6 Quotes From People Who’ve Worked With Wild Animals
When it comes to the environment and the impact humans have on it, one way wildlife conservationists drum up awareness is by foregrounding charismatic megafauna. This term refers to large animal species with widespread popular appeal, such as pandas, tigers, elephants, gorillas, whales, etc.
These animal species have often been featured in films and documentaries because of their ability to elicit strong feelings of fondness, fear, or reverence. Think: the orca whale in Free Willy or the titular leopard in Bringing Up Baby. Such charismatic megafauna are often used to represent and advocate for other species that live within their same environment or region.
“Save the whales” campaigns, for instance, are not just about saving the whales themselves; they’re also intended to raise awareness for ocean conservation as a whole. Images of polar bears struggling to stay alive in their changing (and disappearing) habitat are intended to tug at our collective heartstrings so we’ll make more deliberate efforts to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
The ultimate hope is that the more we’re exposed to and enamored with these charismatic megafauna, the more attention we’ll pay to the issues facing them and the other lesser-known species around them. (These kinds of trickle-down benefits are referred to as the “umbrella effect.”)
Below, we’ve rounded up six quotes from individuals who’ve had close working relationships with various types of charismatic megafauna that exemplify how much we can learn from these beautiful creatures.
Jane Goodall is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on chimpanzees, having studied chimpanzee social and family life for more than 60 years, starting with the Kasakela chimpanzee community in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, in 1960. She’s used her observations on the behavioral comparisons between humans and chimpanzees to amplify her advocacy for animal-human conservation. One of the many discoveries that defines Goodall’s legacy is her observation that chimpanzees make and use their own tools.
In 2020, documentary filmmaker Craig Foster produced a Netflix Original film called “My Octopus Teacher,” comprised entirely of footage he captured while spending a year forging a bond with a common octopus in the kelp forests of False Bay, near Cape Town in South Africa. He and the octopus — whom he never named — developed a tender friendship, and throughout the documentary, Foster shares the lessons he learned from his little mollusk pal. Foster is the co-founder of the Sea Change Project, a nonprofit group that aims to protect marine life and their ocean habitat. “My Octopus Teacher” earned Foster an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and boosted the visibility of his conservation efforts.
Much like Jane Goodall, L. David Mech is revered for his contributions to science as well as his dedication to his research. The American biologist has been studying wolves since 1958, tracking them in places such as Yellowstone National Park, Alaska, Isle Royale, and Minnesota. Mech, who is the founder of the International Wolf Center, spent 25 summers observing wolves in close proximity, learning about their social structures and dynamics, and notably debunking the myth of the “alpha wolf.” He has published 11 books about wolves, the most recent being a collaboration with Douglas W. Smith and Daniel R. MacNulty, titled “Wolves on the Hunt: The Behavior of Wolves Hunting Wild Prey.”
As the first and (so far) only Sri Lankan with a doctoral degree in marine mammal research, Asha de Vos understands the responsibility she holds in the ever-evolving field of marine conservation. In 2008, she founded the Sri Lankan Blue Whale Project, which focuses on the long-term study of blue whales in the northern Indian Ocean. Through her research, she found that a unique population of blue whales, previously believed to migrate annually, actually remain in Sri Lanka’s waters year-round. Her research led to the International Whaling Commission prioritizing conservation of the Sri Lankan blue whale, and she’s begun working with the Sri Lankan government to minimize the threat posed against whales by ship strikes.
Sometimes referred to by her colleagues as “Her Deepness” or “The Sturgeon General,” Sylvia Earle has devoted much of her life to studying the ocean and the creatures — big and small — that dwell within it. She was named the first “Hero for the Planet” by “TIME” magazine in 1998, and she was featured in the 2021 Netflix Original documentary “Seaspiracy,” which delved into the impact humans have on marine life. In 2012, she penned a “HuffPost” piece calling on the public to rethink what they know about the Arctic, invoking the plight of polar bears as a means of discussing the relationship between fossil fuels and global warming.
Not many people in the world can claim to have a doctorate in elephants, but Dr. Paula Kahumbu is one such person. The Nairobi-born wildlife conservationist has dedicated her life to campaigning for elephants and other wildlife, launching the Hands Off Our Elephants campaign in 2014 alongside former first lady of Kenya Margaret Kenyatta. She was chosen to host the 2023 National Geographic miniseries “Secrets of the Elephants,” which examines groups of elephants found in various ecological environments throughout Africa and Asia, including rainforests, deserts, and savannas. 
