The last week has seen the release of thousands of prisoners in Iran, following the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s approval of a general pardon and commutation of sentences earlier this month. The seven wildlife conservationists, Niloufar Bayani, Morad Tahbaz, Taher Ghadirian, Houman Jowkar, Sepideh Kashani, Amirhossein Khaleghi and Sam Radjabi, were told the pardon or amnesty would apply to them as well, but there is doubt whether that will be in fact the case.
While a large number of prisoners, including criminals, have been released under the latest pardon, it is not clear why the conservationists are still being held back. They have told friends that they have received ambiguous messages about their prospect of release. Based on their many previous experiences with the prison authorities and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who continue to keep a tight grip on their situation, they worry that they may only be told they are going to be pardoned to be kept quiet and that they will again be denied their rights at the end of the day.
Because of their international collaborations in the field of wildlife and nature conservation science, the seven Iranian conservationists were convicted for “contacts with the U.S. enemy state”. Niloufar Bayani and Morad Tahbaz were additionally convicted of “gaining illegitimate income”, referring to Niloufar’s salary when working for the United Nations Environment Programme, and the donations Morad had raised for the work of the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation.
According to Article 110 of Iran’s Constitution, pardoning convicts or commuting their sentences can take place if the judiciary chief makes the proposal and the Supreme Leader approves it. (Source: aa.com.tr) Exactly this happened on February 5th 2023. The pardon typically does not apply to those who have “espionage/security” charges, but Fariba Adelkhah, an Iranian/French anthropologist, detained on such charges, was just released allegedly under Article 110.
According to Article 58 of the Islamic Penal Code, those sentenced to prison for more than 10 years can be released if they serve half of their term, and those that have served shorter sentences can be released from prison after serving a third of their term. This is called “Azadi-ye mashrut” – Parole.
While it is pending whether the amnesty law clearly applies to the imprisoned conservationists, Azadi-ye mashrut does and all imprisoned conservationists should be released on parole.
Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, has on Monday re-issued her plea to release Niloufar Bayani and the remaining conservationists, “taking note of pardons recently issued by Iranian authorities”. Joining her call is also Jon Paul Rodriguez, Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC), urging clemency and the safe return home for all of the conservationists. Houman Jowkar, Taher Ghadirian and Amirhossein Khaleghi are members of several IUCN SSC specialist groups, including cat and bear.
We call upon the Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to pardon the Iranian conservationists and the Iran Judiciary to apply their laws: in the case amnesty is not granted to honor their legal system and apply Article 58.
We invite everyone to join the plea for the release of our dear friends and colleagues.
At the occasion of World Environment Day on 5th June 2022 , renowned conservationist Jane Goodall, Iranian actress and conservation advocate Hediyeh Tehrani and 48 further conservationists are calling on governments and people to work together in conservation and to safeguard endangered wildlife and its conservationists from peril through political conflicts. In their letter, published on Mongabay today, the signatories call for the release of the imprisoned conservationists from the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, but also for other measures including the removal of international barriers to effectively and safely collaborating in the fields of conservation and development. The Persian Leopard (Panthera pardus tulliana, also known as P.p. saxicolor or P.p. ciscaucasica) is seen as a symbol of hope for many, and yet its persistence is in danger of falling victim to political differences and conflicts. Its range extends across Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan where they function as top predators and umbrella species for the ecosystems they inhabit. The core of the population lives in Iran, where our imprisoned colleagues and friends were actively involved in studying and protecting not only Asiatic cheetahs, but also the majestic leopards. Their use of camera traps for population monitoring was being misunderstood at the time, leading to their arrests almost 4 and a half years ago. The Persian Leopard inspires and needs us to join our hearts, minds, and efforts to enable this and other endangered species to persist through times of human hardships and to still be part of our nature in the future.
