A network of Experts to save species
As a collaborative-effort collective-thinking organization, Allies for Wildlife relies on a network of supporting organizations and world-leading experts in the fields of research, conservation, animal welfare, and education. As such, we build bridges with the leading players in wildlife conservation, including National and International Associations, NGOs, governments, and private organizations.
Expert panel Members
Dr. Kanako tomisawa
PhD Ecology
Dr. Kanako serves as Spokesperson for Omuta City Zoo, Japan. She has been in the conservation, population management, data analysis, membership service, communications, and education fields for 20 years. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. in Environmental Management and an M.Sc. in Applied Animal Science.She is the Vice Chair for SEAZA Species Management Committee (SSMC), Board member for International Zoo Educators Association, and Lecturer for the Teikyo University of Science
Dr. Benjamin Tapley
PhD Biodiversity Management
Benjamin Tapley works on the conservation management of threatened reptiles and amphibians. Ben is currently involved in several amphibian and reptile conservation programmes and is currently working on Chinese giant salamanders in China, mountain chicken frogs from the Caribbean and megophryid frogs and big-headed turtles in Vietnam. Ben is a Facilitator, IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group, Conservation Breeding Working Group and Vice-chair of the EAZA Amphibian Taxon Advisory Group.
dr. chris r. shepherd
Wildlife Trafficking Advisor
Chris has spent over two decades in Southeast Asia investigating the illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade. He has played a major role in catalysing many of the conservation interventions for newly emerging threats to Asia’s wildlife. Dr. Shepherd has produced numerous publications, primarily on wildlife trade and strategies to mitigate this threat and has carried out work on a wide range of species around the world. He is the Executive Director of Monitor Conservation Research Society. Monitor fills a niche in tackling illegal and unsustainable trade, especially for lesser-known species and issues in the realm of highly-organised wildlife crime networks
Pierre de chabannes
Taxonomy Advisor
Based in France, Pierre is a conservation, zoology and taxonomy advisor for the National Geographic Photo Ark and editions, various medias, companies and animal conservation organizations. Pierre is also a lecturer, an author, an avid wildlife photographer and the founder of an animal conservation education project called Pierre Wildlife
Fernando Gómez
Professional Tracker
Fernando is a professional tracker dedicated to technical, tactical and scientific tracking. His field experience in more than 30 countries, includes tracking different species of fauna, investigating environmental crimes and training numerous professionals dedicated to the protection of wildlife and people.
He is the founder of the "Forest Tracking Service" (SERAFO), Director of the "Scott Donelan Tracking School-Ibero-American Division", and associate scientific tracker of the“ National Museum of Natural History - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences ”.
aner etxebarria
Conservation Filmmaker
Aner is a conservation and anthropology documentary filmmaker, whose passion for wild and indigenous worlds has led him to shoot stories all around the world.
He has produced award winning documentaries such as Baskaviging, and Bayandalai. Currently he is co-directing Voices of Earth, a documentary series that highlights positive coexistence between animals and humans in the most remote places of the planet.
Carmen Madrid
Sustainability Advisor
Carmen is a business development and communications consultant specialising in renewable energy and sustainability. With 15+ years of experience in media and international events, she is a certified project developer for photovoltaics. Founding Director of Circular Synergies Ltd based in the UK, she is currently connecting businesses internationally across different value chains to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals while supporting circular economy models, gender equality, diversity and local production of technology and services in developing countries
Gowri Shankar
PhD Candidate Herpetology
Gowri is cofounder of the Kalinga Foundation Trust and the Kalinga Centre for Rainforest Ecology, two environmental education and research organizations in Karnataka, India. His work focuses on the conservation of the Western Ghats with a specific focus on reptiles, particularly king cobras. As a field biologist, he has been studying the natural history of king cobras for over a decade at Agumbe. He was instrumental in initiating the pioneering radio telemetry study on king cobras in India. He has been featured in several wildlife documentaries by channels like the BBC, Discovery, NatGeo Wild, Animal Planet, Smithsonian and the National Geographic Channel. In 2015 he was awarded the Herpetologist of the Year by the Swedish Herpetological Society.
Carlos sangil
European Species Advisor
Carlos carries over two decades of experience working with wildlife, he has specialized in husbandry, breeding and behavioral science of extremely sensitive species such as hummingbirds and frogs. He has developed and led different in-situ conservation projects mainly focused on Iberian threatened fauna. As a forestry technician and naturalist by vocation, he is a faithful defender of the environment and its natural ecosystems.