Carl Jones has a Kodiak Bear in his living room along with a couple of Giant Tortoises and many other animals, paintings and books. Outside there is a pair of Andean Condors and some feisty Striated Caracaras.
If you heard Carl on Desert Island Discs recently – click here – then this won’t surprise you at all. I recommend it as a good programme to listen to as he describes West Wales, Mauritius and the life of a saver of species.
I heard Carl on the radio and after a protracted search found some emails from him and told him how good it was. This led to an exchange of emails, a long phone call and me paying him a visit this week.
We talked of friends, colleagues and friendly colleagues. He is an inspiring man – even Wikipedia says so – who has worked for the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust for a good many years – 40!
I can’t really tell you what we talked about but it covered books and bounders, kestrels and knaves, pigeons and Pine Martens, rewilding and royalty and Wild Cats and warblers. If he lived a bit closer I’d meet him down the pub now and again, but he doesn’t.
In 2016 he won the Indianapolis Prize.
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Along with late Don Merton, Carl is one of my conservation heroes. Spent some time in Mauritius with him many years ago and also had the pleasure of hosting him in Seychelles when I worked there. He gave me his copy of Mascarene Island Birds which is one of my treasured possessions!