19 August 2001
For many years now we've been seeking the assistance, input and advice of gorilla experts from around the world (see Visitors Page). Often large wildlife organizations have advisory boards which read like a Who's Who of famous names. Having a PhD or degree is not a requirement to be on the GH Board of Advisors, yet a commitment to the welfare of animals and the environment is imperative.
Gorilla Haven's board members have to meet two requirements before they are asked to join us. First, they have to have something unique to contribute to GH's goals - whether it's expertise in gorilla husbandry, primates, history, conservation or education. Secondly, they have to visit Gorilla Haven to see first hand what we're doing and to understand our philosophy. Everyone on the GH Board knows Steuart and Jane Dewar personally, and thus should feel free to contribute to and understand our goals.
This list is not complete, as we're waiting for some more people to visit and/or give their official "ok" they're joining our team. For now, however, we are pleased to announce the current Gorilla Haven Board of Advisors at this time (listed alphabetically).
Chisato Abe Chisato Abe is a world famous artist and author from Japan, who's visited gorillas in zoos around the world and in Africa. While Japan falls behind the rest of the world in their care of captive gorillas, Chisato works tirelessly to educate people not only in her native Japan, but around the world. Her distinctive art clearly illustrates her love for gorillas and her travels and experience make her a good source of information and contacts about gorillas. Her art is featured in our Gift Shop.
Beth Armstrong A gorilla keeper at the Columbus, Ohio zoo when Jane first met her, Beth is one of the leading proponents of zoos' involvement with in-situ conservation, organizing Committing to Conservation Conferences, Gorilla Workshops and editing the Gorilla Gazette for gorilla keepers around the world. Beth has left Columbus to start her own consulting company and has agreed to be on our Advisory Board, lending her experience, knowledge and vast contacts to help Gorilla Haven succeed.
Melanie Bond, a keeper/biologist with nearly 30 years of great ape experience at a zoo in Washington, DC, has agreed to serve on the GH Board of Advisors, after visiting in June 2001. An ambassador of good will, she has used her own time and resources to attend conferences, mentor students and visitors from abroad and bring people, information and resources together. Melanie's long time love and involvement with captive orangutans (and gorillas!) will be an invaluable asset and we're thrilled to have someone with her respected stature on our board!
Dr. Linda Brent Linda Brent works for Chimp Haven, an organization with a similar name to our own, but which is buiding retirement homes for chimpanzees once used in medical research. During the so-called controversy GH was approached by someone with land in Shrevesport, LA, which they said they'd donate to us - we told them we're staying in Fannin County and gave them Linda's name and now one of the first Chimp Haven sanctuaries will be built on this land! Linda visited GH in 1997 and by mutually encouraging each others' efforts and projects, hopefully more great apes in need will be helped.
Jennifer Chatfield has been a gorilla keeper in Los Angeles for over 20 years and has been featured in many TV shows about gorillas, including National Geographic's "The Urban Gorilla". She runs an email list for gorilla keepers to exchange ideas and input on the keeping of gorillas and is a good friend to gorillas and to us.
Jim Davis, a retired Financial Manager, has been a student of great apes - specifically gorillas, for over 20 years. Jim has built an informal network of contacts to help him maintain an accurate, up-to-date, unofficial studbook, listing all the gorillas in North American collections. He and his wife, Linda, have visited GH several times and have traveled around the world, observing gorillas in zoos as well as mountain gorillas in Africa.
Dr. Colin Groves received his PhD. in 1966 from London University and taught Biological Anthropology in Berkeley, CA, London and Cambridge before moving to Canberra, Australia in 1974. Currently teaching at the Australian National University, he is the author of approximately 200 scientific papers and 4 books, including "Gorillas" (1970). Colin's fieldwork has included mountain gorillas in Rwanda, where he met Dian Fossey, as well as colobus monkeys in Kenya and Tanzania, macaque monkeys in Sulawesi, Indonesia and gazelles in Iran. He and his wife, another PhD, Phyll, visited the Dewar home outside Chicago in 1994 and hope to make it to GH in the near future!
Gali Hagel is an attorney in Atlanta, who left a high-powered international corporate practice to focus on wildlife and domestic animal welfare issues. She holds a certificate in Applied Zoo Biology from the AZA and has made several trips to Africa. Gali contacted us during the so-called controversy, offering her services pro-bono (for free) and has been a friend and advisor since that time, for which we are sincerely grateful.