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Iranian conservationists have been imprisoned since January 2018 for their wildlife conservation and research work, suspected of espionage and threatening National Security. In November 2019, after 22 months of legal limbo in detention and despite no apparent evidence against them, they were sentenced to up to ten years in prison alongside other punishments.
As of February 2023, after more than five years, seven conservationists still remain in Evin prison.*
Environmentalists in Iran and the whole world have lauded the work of their imprisoned colleagues, worry about their safety and stand in solidarity.
This website was created by friends of the detained conservationists to publish a letter of concern from the international conservation community, and to provide factual background information. Please help raise awareness for our friends.
*Originally, more conservationists were detained including Kavous Seyyed-Emami who died in detention in February 2018, and Abdolreza Koupayeh who was released in March 2020.
Petition: Demand for prison furlough for the eight imprisoned Iranian conservationists
Please follow THIS LINK or the button below to the petition site. There you can add your name to the original version of this letter (in Farsi) that will be sent to the Chief of Justice of the I.R. of Iran
Name of Petition: خواستار مرخصی فوری برای فعالان محیط زیستی زندانی هستیم
To the Chief Justice of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mr. Ebrahim Raisi,
As you are aware, eight conservationists have been detained for more than two years without any furlough. They were first temporarily incarcerated and after their verdicts were pronounced, they have been spending their sentences during the past few months. In the meanwhile they made appeals to their preliminary sentences, which were upheld by the Court of Appeal.
During the past several weeks, Coronavirus outbreak has caused serious concerns for the people of our country, and hence, you timely published a statement in which you instruct prison authorities to favor detainees with furloughs in order to ensure their good health and well-being.
Signatories of this letter, still in shock from the heavy sentences that were issued, are now deeply concerned about the health of the imprisoned conservationists.
Hence, in view of the current distressful situation that the country and especially the families of the detainees are facing, we demand you vigorously to kindly bestow furlough upon them, so that they can each be quarantined in their own home.
Via email to: iran@un.int, via fax to: +1 212 867-7086. 21 November 2018
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran c/o H.E. Mr. Gholamali Khoshroo Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations 622 Third Avenue, 34th Floor New York, NY 10017, USA
Your Excellency:
We are an international community of conservation practitioners and scholars. We all chose this path out of sheer love and passion for wildlife and the natural environment, both of which are increasingly under pressure in many regions of the world. We work in many such places, in order to address these challenges in close collaboration with national scientists, conservationists, and governmental organizations. Many of us have worked in Iran in the past.
Nine months ago, our colleagues Houman Jowkar, Taher Ghadirian, Sepideh Kashani, Niloufar Bayani, Morad Tahbaz, Amirhossein Khaleghi Hamidi, Sam Radjabi, Abdolreza Kouhpayeh, and Kavous Seyed Emami, were arrested and have since been in prison, with Mr. Seyed Emami regrettably passing away during that period. Four of them are now charged with “sowing corruption on earth”. We understand these charges are in connection to conservationists using tools of science, such as camera traps, which are suspected of having been used to undermine the national security interests of Iran.
Camera traps are now a standard tool for wildlife monitoring, being deployed for that purpose in many regions around the world. Camera traps deliver invaluable, first-hand evidence on the presence of endangered species when they approach within a few meters. They are an essential tool in providing a critical basis for both science and conservation strategies to save species from extinction.
All of the conservationists in question have dedicated their lives to the conservation of wildlife in Iran, including the critically endangered Asiatic cheetah. Throughout their careers, they have always promoted the image of Iran in the international conservation community and applauded its efforts to conserve wildlife while facing many other challenges. They have also inspired young biologists and conservationists in Iran to follow in their footsteps. To the best of our knowledge, our colleagues have worked and carried themselves with the highest moral integrity.
We are convinced that their work and research had no second means or objectives. Given the general international political backdrop and sometimes tense relationships between countries, we fully understand the current concerns. We are horrified about the thought that the neutral field of conservation could ever be used to pursue political objectives. We as a community strongly condemn that, and we are convinced our colleagues had no such part.
