Courtney Hundermark holds up a Dwarf Beaked Snake Dipsina multimaculata he found near Prince Albert, Western Cape, South Africa in April 2023, photograph by Berkeley Lumb
Courtney Hundermark is a BSc (Hons) Zoology student in the Department of Zoology and Entomology at South Africa’s University of Pretoria, where he is investigating the role of climate in shaping the distribution of small-bodied, range-restricted gecko species. Previously, he graduated with an Advanced Diploma in Nature Conservation from Nelson Mandela University.
Courtney describes himself as enjoying “adventures (and occasional misadventures) in the great outdoors, in particular; rock climbing, free-diving, trail running, and overnight hiking, typically in search of hard-to-find reptiles and amphibians.” He is the author of A Guide to the Reptiles of Prince Albert & the Swartberg Pass, published in 2024, and has discovered a new gecko species. After running a 16-km trail race in September last year he has decided to take on a new challenge: running his first half marathon next month.
Courtney has signed up for the iconic Skukuza Half Marathon, organized by the Kruger Park Marathon Club, that takes place this year on 01 August (among all the wild animals, including the “big five”) in the Kruger National Park. He will be running on behalf of the Saving Marion Island’s Seabirds: The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project, aiming to raise R10 000 via an online crowd-funding appeal, as he says, “for this incredible conservation initiative.”
Courtney continues “Before switching to my BSc (Hons) degree, I studied nature conservation through the University of South Africa, and thereafter, at Nelson Mandela University. As a nature conservation student, a large chunk of one’s study material relates to biological invasions – their management, establishment histories, and the conditions that enable invasion. I’m on the road a lot (usually on the hunt for reptiles in faraway places), so it’s tough to ignore the state of invasions present in South Africa when traversing these landscapes – mesquite in the Northern Cape drainage lines, tamarisk in the Gamkapoort Dam and adjacent river systems … there are examples in almost every environment you can imagine.
Management of these species is always complex, and there is seldom a clean-cut, readily applicable solution. This is why I believe the Mouse-Free Marion Project deserves people’s attention, because Marion Island’s avifauna faces a direct threat from invasive House Mice, and there exists a readily applicable eradication strategy that has previously proven successful in similar environments.”
Participants run through the “bush” during the 2024 Skukuza Half Marathon
The race is not for the faint-hearted. The half marathon’s website says, “Two hours before the start of the race a squad of rangers whose task it is to ensure the safety of all athletes during the race, travel by vehicle and on foot along the course to chase away any big game which could disrupt the race. At the same time, the SANParks helicopter lifts off on its first flight to ensure that no elephants, rhinos and lions get too close to the route.” This year, an estimated 2000 runners will set off for the race’s 38th running to a recording of a lion roar. It can also be hot and humid in the park, even in winter, so quite an experience all round.
The route of the Skukuza Half Marathon on 01 August 2026
MFM News will report on Courtney’s fund-raising effort (and his run) once the race is over. He plans to wear a Mouse-Free Marion Runners active shirt, so helping to raise awareness among his fellow runners. You can support Courtney by making your contribution (of any amount) on his GivenGain page “Skukuza half marathon for a mouse-free Marion”. His appeal has started off well, with its first donation being an anonymous one of R1000. As of 07 July he has already raised R3650, 36% of his target. Please be generous and help ensure Courtney reaches R10 000 by race day on 01 August!
The Kruger Park Marathon Club is a small one (its members must live within the national park). The African Wild Dog depicted on the club’s logo also lives within the park; it is categorised as globally Endangered
Its website says: “The Kruger Park Marathon Club exists to champion conservation and uplift the Kruger National Park community. Through our race, we raise vital funds to support local initiatives and foster a spirit of unity and purpose. Every stride we take strengthens the bond between nature, community, and collective action.” Sentiments that the MFM Project team can agree with.
We thank Courtney for his support and wishes him good running in one of Africa’s most famous wildlife parks, although he may not have much time to spot many “herptiles” along the route!
John Cooper. News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project, 08 July 2026
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Two Light-mantled Albatrosses interact on Marion Island, photograph by John Dickens
The Mouse-Free Marion Project is a registered non-profit company (No. 2020/922433/08) in South Africa, established to eradicate the invasive albatross-killing mice on Marion Island in the Southern Ocean. The project was initiated by BirdLife South Africa and the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Upon successful completion, the project will restore the critical breeding habitat of over two million seabirds, many globally threatened, and improve the island’s resilience to a warming climate. For more information or to support the project please visit mousefreemarion.org.
