BREEDING OF ELEPHANTS AND RHINOCEROSES UNDER HUMAN CARE (EAZA, KMDA, 2007)

FIRST AID for ANIMALS (Syntra, 2004)