We stand by the innocence of the conservationists in question and urge you to call for a fair and just evaluation of the evidence, access to lawyers of their choice and a transparent trial. Some of us are ready to provide evidence and witness testimony upon request.
Sincerely,
CC: The Honorable Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani Head of the Judiciary of the Islamic Republic of Iran Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary) Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave. (south of Serah-e Jomhouri) Tehran 1316814737 Islamic Republic of Iran Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir
Distinguished conservationists
Jane Goodall DBE, Founder – Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace
George Archibald, Co-Founder & Senior Conservationist, International Crane Foundation
Iain Douglas-Hamilton CBE, Founder, Save the Elephants
Carl G. Jones MBE, Professor, Chief Scientist – Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Scientific Director – Mauritian Wildlife Foundation *
Ullas Karanth, Director – Centre for Wildlife Studies, Fellow – Indian Academy of Sciences
Marco Lambertini, Director General, WWF International *
Laurie Marker, Founder & Executive Director – Cheetah Conservation Fund, Chair – Large Carnivore Management Association of Namibia
Ian Redmond OBE, Ambassador – UNEP Convention on Migratory Species, Chairman – Ape Alliance, Chairman – The Gorilla Organization
Michael Succow, Professor Emeritus, Michael Succow Foundation for the Protection of Nature
Professors
Huseyin Ambarli, Assistant Professor, Duzce University, Turkey
Steven C. Anderson, Professor Emeritus – University of the Pacific, Fellow and Research Associate – California Academy of Sciences, USA
Alexandre Antonelli, Professor, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Sergio A. Balaguera-Reina, Associate Professor, Universidad de Ibague, Colombia
Andrew Balmford, Professor, University of Cambridge, UK
Sabine Begall, Professor, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
Nard Bennas, Professor, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Morocco
Matthew Betts, Professor, Oregon State University, USA
Luigi Boitani, Professor, Universita di Roma, Italy
Nils Bunnefeld, Professor, Stirling University, UK
Cole Burton, Assistant Professor, University of British Columbia, Canada
Gerardo Ceballos, Professor, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
Guillaume Chapron, Associate Professor, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
Yann Clough, Professor, Lund University, Sweden
Joseph Cook, Professor, University of New Mexico, USA
Joris Cromsigt, Associate Professor, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden
Andrew Cunningham, Professor – Deputy Director, Zoological Society of London, UK
Valerie Curtis, Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK
Satoshi Daigako Ohdachi, Assistant Professor, Hokkaido University, Japan
Chris Darimont, Associate Professor, University of Victoria, Canada
Zoe Davies, Professor, University of Kent, UK
Nishith Dharaiya, Associate Professor, Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, India
Alia Dietsch, Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University, USA *
Enrico Di Minin, Adjunct Professor, University of Helsinki, Finland
Karlheinz Erb, Associate Professor, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria
Rasmus Fensholt, Professor, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Marco Festa-Bianchet, Professor, University of Sherbrooke, Canada
Juraj Grizelj, Professor, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Helmut Haberl, Professor, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria
Rob Harcourt, Professor, Macquarie University, Australia *
Matthew W. Hayward, Associate Professor, University of Newcastle, Australia *
Ignas Heitkonig, Assistant Professor, Wageningen University , The Netherlands *
Kristofer Helgen, Professor, University of Adelaide, Australia
Djuro Huber, Professor Emeritus, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Mei Hshi Hwang, Associate Professor, National Pingtung University of Science & Technology, Taiwan
Hans de Iongh, Professor, University of Antwerp – Institute of Environmental Sciences, Belgium – The Netherlands
Klemen Jerina, Associate Professor, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Julia P.G. Jones, Professor, Bangor University, UK