Charles Horton Charles is now curator at Zoo Atlanta and was gorilla Willie B's keeper for over 20 years. He and his wife Cindy have been here to offer us support and advice even before we purchased the GH property. Charles helped habituate the mountain gorillas of Bwindi, Uganda's Impenetrable Forest and now supervises Zoo Atlanta's 22 gorillas - one of the largest gorilla collections in North America, and one of the best zoos for gorillas in North America.
Leo Hulsker is now head keeper of the Orangutan section at Apenheul, a primate zoo in his native Holland, where we first met him when he was working with the gorillas there. Leois also in charge of squirrel monkeys, Howler monkeys, yellow-breasted Capuchins, geoffrey-marmosets and many more primate species! He and Ria Bakker, together with decades of great ape experience, have visited Gorilla Haven and remain good friends, offering input and ideas and encouragement. Dank U Wel!
Dr. Gladys Kalema Zikusoka is a wildlife veterinarian. She set up a veterinary unit in Uganda Wildlife Authority in 1996, among her main patients have been mountain gorillas and wild chimpanzees. Since 2000, she has been doing a zoological medicine residency and master in specialized veterinary medicine at North Carolina Zoological Park and North Carolina State University, which includes research investigation into Tuberculosis transmission at the borders of national park, including people going close to mountain gorillas. She hopes to continue working with mountain gorillas, other wildlife, and surrounding local communities promoting conservation and public health.
Mike Kobert. For 11 of the past 20 years, Mike has worked with gorillas in the role of keeper, lead keeper and finally animal care manager. Jane first met Mike at the San Diego Zoo in the early 1990's, when some of her gorilla friends (Milt and Penny) moved from Cincinnati to San Diego and Mike was kind enough to offer her a behind-the-scenes tour and update on their progress. Besides an abiding respect and ability working with primates, Mike has technical expertise in exhibit design and creation of husbandry protocols. In April 2001 Mike visited GH and agreed to join our Board of Advisors. Recently Mike left his position as Animal Care Manager at the San Diego Wild Animal Park to pursue other interests within the zoo world. We wish him all the best!
Dr. Angela Meder studied biology in Heidelberg, Germany, specializing in zoo gorilla behavior, which she studied for her masters and then doctorate degrees. She's published a book called "Gorillas" in 1993 (alas, only in German at the moment) and has authored many scientific papers and articles. She is now affiliated with the German organization, BRD (Berggorilla und Regenwald Direkthilfe - Mountain Gorilla and Rainforest Direct Aid), and publishes their Journal/newsletter. Angela was one of the first visitors to Gorilla Haven, having also previously visited us at our fancier home in the Chicago suburbs.
Dr. Richard Parnell has been studying western lowland gorillas in the wild since 1989: First with Dr. Caroline Tutin, at the Station d'Etudes des Gorilles et Chimpanzes, in the Lopé Reserve, Gabon and then as director of the Mbeli Bai Gorilla Study in the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Republic of Congo. He been analyzing data from Congo at the University of Stirling, Scotland. Working both in Lopé and Mbeli has permitted him to study both the feeding ecology and the social behavior of this elusive sub-species.
Ann Rademacher has worked in Denver and Little Rock zoos for 22 years (as of 2004) with a variety of primates, including 3 of the four great apes (bonobos are still on her wish list!). In that time, Ann has worked with 12 male gorillas, compared to 6 females, so her knowledge base of multi-male groups is especially useful for us at Gorilla Haven. Ann’s been privileged to help form and watch the success of Little Rock’s unique multi-male group, consisting of Brutus (from Los Angeles) and JJ and Fossey (from Columbus), as they matured from goofy blackbacks to mature silverbacks. What makes Little Rock’s gorilla group unique – besides the fact they’ve been together since 1993 - is Trudy, a 47 year old female, who acts like a den mother or fraternity house mother, keeping the 3 rambunctious males in line.
