Our Story
Abner Simeon
Abner—known by many as “Abby” or “Eagle Eye”—was born in a village in northern Namibia and grew up in the country’s central region. He spent his childhood at a safari lodge where his parents worked, attending a small on-site school and joining his older brother, a ranger, on wildlife drives during school holidays. Though he once dreamed of becoming a pilot, his love for nature soon took flight instead.
After high school, Abner worked his way up at lodges across Namibia, starting as a handyman while learning all he could about wildlife and guiding. His dream became reality in 2014 when Amarula Eco-Training and FGASA in South Africa sponsored his professional guide training. He has since achieved advanced guiding qualifications and worked at wilderness camps throughout Namibia. These experiences deepened his knowledge of the country’s landscapes and his passion for conservation, and he became a Nat Hab Photo Expedition Leader in 2019.
Abner is especially committed to inspiring young Namibians to care for their natural heritage. He has volunteered with Children in the Wilderness, sharing his insight and enthusiasm with local youth during breaks from guiding. When he’s not leading safaris, Abner enjoys making music, spending time with family and friends, and photographing wildlife and landscapes. His goal with Nat Hab is to connect communities with conservation through exploration, believing that if people work together, they can help protect nature and wildlife for generations to come.
Photo gallery
What's in My Camera Bag
I prefer to keep my camera bag simple and lightweight for travel. I ensure it can fit in the overhead compartment of most light aircraft we fly with, especially the Caravan 208. I always bring three cameras with varying lenses, so I am prepared for both landscape and wildlife shots. This way, I don’t risk my equipment getting dusty, which can happen when changing lenses.
Cameras
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II
Canon 7D
Lenses
OM System 12-100mm
Canon EF 70 - 200mm
Canon 50mm
Canon Extender EF 1.4x III
Other
4 X 64GB Sandisk memory cards
2 x Battery chargers
Camera straps
Bean bag
Cleaning equipment
1 TB hard drive
What Our Guests Say
Abner is a top-notch guide and leader! He is very knowledgeable-I'm amazed at the amount of information he has in his head about animals, birds, and everything we were seeing and doing. His eyesight is superhuman! He has genuine enthusiasm for his role as guide, and that enthusiasm spread to all of us. He’s kind, caring and attentive. He is very safety-conscious without being overbearing. He was very patient and made sure we were all satisfied with our viewing before moving on, and he was able to anticipate our individual wishes. We had some tricky windy weather in Namibia that changed the itinerary, but Abner was able to move some things around, and we got everything in that we wanted to see. Our group gelled together quite quickly, and Abner was part of creating that wonderful sense of community. Nat Hab is fortunate to have Abner as part of their team!
Abner is one of the kindest, most good humored, emotionally intelligent people I’ve ever met. His attention to detail and the organization of every aspect of the trip was impressive.
Abner was the best Expedition Leader we could have hoped for! His knowledge, kindness, humor and caring nature made the trip an unforgettable experience. He always laid out the plans and expectations for the day and over-delivered every time. He made everyone feel special, including arranging a birthday cake for Michael, which really touched him deeply. He ensured we had bush babies to keep us warm on cold morning drives and offered photo tips for framing great shots. He’s the total package!