Ian Redmond

Ian Redmond OBE "is a tropical field biologist and conservationist, renowned for his work with great apes and elephants. For 30 years he has been associated with mountain gorillas, through research, filming, tourism and conservation work.

"As with his mentor, the late Dr Dian Fossey, the main focus of his work shifted in 1978 from research to conservation work, after poachers killed Digit – a young silverback in one of the Karisoke study groups – to sell his skull and hands. Finding the headless, handless body of a gorilla he regarded as a friend was a turning point in his life.

"Ten years later in Kenya, the experience was repeated when some of the cave-elephants he was studying were killed by ivory poachers. As a result, he became a conservation consultant and advisor for organisations such as the Born Free Foundation, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Wildlifeline and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

"To encourage such groups to work together, Ian Redmond established and chairs the Ape Alliance, the African Ele-Fund and the UK Rhino Group. He is now Chief Consultant with GRASP, the UNEP/ UNESCO Great Apes Survival Project he helped launch in 2001...

"His work on behalf of animals was recognised in 1996 with the presentation of the PAWS Humane Achievement Award, at a ceremony in Hollywood, California. He was appointed OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2006."


 * Vice Chair, Gorilla Organization

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