Douglas Kelt, Professor, University of California, USA
Christian Kiffner, Professor, The School of Field Studies, Tanzania
Richard Kingsford, Professor, University of New South Wales, Australia
John Koprowski, Professor, School of Natural Resources and the Environment, USA
Stephanie Kramer-Schadt, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Germany
Holger Kreft, Professor, Georg-August-University of Goettingen, Germany
Mariska Kret, Assistant Professor, Leiden University, The Netherlands
Miha Krofel, Assistant Professor, Ljubljana University, Slovenia
Tobias Kuemmerle, Professor, Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany
Thomas Lacher Jr., Professor, Texas A&M University, USA
Paolo Lanfranchi, Professor, University of Milan, Italy
Bill Laurance, Distinguished Research Professor – Australian Laureate & Prince Bernhard Chair (Emeritus), James Cook University – International Nature Conservation, Australia
Sandro Lovari, Senior Professor – Siena University, Chairman – IUCN/SSC Caprinae Specialist Group, Italy
Ralph Mac Nally, Centenary Professor, University of Canberra, Australia
Georgina Mace, Professor, University College London, UK
Ikki Matsuda, Associate Professor, Chubu University, Japan
Rodrigo Medellin, Professor, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
Patrick Meyfroidt, Professor, UCLouvain, Belgium
Martine Maron, Associate Professor, The University of Queensland, Australia *
Eleanor-Jane Milner-Gulland, Professor, University of Oxford, UK
Marco Musiani, Professor, University of Calgary, Canada
Anna Nekaris, Professor, Oxford Brookes University, UK
Kate Neville, Associate Professor, University of Toronto, Canada
Dusit Ngoprasert, Professor, Thai University, Thailand
Vincent Nijman, Professor, Oxford Brooks University, UK
Javier Palomo, Professor, University of Malaga, Spain
James L. Patton, Professor Emeritus – University of California, Curator – Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, USA
Jairo Perez-Torres, Associate Professor, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia
Stuart Pimm, Extraordinary Professor, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Viorel D. Popescu, Assistant Professor, Ohio University, USA
Hugh Possingham, Professor, The University of Queensland, Australia
Andrew S. Pullin, Professor, Bangor University, UK
Shiamala Ratnayeke, Associate Professor, Sunway University, Malaysia
Steven Redpath, Professor, University of Aberdeen, UK
Tracey Rogers, Professor, University of New South Wales, Australia *
Virgilio do Rosario, Professor Emeritus, University Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
Luca Rossi, Professor, University of Torino, Italy
Jarkko Saarinen, Professor, University of Oulu, Finland
Nuria Selva, Professor, Polish Academy of Sciences – IUCN/SSC Bear Specialist Group, Poland
Narayan Sharma, Associate Professor, Cotton University, India
Anindya Sinha, Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies, India
Thomas Sterner, Professor, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Cédric Sueur, Associate Professor, University of Strasbourg, France
Bill Sutherland, Professor, Cambridge University, UK
Jon E. Swenson, Professor, Norwegian University of Life Sciences – Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Norway
Christian Walzer, Professor, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
James Watson, Professor – Director of Science and Research Initiative at the Wildlife Conservation Society, University of Queensland, Australia
Serge Wich, Professor, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
Richard Woodward, Professor, Texas A&M University, USA
Richard Wrangham, Professor – Harvard University, Founder – Kibale Chimpanzee Project, USA
Wolfgang Wüster, Professor, Bangor University, UK
Yuki Yamada, Associate Professor, Kyushu University, Japan
Nobuyuki Yamaguchi, Associate Professor, Qatar University, Qatar
Heliot Zarza, Professor, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana Unidad Lerma, Mexico
Andreas Zedrosser, Professor, University of South-Eastern Norway, Norway
Researchers
Teresa Abaigar, Researcher, Spanish National Research Council, Spain
Aldemar A. Acevedo, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Korsh Ararat, University of Sulaimani, Iraq
Nasser Al-Arimi, Researcher, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman *
