Wade has been surrounded my nature his entire life, having grown up on the Manyoni Private Game in South Africa. He took up birding at the early age of 8, becoming a professional nature guide as soon as he left school. To further his global experience, Wade took a sabbatical from the African savannas and spent months guiding in the Andean Cloud Forests of Ecuador.

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  What got me into birding:

  At the early age of 8 my father sparked my interest with the sheer number of different and brightly coloured species, particularly the gaudy Lilac-breasted Roller. Interestingly the birding spark dimmed a little in my teenage years as I became more interested in mammals. However, once I’d seen and experienced the majority of species available in the Zululand reserves, my desire for greater species diversity relite the birding fire again.

  Hobbies other than birding:

  I’ve recently taken up herping (searching for amphibians and reptiles), as well as an interest in orchids. I also enjoy fishing and sports such as cricket.

  What led to a career in tourism:

  I find the sharing of knowledge and understanding of nature really rewarding. In combination with my passion for nature and the outdoors – a career in tourism was a practical certainty!

  Some of my strengths as a tour leader:

  Patience – I take my time to ensure I get my guests onto all possible species.
  Acute eyesight & hearing allow me to pick up the smallest of movements, odd shapes and sounds.

  Am I a lister?

  Definitely, I keep lists for everywhere from my world list to my garden for birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and recently orchids.

• Testimonials James Wade Lee

  AF, South Africa 2023

  Wade is an exceptional individual. Hard to believe he is not 21 and has such an understanding and knowledge of the animals. He also has a great personality and is a hard worker to insure that you get all the help needed to be safe in every aspect of the operation. Ryan was also a hard worker with the customers comfort and satisfaction always in mind. He is also extremely knowledgeable about the animals and their environment. The entire staff was very accommodating and helpful. It is a great operation and was a wonderful experience.

  JS - South Africa 2024

  Greg and Wade were both amazing in their depth of knowledge of all things South African! They made sure we all got on the birds and described in detail what we should be looking for. Accommodations were lovely (Kruger a little less so, but ok). The Safari was the highlight of the trip. All in all I’d definitely recommend this tour.

  JM - South Africa 2024

  Great tour with amazing birds to see. Greg and Ward did a terrific job of finding the birds and making sure we saw everything. Kruger National Park was spectacular and we had unbelievable views of the animals. Loved the safari vehicle through the park and would recommend using it on future tours. The van was good as we all had window seats. Unfortunately there were issues with opening a couple of the windows along with electrical issues with the refrigerator and charging units at each seat but the guides adjusted to the situation as needed to make the experience a good one. The trip had a lot of time inside the van and sighting/seeing birds from the van. I would have liked more walking maybe on the roads when possible but I understand we were trying to see as many birds as possible. Overall a remarkable trip lead by professional, experienced guides and a great group of birders made this trip memorable.

  RB - South Africa 2024

  Both Greg and Wade were amazing. Greg has a fantastic knowledge of the area and it's wildlife. He was always willing to add information and facts regarding the wildlife we observed. He managed the tour expertly and his enthusiasm was contagious. And Wade is flat out the best bird/wildlife finder that I have ever been around. Truly extraordinary. The trip was beyond my expectations.