Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE
Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace

Jane Goodall began her landmark study of chimpanzees in Tanzania in June 1960. Her work at the Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve became the foundation of future primatological research and redefined the relationship between humans and animals. Dr. Goodall's observations of the chimpanzees at Gombe making and using tools would force science to rethink the definition of what separates humans from other animals: "man the toolmaker."

In 1977, Dr. Goodall established the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), which today supports the Gombe and other research, the global Roots & Shoots service learning program, and highly regarded "community centered conservation" programs in Africa. Dr. Goodall travels an average of 300 days per year, speaking about the threats facing chimpanzees, other environmental crises, and her reasons for hope that humankind will solve the problems it has imposed on the earth.

Dr. Goodall has received scores of honors. Most recently, she was named a U.N. Messenger of Peace. In 2001 she received the third Gandhi/King Award for Nonviolence and in 2003 she was awarded the DBE (Dame of the British Empire) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.

Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton
Save The Elephants

Iain Douglas-Hamilton has studied and protected the elephants of Africa for nearly 4 decades. He pioneered the study of wild elephants, was the first to alert the world to the devastation created by poachers, and was instrumental in bringing about the worldwide ban on ivory. In 1993 he founded Save The Elephants (STE). The organization continues his leadership in elephant research, education and grassroots conservation.

Douglas-Hamilton maintains that "The best potential ambassadors for elephants are those who live amongst them, the people with whom the elephants share their land and their future." Innovative STE programs work with the local Samburu and Maasai people to combine their traditional knowledge and deep connections to wildlife with modern science; these programs both reinforce traditional culture and build a new conservation ethic. STE also supports wildlife education, ranger training, and elephant scout programs for community conservation areas, and conducts a broad research program covering elephant range needs, movement, behavior, physiology and population dynamics.

Join us to hear Iain Douglas-Hamilton's unparalleled perspective on what must be done to save the African Elephant.

Dr. Rodney Jackson
Snow Leopard Conservancy

Despite its remote habitat high in the Himalaya of Central Asia, the snow leopard must share its ever diminishing natural habitat with humans. As pastures for domestic livestock expand and the population of the snow leopard's indigenous prey declines, the worlds of the snow leopard and villagers collide.

The Snow Leopard Conservancy (SLC) works with villages to create a better solution for all. Entire communities participate in identifying measures that would improve their lives; typically they seek predator-proof corrals, training in improved livestock management, and ways to develop income from nature tourism. In return for this assistance from SLC, the villages set aside pastures for native wildlife so the leopards are less likely to hunt domestic livestock. Because these programs come at the communities requests - and because these measures really work - whole villages become strong supporters of snow leopard conservation and stewards of their environment.

Dr. Rodney Jackson has studied snow leopards for more than 20 years and is the leading expert on the species. He will share news of recent work in India, Pakistan and Tajikistan, new insights about snow leopard behavior and the results of this grassroots community based conservation work in the Himalayas.

John Lukas
Okapi Conservation Project

The Okapi Project protects a pristine 8,230 square mile reserve in the heart of the Congo's Ituri Rainforest from poaching and habitat encroachment. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve is home to a variety of rare and endemic plants and animals, including forest elephants, chimpanzees and the okapi - a rare forest giraffe that is the flagship species for this magnificent ecosystem. The indigenous people of the area, the Mbuti pygmies and Bantu, have lived for centuries in the forest, taking only what they need to survive.

The last eight years of war have devastated the region. The Okapi Project's headquarters have been overrun 3 times by rebels. Surprisingly, not all effects of war have been detrimental for the wildlife - and the Okapi Project has served as a source of hope for the local people who depend on it for their livelihood.

John Lukas, President of Gilman International Conservation and Founder of the Okapi Project, recently returned from a visit to the project. His presentation will underscore the importance of conservation during times of war, and show how projects can succeed under difficult and dangerous conditions.

Dr. Jim Sanderson
Small Cat Conservation Alliance

Of the 36 recognized cat species in the world, 22 are small cats. Nearly all are threatened, and many are critically endangered. Little is know about most of these cats, which live reclusive lives in remote, harsh environments. Without more research, it will be impossible to save them.

Dr. Jim Sanderson is one of the world's leading experts on small cats. In 2002, Jim created the Small Cat Conservation Alliance (SCCA) to take a leading role in facilitating and coordinating global efforts to protect small cats. He is working to establish six high-priority research sites in Bolivia, Borneo, Cambodia, Chile, China and India. SCCA also supports the efforts of alliance colleagues in Argentina, Brazil, India, Sarawak, Suriname and Vietnam.

This research is essential to identifying the areas where conservation programs for small cats should be implemented. One area already identified is the high-altitude desert of the Andes, the exclusive home of the Andean mountain cat. Jim and four other range-country representatives will hold a planning workshop at the WCN Expo this year to coordinate their conservation activities, and will provide Expo attendees a unique opportunity to meet the core team of conservationists who are working to change the plight of this rare cat.

Dr. Laurie Marker
Cheetah Conservation Fund

When Dr. Laurie Marker moved to Namibia in 1991 the country's cheetah population was in steep decline. Cheetahs were blamed for livestock losses, considered vermin and trapped and shot indiscriminately.