Francisco Álvares, Researcher, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Portugal
Franco Andreone, Curator of Zoology, Turin Museum of Natural History – IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, Italy
Marine Arakelyan, Head of Chair of Zoology, Yerevan State University, Armenia
Joaquín Arroyo-Cabrales, Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico
Anibal Arce Medina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Marc Artois, Retired Health Ecologist, Lorraine Investigation in Animal and Environment Health, France
Kamil Bartoń, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
Colin Beale, Lecturer, University of York, UK
Mohammed Lamine Bendjeddou, Researcher, Chadli Bendjedid University, Algeria *
Ana Benitez-Lopez, Postdoctoral Fellow, Radboud University, The Netherlands
Carmen Bessa Gomes, Lecturer, AgroParisTech, France
José Carlos Brito, Principal Researcher, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Portugal
Ana Rita Caldas Patrício, Researcher, University of Exeter – Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, UK-Portugal
Alison Cameron, Senior Lecturer, Bangor University, UK
Miguel Carretero, Principal Researcher, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Portugal
Victor Castelazo Calva, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Paulo Catry, Research Fellow, Marine and Environmental Sciences Center, ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Portugal
Teresa Catry, Research Assistant, University of Lisbon, Portugal
Anthony Chariton, Senior Scientist – Lecturer, Macquarie University, Australia
Marie Charpentier, Director of Research, University of Montpellier, France
Eustatius du Chavoux Luyt, Stellenbosch University, South Africa – Namibia
Rosie Cooney, Honorary Lecturer, Australian National University, Australia
Paola Correa, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Malinalli Cortés Marcial, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico
Angelica Crottini, Auxiliary Researcher, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Portugal
Fredrik Dalerum, University of Oviedo, Spain
Askar Davletbakov, National Academy of Sciences, Kyrgyzstan
Marta DeBarba, Researcher, Laboratoire d Ecologie Alpine, France
Maylis Desrousseaux, Conservatoire national des arts et métiers-L’École supérieure des géomètres et topographes, France
Lilia Dmitrieva, Research Fellow, University of Leeds, UK
Sarah Durant, Senior Research Fellow – Zoological Society of London, Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute – Tanzania National Parks, UK
Johan Ekroos, Research Scientist, Lund University, Sweden *
Andy Foote, Senior Researcher, University of Bangor, UK
Nikunj Gajera, Gujarat Institute Of Desert Ecology, India
Cécile Garcia, Researcher, Musée de l’Homme, France
Veronika Gaube, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Austria
Alexander Georgiev, Lecturer, Bangor University, UK
Martin Gilbert, Doctor in Wildlife Health, UK
Luis Martin Gonzalez Gomez, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Simon Goodman, Group Leader, University of Leeds, UK
Juan Herrero, Lecturer, University of Saragossa, Spain
Marco Heurich, Privat Dozent – Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Germany
Amy Hinsley, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford, UK *
Susan Hitschfeld, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Catherine Hobaiter, Lecturer, University of St Andrews, UK
Maarten Hofman, Georg-August, University of Goettingen, Germany
Luke Hunter, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Ivan Ineich, Lecturer, Paris Natural History Museum, France
Maria Isidora Avila, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Jennifer Jackson, Senior Scientist, British Antarctic Survey, UK
Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou, Auxiliary Researcher, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Portugal
Khalil Karimov, Academy of Sciences, Tajikistan
Vassiliki Kati, University of Ioannina, Greece
Petra Kazcensky, Researcher, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research Norway
Munira Kharamkhudoeva, Pamir Biological Institute, Tajikistan
Gesa Kluth, LUPUS – German Institute for Wolf Monitoring and Research, Germany
Macej Konopinski, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
