Rhino queen Jamie MARGOT MADE ME A WILD OFFER!

Hollywood has its sights set on the anti-poacher

Having a Hollywood A-lister make a movie about you is something most people can’t imagine in their wildest dreams. For Jamie Joseph, the founder and director of charity Saving the Wild, it’s reality – and it’s far from the most incredible part of her story.

Jamie was born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. During school holidays, the family would visit the country’s national parks, where Jamie felt a profound sense of belonging.

“Being around elephants, rhinos and lions... There’s a feeling of awe. It’s like the greatest fairytale on Earth,” she enthuses.

For a while, though, she lost sight of that connection with nature. After high school, she worked as a web developer, then pivoted to organising music festivals. Both left her unfulfilled.

“I love music, but going to festivals is very different from organising festivals. The music business can be very dark. I needed to get out.”

In 2009, she emigrated to New Zealand, where her brother had already settled. Life here felt idyllic, but Jamie found herself stuck in the same rut, organising the Global Breakthrough Festival in Mt Maunganui.

“After a few years, I thought, ‘What are you doing? This is not healthy.’” 

So she escaped to a remote Indonesian island and found her way back to nature.

“I was so broken. I had to rebuild myself the way I wanted to be all along.”