About

Edouard Veuillet

Master of Science in Biology

Herpetology

I’m Edouard Veuillet, a Swiss-trained biologist and herpetologist driven by exploration, a thirst for knowledge about the natural world, and above all, a deep passion for amphibians and reptiles. In 2023, after earning a master’s degree in biology with a specialization in herpetology (the study of amphibians and reptiles) in Brussels, I felt a strong urge to complement all this theoretical knowledge with authentic field experiences.

After years of studying the living world, I longed to immerse myself in nature, but in a different way; alone. This calling led me to organise independent expeditions into some of the most remote and biologically diverse regions of our planet, in search of my ideal: untouched, inaccessible jungles teeming with amphibians and reptiles.

This website is my way of sharing that passion, my thoughts, and the discoveries I’ve made along the way. Welcome !

Inspiration

A dreamer at heart, I believe that every adventure, every expedition, is first born in the imagination.

It takes shape there, in the space between our limited knowledge of the world and the thrill sparked by all we do not yet know of its true immensity. After all, one cannot dream of what one does not know.

What better, then, than to turn to those minds, weavers of words, architects of dreams, vessels of knowledge who, far better than I ever could, gave voice to the very stirrings I carried within.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of such figures who drew me into their world, and whose words I share here.

“L’aventure, c’est être fidèle à ses serments d’enfant avec son corps d’adulte.”

Sylvain Tesson

“On ne peut être vraiment soi qu’aussi longtemps qu’on est seul.”

Arthur Schopenhauer

“The passion I have for what could be viewed as a futile pursuit has made me strong, and it is this that gives me the confidence required to lead a self-determined life.”

Reinhold Messner

“Si tes rêves ne te font pas peur, c’est qu’ils ne sont pas assez grands”, m’a dit un jour mon père. C’est toujours ma devise.

Mike Horn

“I aimed at a wording that would deter the faint-hearted and leave no doubts as to the probable level of discomfort:

‘Companion wanted for tough and hazardous canoe trip to Amazon. Five months. Genuinely adventurous, yet risky. No sponsorship or back-up. Risk of malaria. £2,000 needed.’”

John Harrison

“The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.”

Charles Darwin

« Vivre, c’est faire de son rêve un souvenir »

Sylvain Tesson

“Nowadays, adventure is often confused with getting quick-fix kicks. Rock climbing and high-altitude mountaineering have become tourist activities, and even Mount Everest has become a commodity, bookable for a long holiday, an all-inclusive trip with entertainment, insurance, and oxygen depots on the summit. I am not complaining, but one thing is certain: without self-reliance and exposure to risk, the experience of climbing at altitude is very different; you might as well be in a kindergarten class.”

Reinhold Messner

“C’est la forêt, maintenant, qui m’attire. Je lui trouve les mêmes charmes qu’à la montagne, mais sous une forme plus paisible et accueillante. […] Des biens qu’on croyait disparus renaissent : le silence, la fraîcheur et la paix. L’intimité avec le monde végétal concède ce que la mer maintenant nous refuse et ce dont la montagne fait payer trop chèrement le prix”

Claude Lévi-Strauss

“Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world”

Miyamoto Musashi

“Je découvre Libreville et l’Atlantique qui s’étend derrière elle. C’est à la fois le moment le plus heureux de toute mon expédition et le plus triste. Soudain je me sens vide. Après Libreville je fais quoi ? (…) Ce but, cette terre promise dont j’ai rêvé pendant dix-sept mois et que j’ai eu tant de mal à atteindre, est là à portée de ma main… et je n’en veux plus. J’ai presque peur de me réhabituer à la vie “normale”.”

Mike Horn

“La nature est la plus grande des bibliothèques et elle est toujours ouverte…”

Sylvain Tesson

“Life is absurd, but you can fill it with ideas, enthusiasm and joy.”

Reinhold Messner

“Another reason for the interest and importance of traditional societies is that they retain features of how all of our ancestors lived for tens of thousands of years, until virtually yesterday. Traditional lifestyles are what shaped us and caused us to be what we are now.”

Jared Diamond

“La marche célèbre le silence, l’ennui, oblige à réfléchir et à trouver votre jubilation en vous.”

Sylvain Tesson