Peter Gava

Peter began his career teaching Environmental Science before spending many years working with Zimbabwe’s Department of National Parks (ZimParks) Terrestrial Research, where he gained invaluable ecological knowledge and field experience. He later received a scholarship to study at the College of African Wildlife Management in Tanzania, earning a Diploma in Wildlife Management. Returning home, he completed Zimbabwe’s demanding and highly respected professional proficiency examinations to qualify as a Professional Guide.

Since qualifying, Peter has guided across Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Namibia, building a reputation for depth of knowledge, calm leadership, and an ability to connect guests meaningfully to place. He joined Wilderness in 2018 as Head Guide for the company’s Hwange National Park camps, a role that felt like a natural homecoming, given his long-standing association with Wilderness through his earlier research work with ZimParks.

For Peter, Hwange National Park is more than a wilderness area – it is a living monument. Its ancient Kalahari sands, fossil drainage lines, rich biodiversity, and deep human history make it one of Africa’s most rewarding places to guide. He considers it a privilege to represent both Hwange and Wilderness, and in 2025 was recognised for this commitment when he was awarded Zimbabwe’s Guide of the Year – an honour he regards as a shared achievement for the entire Wilderness family and the many guests who have travelled with him.

A highly respected Professional Walking Guide and mentor, Peter was seconded to Wilderness Magashi in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park at the end of 2020 to serve as Senior Guide and Trainer. Alongside guiding guests, he focused on developing junior guides Alphonse Ntabana and Innocent Tuyisenge, passing on not only technical skills, but values of patience, humility, and ethical guiding. Peter believes deeply in knowledge transfer – “passing the stick” to the next generation to ensure guiding excellence endures.

Back in Zimbabwe, Peter’s passion and influence continue through his son Kingsley, who is now a guide at Davison’s Camp in Hwange. 

Above all, Peter embodies Wilderness culture: genuine, professional, ethical, and deeply human. For him, guiding is not just about wildlife encounters, but about creating trust, shared moments, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences that stay with guests long after they leave the bush.