Jeffrey A. McNeely

Chief Scientist – IUCN (International Union for Conservation of
Nature)

Today’s Date: 28 July 2008

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

I am unable to answer this question, as I have had so many impacts with animals and nature that none can be singled out. I spent six years working in the Los Angeles Zoo, 12 years working in Asia on conservation-related issues (7 years in Thailand, 3 years in Indonesia, and 2 years in Nepal). And since 1980, I have been traveling widely throughout the world on various conservation issues. The totality of this experience is what has kept me in the conservation business.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

Now? I did not have a favourite place in the great outdoors during my childhood, and I have several now. One is Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, a place that still ranks at the top of my list for a wildlife spectacle. Others include Bali in Indonesia; the big island of Hawaii; Chitwan National Park in Nepal; and the Barun Khola in Nepal.

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is and why?

My favourite animal is the orang-utan. When I was a zoo keeper, I had seven baby orang-utans to take care of, and working in Indonesia I saw many of them in the wild. They appeal to me because of their innate sense of humour, and the magnificence of the adult males (who are no longer so humorous!).

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now, and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

The greatest environmental challenge facing us today is habitat destruction, which can be phrased in several other ways as well, such as "the expansion of the human ecological footprint", "the expansion of the human ecological niche", "over-exploitation", and so forth. In the future, climate change is likely to overtake habitat destruction, or rather make it even worse.

5. If you could give one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

The one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources is to do everything possible to minimize your ecological footprint. We all must find ways to walk lightly on the land.