After growing up in the forests of Knysna, he attended Grey High School in Port Elizabeth, studied Nature Conservation at Saasveld College in George, and gained his first work experience in the United Arab Emirates, capturing and breeding wildlife at the Sharjah Desert Park. Back in South Africa, Bernard has specialised in black rhino and buffalo capture, relocation and release for National Parks in the Eastern Cape.
After having set up and managed the buffalo breeding programme (until all buffalo were relocated to Lapalala Wilderness in 2019), he is now the Elandsberg Nature Reserve Manager, as well as the Herd Manager and Studbook Keeper for the official Quagga Project and in charge of the Geometric Tortoise Headstart Project. He is also Chairman of the local nature and biodiversity focused Renosterveld Conservancy, where he coordinates alien plant removal and assists with the fighting of fires on and around the Lemietberg mountains which surround Bartholomeus Klip, and he manages the fresh water supply for the Farmhouse from the springs in the mountain, as well as recycling and snake and bee removal.