Jan W. Rafert spent 10 years at Brookfield Zoo near Chicago as a gorilla/primate keeper from 1979, during which time he was privileged to work with free living mountain gorillas in Rwanda, at the Karisoke Resarch Centre, founded by Dian Fossey . From 1984 to 1987, Jan spent 15 months in Rwanda on 3 different visits, and these experiences give Jan a unique insight into the lives of gorillas in captivity. In 1989 Jan became curator of primates and small mammals at the Milwaukee County Zoo, in nearby Wisconsin. I vaguely remember seeing Jan during his keeper days in Brookfield, but got to know him better in the early 1990’s, when I would visit Milwaukee’s zoo with a variety of primatologists, including his old friend from Karisoke, Ian Redmond. We lost touch for a while, but Jan was always one of the keepers who didn’t dismiss or discourage me back when I was just a gorilla nut with a dream, and for that I’ll always be grateful.
Phil Ridges is now lead gorilla keeper at Port Lympne, which has the world's largest all male gorilla group in captivity, with 7 animals. Phil, another Howletts-trained keeper with over 12 years experience, has visited GH twice and in the tradition of other great British gorilla keepers, his love and understanding of gorillas is inspiring!
Paul Rhoads is our attorney and dear friend, who's offered advice on setting up the Dewar Wildlife Trust and helped with our estate planning, enabling us to make Gorilla Haven a reality.
Michael Seres, S. o. Ch. is a Chimpanzee Management Consultant, currently residing in Georgia, USA. Mike has worked with chimpanzees and other primate species since 1973 and in addition to having been Head Keeper of the Primate section of the Budapest Zoo, he has held various positions at institutions like the Toronto Zoo, Yerkes Field Station, and Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. A long time member of the AAZK, IPS and ASP, Mike is an avid photographer and conservationist and states his mission is to "help chimpanzees, and people working with chimpanzees, around the world". He and Erika visited GH several times. Erika's mother is one of the artists featured in our Gift Shop!"
Dr. Dieter and Netzin Gerald-Steklis. Husband and wife team Dieter and Netzin worked with mountain gorillas at Dian Fossey's Karisoke camp and now are affiliated with the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (USA branch). They were visiting GH when we held our first open house for neighbors and have been steady friends and supporters for years. Dieter teaches at Rutgers University when he and Netzin and their two young sons aren't home in Arizona or traveling to Rwanda.
Dr. Tara Stoinski. Tara began working with captive primates just after starting graduate school in 1994. Her work has included studies of social dynamics, environment and behavior, and cognition, as well as what humans learn about apes from their visits to zoos. In addition to her behavioral research, Tara recently co-edited a book entitled "Great Apes and Humans: The Ethics of Coexistence", which focuses on describing the relationship between humans and apes in both captive and wild settings. She is now employed as Coordinator of Primate Research at Zoo Atlanta and is adjunct faculty in the Psychology Department at Georgia Tech. Current research interests include social learning and cognition in apes and the dynamics (behavioral and physiological) of bachelor gorilla groups. After visiting GH in April, 2001, Tara agreed to join our advisor board.
Gerard van der Kroon has worked with gorillas and other great apes for over 30 years at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam in his native Holland. His common sense approach and sensitivity to the individual animal makes him one of Europe's better gorilla keepers and friend of gorillas. Nog en Dank U Wel!
Ken & Irene Wenlock The term "gorillaphile" was invented for these two English characters, our beloved pals and gorilla nuts, who've been visiting gorillas in zoos for more than 30 years, inspired by London Zoo's gorilla Guy, who they visited on their honeymoon. Ken's knowledge of the history of gorillas in captivity is astounding and their house is a treasure trove of gorilla paraphernalia. Ken keeps an international studbook of gorillas.
Ian Williams retired from gorilla keeping earlier in 2000, although we're all hoping this is temporary, since his talents and experience are second to none. A former Howletts employee, Ian worked at Chessington's Zoo in London, where he was largely responsible for forming one of the better breeding groups in captivity.
Dr. Sue Woods Her knowledge and unwavering commitment to the welfare of captive gorillas makes her a good addition to this group of people. Sue teaches at the University of Colorado and continues her studies of gorillas in captivity, with subjects like ear covering, enrichment and tool behaviors her main interests.
Dr. Hiroko Yoshida has studied chimpanzees in Africa before turning her scholastic attention to gorillas in captivity, in her native Japan. She's published several papers and articles on her studies, including female hierarchies in gorillas at the Columbus, Ohio zoo. She's trying to instill a change in attitude towards gorillas - indeed all animals - in Japan, by writing popular articles for the media. Gorillas are lucky to have her as a friend!