Paignton Zoo Environmental Park (Harry sets his sights on Sulawesi)

A Devon-based conservation charity has appointed a new field worker to its flagship project. Harry Hilser has been named as the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust’s new man in Indonesia. He will take charge of a programme working with a Critically Endangered monkey.

The Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust, based at Paignton Zoo, runs a project called Selamatkan Yaki - Save Sulawesi Macaques – on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Harry replaces Helen Sampson, who finished her stint as Field Project Manager in December.

Harry, who grew up in Bradford-Upon-Avon, Wiltshire, recalls two influences on his choice of career. “I was raised in the countryside. My mother was very switched-on environmentally. I remember learning the names of plants and animals when we went on walks. After that, travelling in Asia during my gap year really opened my eyes to the need for more people to join the conservation effort.” He graduated in Biological Sciences from the University of Plymouth in 2007 and took a Masters in Primate Conservation at Oxford Brookes University, where he graduated first in his class, winning the Alison Jolly Prize for Conservation.

Harry aims to finalise the conservation action plan and agree it with stakeholders, complete research projects including a survey of bushmeat in village markets and a census of macaques. Away from work, he hopes to take time out to enjoy his hobbies – diving and surfing!

This little-known primate is one of the most endangered mammal species in South East Asia. In 2008 its IUCN red list status was raised from Endangered to Critically Endangered to reflect a worrying decline in numbers. The IUCN definition of Critically Endangered is a species that is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.