Lovisa Sjober, 48, was documenting the destruction of wild horse populations when she went missing (Picture: Facebook)
A wildlife photographer survived two weeks in the Australian wilderness after falling and being bitten by a venomous snake.
Lovisa ‘Kiki’ Sjoberg, 48, disappeared after venturing alone into the sparsely populated Snowy Mountains to track wild horses, known as ‘brumbies’.
Her grey SUV hire car had lain idle for days 280 miles south of Sydney, of New South Wales, leading the rental firm to alert police on October 21.
A helicopter and at least 30 officers and volunteers spent days scouring the high plains of Kosciuszko national park, where brumbies are known to gather.
Eventually, late on Sunday, a mountain ranger saw Lovisa lying on an isolated trail near the abandoned gold mining town of Kiandra, where temperatures have dropped to freezing at night.
Lovisa had injured herself in a fall before being bitten by a copperhead, a venomous snake whose bite can be fatal without medical help.
Found in cooler climates, the lowland copperhead tends to avoid humans, for whom their bite can be fatal (Picture: Commons/ Ed Dunens)
Lovisa Sjoberg is well-renowned for her photojournalism and environmental activism (Picture: NSW Police)
Superintendent Toby Lindsay said: ‘We held grave concerns for the missing woman and (are) very glad she’s been found safe and reasonably well.
‘She’s in fact very fortunate to be alive and we’re glad that she is. She obviously went through a tough time.’
Lovisa was also treated for a rolled ankle and dehydration, and remains in ‘reasonable condition’ at Cooma District Hospital.
A ‘capable hiker’, according to police, Lovisa is a regular visitor to the national park.
The highest mountains in Australia, the Snowies are one of the only places in the country to get snow – making it a favourite spot for skiing (Picture: Shutterstock / totajla)
She’s built a reputation as a campaigner against a government scheme to reduce wild horse populations.
More than 5,539 brumbies have been culled since aerial shooting recommenced in the park late last year.
Lovisa has dedicated her time to documenting this slaughter. Her previous photographs chronicling ‘Black Summer’, the devastating bushfires in 2019 and 2020, were featured in a national photojournalism award.
Peter Cochran, a local horse trek operator who joined the search, said: ‘Kiki was a devout supporter of the brumby cause and photographed many of those horses which are now deceased, so it was no doubt an emotional drain on her.
Lovisa Sjoberg has made several trips to the Snowies to document the cull of wild horses (Picture: Kiki Sjoberg/Victoria Brumby Association)
This is partly why her rescue was the ‘best Sunday ever’ for Mal Bruce, a local who set up a Facebook page, followed by 1,000, to promote the search effort.
He said: ‘Lots of the Jindabyne community know her and I hope the creation of the group contributed to her being found.’
Warning other hikers to be cautious in the area, known as the birthplace of Australian skiing, Superintendent Lindsay said: ‘We’ve got a beautiful countryside, the national park is gorgeous.
‘Make sure your loved ones know where you are.’
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