Born Mara Moon, Dudu,
which means insect in Swahili, received her nickname as a child. Says
her mother, "we called her Dudu as she was such a buzzing little bee
when she was small plus was born under the Scorpio sign!"
Her father is respected zoologist
Iain Douglas-Hamilton,
co-author of Among
the Elephants and Battle for the Elephants with her mother, Oria
(author of The Elephant Family Book). With her sister,
Saba, she would track elephants, climb
waterfalls, catch snakes and scale the rooftops of the local farm buildings in
the company of their adventurous father.
Dudu is dedicated to the
African wildlife and indigenous peoples. In addition to working with
Saba on Heart of a Lioness for Animal Planet and The
Miracle Lioness for the BBC, Dudu was a journalist for her
University magazine during the South African transition of government,
and co-wrote the book "Gangs, Rituals and Rites of Passage"
that was published in 1997 detailing the gang problems in South Africa’s
Cape Flats. Dudu has also produced many wildlife films for Paramount,
traveling from Congo to Siberia, and acted as Assistant Producer on the
National Geographic Channel documentary "Going to Extremes: Hot”,
a story in which the Afar camel caravans travel into the heart of the
Danakil Depression, Ethiopia, to dig out blocks of salt from a pan that
was once an inland sea. With temperatures soaring above 50 ° C, it is
the hottest place on earth.
Whilst maintaining an
interest in journalism and current affairs, Dudu’s first love is film.
The above photo was taken in the Tenere, one of the largest sand seas in
the Sahara desert. The children are Tubu nomads who were traveling with
her to the northern oasis of Bilma.
See also
Dudu's CV