Ian Redmond
Ian Redmond OBE is a world-renowned wildlife biologist whose 50-year career spans gorilla conservation, filmmaking and global environmental advocacy.
Why book Ian Redmond for your next event
- Ian Redmond brings five decades of frontline experience with gorillas, elephants and global conservation, translating complex science into powerful, human stories.
- With a career spanning UN ambassadorships, filmmaking and fieldwork, he offers rare insight into conservation, biodiversity and global responsibility.
- Audiences are inspired by his firsthand encounters, humour and urgency, delivered by a speaker trusted by scientists, leaders and storytellers alike.
Non-binding request for Ian Redmond
Wildlife biologist, conservation leader and voice for apes and elephants
Ian Redmond OBE DSc(hc) CBiol FLS FRGS is one of the most respected voices in wildlife conservation. An independent biologist and conservationist, he has dedicated more than 50 years to the protection of apes, elephants and threatened ecosystems. From mountain gorillas in Central Africa to elephants deep inside volcanic caves, his work combines science, storytelling and advocacy at the highest level. Known equally for his field research and his ability to engage global audiences, Ian has advised the United Nations, worked alongside legendary conservationists, and contributed to more than 100 documentary films. His talks are vivid, personal and deeply informed, offering rare perspectives on wildlife, human impact and the choices shaping the planet’s future.
Ian Redmond: A life dedicated to wildlife
Born in Malaysia and raised in Yorkshire, Ian Redmond’s fascination with animals began early. After university, his path led him to Africa in 1976, where he joined Dian Fossey in Rwanda and Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Working at the frontline of mountain gorilla research and protection, Ian became part of one of the most significant chapters in modern conservation history.
That early work shaped a lifetime commitment to wildlife and those who protect it, often under extreme conditions. Over decades, he has supported local conservationists through conflict, civil war and political instability, standing with them when attention from the outside world had faded.
Gorillas, elephants and groundbreaking research
Ian Redmond is internationally associated with mountain gorillas, having worked with them through research, conservation, tourism and media for more than half a century. His scientific interests extend far beyond apes. He conducted the first study and photography of elephants living in the caves of Mount Elgon in Kenya, later helping Sir David Attenborough bring this extraordinary behaviour to global audiences.
His research career also includes studies of parasites, where he discovered new species of tapeworms and nematodes, as well as work with reptiles and amphibians. He collected hundreds of specimens for the Natural History Museum, identified new frog species in New Guinea, and recorded frog calls for the British Library of Wildlife Sounds. Ian has also been deeply involved in efforts to reintroduce orphaned apes, elephants and polar bears back into the wild.
Film, media and global storytelling
Ian Redmond has played a unique role in shaping how the world sees wildlife. He introduced Sir David Attenborough to mountain gorillas in 1978 for the landmark BBC series Life on Earth. In 1987, he worked on Gorillas in the Mist, coaching Sigourney Weaver for her award-winning role, while being immortalised himself as “The Worm Boy”.
He has advised on and appeared in more than 100 documentaries for BBC, National Geographic, Discovery, TF1 and German television, including Secrets in the Mist and Ally of the Cave Elephants. His work also includes the 3D film and TV series Last of the Great Apes. His books, translated into many languages, continue to educate and inspire readers worldwide.
Leadership, the UN and conservation alliances
Beyond fieldwork and filmmaking, Ian Redmond is a respected international conservation leader. He served as Ambassador for the UN Year of the Gorilla in 2009 and from 2010 to 2024 as an Ambassador for the UN Convention on Migratory Species. He was Chief Consultant and Envoy for GRASP, the UN Great Apes Survival Partnership, from its launch in 2001 until 2012, and continues to advise UNEP and the FAO on apes, forests and bushmeat issues.
He is Head of Conservation for Ecoflix and works with organisations including the Born Free Foundation, Gorilla Organization, Orangutan Foundation, IFAW, Thin Green Line and the International Primate Protection League. To encourage collaboration, he founded and chairs the Ape Alliance, connecting more than 100 organisations worldwide, and previously established the African Ele-Fund and the UK Rhino Group.
Courage, recognition and impact
Ian Redmond’s conservation work has often placed him in dangerous situations. He has led anti-poacher patrols, gone undercover to infiltrate illegal wildlife trade networks, and posed as a potential ape buyer and coltan dealer in the DRC. These experiences bring a rare authenticity to his speaking, rooted in courage, ethics and lived reality.
His contributions have been widely recognised. He received the PAWS Humane Achievement Award, was appointed OBE in 2006, and has been awarded honorary doctorates from Oxford Brookes University, Roehampton University and Keele University. Additional honours include a Lifetime Achievement Award at the New York Wildlife Conservation Film Festival, the IFAW Animal Action Award for Conservation, and the RSPCA/Mirror Animal Heroes Award. The GRASP, Ian Redmond Awards, established in 2012, continue his legacy by supporting young conservationists.
Book Ian Redmond for your event
Booking Ian Redmond means bringing an extraordinary depth of experience to your audience. His talks are entertaining, thought-provoking and grounded in real encounters with wildlife, global leaders and critical conservation challenges. Whether addressing leadership, sustainability, biodiversity or human responsibility, Ian Redmond leaves audiences informed, inspired and motivated to act.
Keynotes
Keynote by Ian Redmond:
Gardeners of the Forest
What happens to our planet when the animals that hold entire ecosystems together disappear?
Forests are failing, biodiversity is shrinking, and climate pressure is accelerating, yet few people realise that apes and elephants are among the most powerful allies we have. In his keynote Gardeners of the Forest, Ian Redmond reveals why these species are essential to the planet’s life support system, and what their behaviour teaches us about resilience, balance and long-term thinking.
Drawing on 50 years at the frontline of conservation, Ian transforms complex science into compelling stories that make the crisis tangible and solvable. His keynotes don’t just inform; they reframe how audiences understand nature, responsibility and impact.
Booking Ian Redmond gives your audience rare insight, urgency without despair, and a clear message: protecting apes and elephants isn’t idealism, it’s essential for our future.
Audience takeaways
A clear understanding of why apes and elephants are vital to healthy forests, climate stability and the planet’s life support systems.
Insight into how animal behaviour mirrors effective leadership, resilience and long-term thinking in complex environments.
A deeper awareness of the real consequences of biodiversity loss — and why it directly affects human wellbeing and global stability.
Practical perspective on how conservation, collaboration and responsibility create lasting impact at both individual and organisational level.
Renewed motivation to act, equipped with a powerful narrative that connects nature, purpose and the future we are shaping.
The gardeners of the forest | Ian Redmond | TEDxSouthamptonUniversity
Watch Ian Redmond in action!