Stefan Kreft, Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, Germany
Miroslav Kutal, Mendel University Brno, Czech Republic
Rahim Kulenbekov, Bishkek Humanities University, Kyrgyzstan
Sergio Lambertucci, Researcher, Comahue National University,Argentina
Pedro J. Leitão, Postdoctoral Researcher, Technische Universitaet Braunschweig, Germany
Ricardo Lopez Wilchis, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico
Hiba Loumassine, Researcher, University of Tiaret, Algeria *
Tanja Lumetsberger, Research Assistant, Danube University Krems, Austria
Petros Lymberakis, Researcher, Natural History Museum of Crete, Greece
Milena Salgado Lynn, Researcher, Danau Girang Field Center, Malaysia *
María Cristina Mac Swiney González, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Mexic
Anita Malhotra, Researcher, Bangor University, UK
Rosaleen March, Postdoctoral Fellow, Leiden University, The Netherlands
Silvio Marchini, Research Associate, University of Sao Paulo – Chester Zoo, Brazil – UK
Gabriel M. Martin, Adjunct Researcher, National University of Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Argentina
Iñigo Martínez-Solano, Researcher, National Museum of Natural History, Spain
Joerg Melzheimer, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Germany
Marcos Moleón, University of Grenada, Spain
Ronaldo Morato, Group Leader, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Brazil
Elisabeth Morris-Webb, Researcher, Bangor University, UK *
Kakoli Mukhopadhyay, Senior Scientist, Dhole’s Den Research Foundation, India
Manuel Muñoz Rodríguez, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Javier Naves, Researcher, Doñana Biological Station, Spain
Barthélemy Ngoubangoye, Head of Primate Center, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Gabon
Ana Nuno, Research Fellow, University of Exeter, UK
Esmar Ocelotlcuauhtli Guzmán Díaz, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Mexico
Andres Ortiz Pontificia, Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Nuzar Oshurmamadov, Pamir Biological Institute, Tajikistan
Sandra Milena Ospina Garcés, Instituto de Ecologia AC, Mexico
Theodore Papenfuss, Research Biologist, University of California, USA
Francisca Parada Ramírez, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Lain Pardo, James Cook University, Australia
Marta Pascual Berniola, Lecturer, University of Barcelona, Spain
Chris Pavey, Senior Researcher, CSIRO Land and Water, Australia
Maria Petridou, University of Ioannina, Greece
Freddy Pérez Garduza, Centro del Cambio Global y la Sustentabilidad, Mexico
Luz Adriana Pérez Solano, Universidad de Chile, Chil
Ruben Portas, Research Assistant, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, German
Stefan Prost, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, LOEWE-Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberg, Germany and Research Associate, South African National Biodiversity Institue, National Zoological Gardens, South Africa *
Marc Franch Quintana, Researcher, University of Girona, Spain
Karina Ramos Rendón, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
Hugo Rebelo, Auxiliary Researcher, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Portugal
Ilka Reinhardt, LUPUS – German Institute for Wolf Monitoring and Research, Germany
Julien Renoult, Researcher, Centre of Evolutionary and Functional Ecology of Montpellier, France
Rafael Reyna, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Mexico
Carla Rivera, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Ricardo Rocha, Research Associate, Cambridge University, UK *
Ana S.L. Rodrigues, Senior Researcher, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France
Benito Rosende, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
Niki Rust, Newcastle, University, UK
Alberto Sanchez, Researcher, National Museum of Natural History, Spain *
Xavier Santos Santiró, Researcher, INS Les Corts, Spain
Laurent Schley, Secretary of the European Mammal Foundation, Luxembourg
Jan Schipper, Field Conservation Research Director, Phoenix Zoo, USA
Christoph Schwitzer, Chief Zoological Officer, Bristol Zoological Society, UK *
Angela Scott, Author & Wildlife Photographer, UK – Kenya
Jonathan Scott, Author & Wildlife Photographer, UK – Kenya
Derek Scott, Conservationist, Ornithological consultant, Head of the Ornithology Unit at the Iran Department of Environment from October 1970 to March 1976, UK *