Nanyuki straddles the equator and the area around is comprised mainly of ranching land. From an early age he had access to these various ranches and came to appreciate the flora and fauna of East Africa.

Johnny spent the formative years of his education in the Kenyan Highlands and then completed his A-levels in Nairobi. At school he was an extremely capable sportsman representing various school teams and he competed in the “Tae Kwon Do” world championships representing Kenya at the age of 17 years.

Immediately after leaving school, up to the present time, Johnny has been with Robin Hurt Safaris in Tanzania helping with camp building and assisting in the field. During the closed season of 2001 he returned to Kenya and helped Kuki Gallman on her ranch looking after rhino and undertaking anti-poaching patrols.