activists

"Africa is the homeland of the turtle, yet they are totally overlooked here."

"For 30 years, we haven’t had any recorded sightings of these animals that live in South Sudan and southern Chad."

"In Africa, conservation is a relatively new concept because animals and resources were always plentiful."

"That’s why I say I was not born a conservationist, I became a conservationist."

"It’s a fire you have in the belly that keeps you going, a passion. I always want to move forward."

"But at the same time, they will be happier to be free, and freedom is the most important gift you can give to these animals if you truly love them."

"It’s vital to pass on knowledge,to exchange our experiences, and share all we’ve learned.”"

"People think that I am only interested in tortoises, but there is no one species that should take priority – it is the whole ecosystem that counts."

"I grew up in a family with animals, we had turtles and tortoises. I didn’t think I would be a turtle biologist, but I met the right people at the right moment."

"This recognition shows that we are on the right path, but there is still a lot of work to do."

"I see so many people who say they dislike snakes or crocodiles – they don't want anything to do with these animals, they think they are dangerous."

"I have never met someone who dislikes turtles, but they don't know much about them. They think they are cute."

"Conservation is about trying to mitigate the human impact – and people who are living in the home range have more ability to understand how we can connect people to the species we want to conserve."