Leo Biddle | A selective attention gorilla in the coalmine, and lack of primate pandemic

22 March 2022 | Leo Biddle has been working in field conservation and the illegal wildlife trade for the last 20+ years; with a large focus on rescue and rehabilitation of primates and indigenous Bornean wildlife. Having had extensive experience working in medical emergencies, Leo now has unapparelled field and medical experience with these animals.

Leo founded the charitable organisation “Orangutan Project”, now called “Project Borneo”, which has featured in National Geographic, Discovery, and Animal Planet. The charity's work is, and was, almost exclusively funded by a number of nonprofit businesses Leo created. These businesses also funded multiple grassroots childrens’ charities and other animal charities. However, the last 2 years of the pandemic have effectively destroyed much of this work, with Leo now only caring for a few animals. Leo has made good use of of his time by exploring the many complex issues surrounding the pandemic.

Leo has been a guest speaker at many universities and conferences around the world presenting on a wide range of topics, such as orangutan conservation and rehabilitation, field conservation, ethics, animal cognition and the wildlife trade.

Amongst his many other achievements, Leo has a degree in Zoology and Psychology, and lived as a Daoist monk in Korea whilst training in Zen martial arts.

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