Sir Stephen Fry announced as Patron of the Primate Society of Great Britain
We are delighted to announced that Sir Stephen Fry will become the new Patron of the Primate Society of Great Britain.
Sir Stephen is an actor, comedian, writer, and broadcaster who has championed wildlife conservation throughout his career, including raising awareness of endangered primates and campaigning against keeping monkeys as pets.
Speaking about his invitation to become Patron, Sir Stephen commented:
"Like you (I assume, but with a fair degree of confidence) I am a primate. I am lucky enough over the course of my life to have met and communed with a large number of quite different primates from the varied branches of our extended family. When I consider my time with mountain gorillas in Bwindi; adventures with Mme Berthe lemurs, dancing with sifakas, howling with indris and goggling back at staring aye-ayes in Madagascar; befriending proboscis monkeys and orangutang infants in Saba, chimps on Ngamba Island on Lake Victoria; tamarins, capuchin, spider and woolly monkeys in South America; vervet, colobus monkeys and savannah baboons in Africa… I realise I have been luckier than most with so many opportunities to come close to so many of our cousins.
"At one end of things the world reeled with the astonishing news quite recently of the recording of an entirely new species of monkey in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the other end, there are species of gibbon and leaf monkey, of gorilla and lemur, that are down to the last hundred (and fewer) living representatives, through poaching, habitat degradation, deforestation and the depredations of climate change.
"There is so much we can learn from primates - about ourselves and about our place in the world. Human primates and their fellows can coexist and flourish. I am very proud to have been asked to be a patron of the Primate Society of Great Britain whose work nationally and internationally in conservation and research is hugely respected. But to follow in the footsteps of so great a personality and primatologist as Jane Goodall! I cannot pretend to be anything more than a keen and blundering amateur when it comes to the science, the primatology and anthropology which Dame Jane made her life's work with such unparalleled brilliance and humanity. But my love for primates and the world of the PSGB is strong and I am delighted to accept this role."
Bridget Waller, President of PGSB, and Professor of Evolution and Social Behaviour at Nottingham Trent University, added:
“Primates hold a unique place in our understanding of evolution, behaviour, cognition, and what it means to be human. As a society dedicated to advancing the scientific study, conservation, welfare, and understanding of primates, we wanted a Patron who could help communicate the importance of our work beyond academia.
"Sir Stephen Fry brings an extraordinary combination of intellectual curiosity, a deep appreciation for science and the natural world, and public engagement. Throughout his career, he has inspired people to think critically, embrace learning, and engage with important societal challenges, qualities that resonate strongly with the mission of PSGB.
"Sir Stephen’s patronage is both a valuable opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of primate research to science and conservation, and a recognition of the need to connect science with society by promoting evidence-based understanding, inspiring public interest, and championing the conservation and welfare of our closest living relatives."
It is hoped that Sir Stephen’s involvement will encourage new generations of students, researchers, and wildlife enthusiasts to engage with primatology and support the vital work being undertaken by PGSB members around the world.
