534 - Craig Sholley (Gorilla Researcher)

Tangentially Speaking with Christopher Ryan

Craig's Sholley’s experiences with wildlife and conservation began in 1973 as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zaire. As an L.S.B. Leakey grant researcher in the late 1970s, Craig studied mountain gorillas with Dian Fossey and, in 1987, became director of Rwanda's Mountain Gorilla Project. Craig has acted as Scientific Advisor for the award-winning IMAX film, "Mountain Gorilla," and with National Geographic, he surveyed the conservation status of mountain gorillas in the aftermath of Rwanda's civil war. Craig’s direct involvement with AWF began as a Senior Associate and member of AWF’s Board of Trustees. He became a full-time employee of AWF in 2001 and now serves as Senior Vice President. The day we chatted, Craig was in Arusha, Tanzania, putting the final touches on the Mkapa Wildlife Photography Exhibition. I’ve embedded a few amazing photos from the show below.

Intro music “Brightside of the Sun,” by Basin and Range. “Like the Love but Love the Pain,” Kwesi; Outro: “Smoke Alarm,” by Carsie Blanton.

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