Cheetah Conservation Fund, co-founded by Marker, has given the cheetah a second chance. CCF's innovative conservation, education and research programs reach out to everyone who influences the cats' future - ranchers, government officials and the people of Namibia. CCF helps ranchers by providing guard dogs to protect livestock from predators, education on improved livestock management and relocation of cheetahs to catfriendly areas. CCF's education programs about cheetahs and wildlife conservation reach thousands of schoolchildren as well as the Namibian public. Biomedical research, radio-tracking programs and field studies provide a solid basis for managing and increasing cheetah populations.

Although the cheetah is still endangered, CCF's work has bought the cat valuable time. Today Namibia's cheetah population has stabilized and a growing segment of the local population now supports cheetah conservation. Marker's presentation will show that it is now possible to envision a future in which cheetahs and man coexist without conflict.

Dr. Nico van Strien
Sumatran Rhino Conservation Program

Rhinos around the world are threatened with extinction, mainly due to the great demand for rhino horn. The black market trade in rhino horn has made a lucrative business for poachers, forcing conservationists and park guards to employ extreme measures to protect the few remaining rhinos. In some reserves and parks, there is an armed guard assigned to each individual rhino!

The most critically endangered are the Sumatran and the Javan rhino that live in greatly reduced ranges and fragmented populations. The Sumatran rhino, with only 300 individuals left, is considered the most endangered rhino in the world. Only 70 Javan rhinos remain worldwide but their numbers have held steady for the past two decades.

To help protect the remaining Asian rhinos, Dr. Nico van Strien is leading the fight against poaching of rhino horn. Working with the International Rhino Foundation and the Asian Rhino Specialist Group, Nico has helped to develop a formidable anti-poaching team known as Rhino Protection Units (RPUs) who patrol core rhino areas and engage in community outreach programs. The RPUs have proven to be the most effective weapon against poaching of rhinos and other wildlife. Dr. van Strien's presentation will bring you into the exciting and often dangerous world of rhino protection.

Dr. Claudio Sillero-Zubiri and Dr. Stuart Williams
Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program

Africa's only wolf, the most endangered dog species in the world, has a last stronghold in the remote Bale Mountains in Ethiopia. The remaining 500 wolves are threatened by overgrazing of livestock and agricultural expansion, diseases that they catch from domestic dogs and indiscriminate hunting. With protection, they can survive.

The Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program (EWCP) works closely with people from the local communities to protect the wolf, the flagship species for the Ethiopian highlands ecosystem. The EWCP teaches improved livestock and agricultural practices, vaccinates domestic dogs to prevent the spread of disease, and has an extensive educational program to build local understanding of the important role the wolf plays in the ecosystem.

Dr. Claudio Sillero-Zubiri began his work with the Ethiopian wolf 16 years ago, tracking the wolves on foot and horseback. His work inspired others, and in cooperation with local people, he created the EWCP. Dr. Stuart Williams has coordinated the project in Ethiopia for the past 4 years. His work has helped to increase acceptance and protection for the wolf and its unique mountain habitat. Meet both of these exceptional conservationists and hear their stories of Africa's fascinating wolf.

Dr. Olga Uphyrkina
Amur Leopard Conservation

Eastern Russia is a remote and harsh environment - to survive there requires a certain amount of fortitude. The Amur Leopard, the largest leopard in the world, has evolved to survive in this difficult environment, but is no match for human poachers. Pressure from human populations (poaching and loss of habitat) has reduced this magnificent cat's numbers to only 30 individuals. Effective conservation efforts are critically needed if the Amur leopard is to survive. Dr. Olga Uphyrkina is taking the lead to help protect Russia's leopard from almost certain extinction. Join Olga to learn about one of the rarest cats in the world.

Rebecca Klein
Cheetah Conservation Botswana

Cheetahs across southern Africa face many of the same threats as those in Namibia, but until Cheetah Conservation Botswana (CCB) took on the challenge of saving the country's cheetahs, they had no dedicated advocate. CCB looked to Namibia's CCF for program inspiration, while tailoring their work to the culture and environment of Botswana. It is especially exciting to feature CCB Project Coordinator Rebecca Klein as a speaker at this year's Expo, as it highlights both the need to develop local programs appropriate to an area and the leverage that results when conservationists in different regions coordinate and learn from each other.

Wild Cats - Up Close and Personal
Rob and Barbara Dicely, Leopards, Etc.

A close encounter with a big cat is an undeniable thrill. In the wild, it's often exceedingly difficult to see one of these rare creatures.

But at the Expo, Barb and Rob Dicely of Leopards, Etc. can guarantee a close sighting-they will introduce attendees to several of their "ambassador cats" including a cheetah and snow leopard. It is a unique and entertaining opportunity to learn more about the lives and behaviors of these magnificent felines, and to experience their power and grace firsthand.

The Dicelys have been educating California audiences about wild cats for more than 20 years.

These memorable encounters provide powerful lessons about the need for conservation-and about the loss we face if these endangered cats are not protected.