Activist Granny

Beverley Pervan (60), from Wilderness, recently returned from Melbourne, Australia, where she spent a month helping the Sea Shepherd organisation in refurbishing its anti-whaling vessel, the Steve Irwin. Her duties on board included handyman work, derusting and painting, preparing the afterdeck for the installation of a new helipad and keeping watch. Beverley went to Melbourne as a volunteer at her own expense. She supports the Sea Shepherd aim to enforce the international ban on commercial whaling that has existed since 1986. On their last campaign, Sea Shepherd succeeded in halving Japan‘s target of 1000 whales and this year they intend to shut them down completely. Beverley and partner Chris Mercer are animal rights campaigners who opened a raptor rehabilitation centre in the Kalahari before moving to Wilderness three years ago. They continue as activists against the canned hunting activities of many South African game farms.