Simon Hedges

Summary

I have over 30 years of experience of wildlife conservation-related research and survey work, endangered species and protected area management, and wildlife policy formulation, including the writing and implementation of wildlife action plans. Much of my time since 1988 has been spent in Asia and, from 2007, Asia and Africa. I spent the 1990s living and working in protected areas in Indonesia, advising on their management. From 1998, I focused on elephants, particularly on the development of reliable monitoring methods, human–elephant conflict assessment and mitigation, and, since 2004, the ivory trade and the resulting illegal killing of elephants. I worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) for 18 years. My work has also helped in the creation of new protected areas. I was a member of the joint Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants program and the Elephant Trade Information System for many years. I also chaired the IUCN/SSC Asian Wild Cattle Specialist Group from 1995 to 2005 and was the Co-Chair of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group from 2005 to 2015. I have published numerous papers, book chapters, manuals, and reports, most of which have focused on practical aspects of wildlife conservation including human–wildlife conflict mitigation and monitoring of wildlife populations. In 2018, I co-founded the NGO, Asian Arks (www.asianarks.org).

Animal Behavior Biodiversity Conservation Biology Ecology Zoology