Skip to content

When did you get into wildlife conservation? Who and what led you to embark on a profession in wildlife conservation?

I first realised my interest in conservation in high school when I was 16 years old. Biology class at that point really picks up a notch and I began to learn all about the wild Australia I was growing up in. The appreciation and sense of respect led to a feeling of responsibility, especially during my bachelor and master’s courses where I began to understand the extent of human impact on the environment.

What was your first job in conservation? Where was that?

My first job in conservation was actually just a short volunteer research assistant position working with a PhD candidate from the University of New South Wales Australia. We conducted a microbat survey in remote parts of Australia’s largest river the Murray-Darling. It was all that I had hoped for as far as field work goes, a sense of purpose, adventure, close encounters and an adorable species. I will never forget staying up until dawn measuring and weighing bats, which I kept from going into torpor by hanging inside my jacket so they could fly away when we released them.

Removing a micro at from a mist net during a survey near Albury_Wodonga, Australia
Removing a micro at from a mist net during a survey near Albury Wodonga, Australia
Chimpanzee research team in the Nimba mountains between Guinea, Liberia and Côte Dirvoire
Chimpanzee research team in the Nimba mountains between Guinea, Liberia and Côte Dirvoire

What brought you to study Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys in Vietnam?

I reacted like most people with a great fascination to the striking faces of the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey, which prompted me to delve a little deeper into their story. At the time I was also considering projects for my primate conservation master’s research thesis at Oxford Brookes University. In the end, the two came together at the right time through a contact at a NGO in Vietnam.

Why did you decide to focus on primate conservation?

It all came out of a year I spent in Guinea West Africa as a volunteer research assistant collecting data for an ongoing research project on chimp behavioural ecology. Soon after I began, I had some incredible experiences.

I remember in Guinea watching a small troop relaxing on logs and low scrubs, 3 or 4 adult females a large male and an infant. The infant was climbing over the heads of the others, jumping around and basically running amok. The adult chimps were patient and continued to groom, the whole scene just had an intimacy I had never seen in the wild. These types of experiences really make me feel responsible to do the best I can for wildlife conservation.

Sifting through the remains of a crab consumed by the Seringbara chimpanzee population, Nimba Mountains, Guinea
Some team building at one of the base camps in the Nimba forest, Guinea
Some team building at one of the base camps in the Nimba forest, Guinea

What does the typical day in the life of your fieldwork look like?

A typical day would start very early, usually before sunrise to make the most of the day. We are often in remote locations, so we are cooking breakfast and making coffee over the fire. As I am always trying to squeeze as much into my time in the field as possible we are off into the forest pretty early. Usually, we don’t take much more than some nuts to eat during the day and plenty of water. When surveying for primates we try to mimic the activity pattern of the species, covering lots of ground early and late in the day with a rest in the middle. Depending on what we are looking for, we are collecting anything from fecal samples for DNA analyses, GPS records of observation or feeding traces. In the evening all of this data is usually organised and backed up on a laptop if we have the luxury of a generator or river turbine. I also try to write a small journal entry each day to compliment my observations.

What do you like the most about your job?

Currently working with Tonkin snub-nosed monkeys, any progress increases the potential for us to protect this species. I enjoy working on conservation projects where the tangible results are obvious.

Surveying for Tonkin snub-need monkeys in the Khau Ca special use forest
Surveying for Tonkin snub-need monkeys in the Khau Ca special use forest, Vietnam
Our encounter with a chameleon laying her eggs in the Nimba Mountains
Our encounter with a chameleon laying her eggs in the Nimba Mountains

What is the most remarkable wildlife experience you’ve ever had?

One day trekking around the Nimba Mountains in Guinea, as I had done for nine months straight when I came across a chameleon on the trail. We hadn’t seen one the entire time and there was one laying eggs in a hole in one of our well-used trails! We watched as she finished and then climbed back into the canopy quickly changing from grey to green and black then finally a light green. We then saw three more in the space of a week before they all disappeared back into the canopy.

What concerns you about the attitudes to wildlife in Vietnam?

From my research thesis analysis of previous conservation projects in South East Asia and Vietnam, I drew the conclusion that timely conservation management action is one of the most important aspects of conservation intervention. For example, the Javan rhino population dwindled in Vietnam while organisations and government bodies failed to agree on a strategy, eventually causing a local extinction. In Vietnam 11 of the 25 primate species are threatened with extinction over the next 10 years, with the main causes all relating to habitat loss and hunting. So I would hope to see more priority given to legislation and the enforcement of those laws aiming to preserve habitat and protect primate species.

One of the rare Chameleon sightings we made in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea
One of the last days working in the Nimba Mountains with the research team in Guinea
One of the last days working in the Nimba Mountains with the research team in Guinea

Which conservation issues concern you the most?

I am fearful of how widespread and intensive animal trafficking is. Nowhere is worse than Southeast Asia. I see almost weekly photos and video of markets full of all types of birds, mammals (including primates) and reptiles with threatened species often among them. It is now one of the largest black markets in the world (after drug and human trafficking).

How can these issues be solved?

Collaboration and cooperation are key. If countries agree to tackle the problem of wildlife trade with agreements on acceptable standardised practices to prevent illegal trade then we may see change. As it stands penalties are far too low if they are even enforced. Awareness in major wildlife purchasing countries is also important from the other end to reduce the demand.

Taking a much needed rest in the Nimba Mountains, Guinea
Photographing behind a waterfall in a gondwanan rainforest remnant in Northern NSW, Australia
Photographing behind a waterfall in a gondwanan rainforest remnant in Northern NSW, Australia

Any advice for budding wildlife conservationists?

Some great advice one of my professors gave to me once was “pick one thing and be good at it”. I think there is a lot to gain from focusing your efforts on one particular problem and more room for specialists as the industry continues to expand. Personally, I also see a real importance for seeking out collaborative partnerships with other individuals and organisations. This increases the potential scope of your work and also reduces the costs of research.

What are your plans for the future?

I am about to begin a second MSc in environmental sciences at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. I hope this will give me a better grasp on how to deal with anthropogenic influence on the environment. I am also producing an awareness documentary about the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey.

Surveying the Nimba Mountains in Guinea
Surveying the Nimba Mountains in Guinea

Post Series: Meet The Conservationists

Back To Top
Search