John, who goes by “JJ,” first began working in the field of chimpanzee conservation in 2006 while volunteering with the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. His experience there gave him the motivation to pursue his lifelong passions for wildlife and conservation.
In December of 2011, John graduated from Sydney University as a veterinarian with first class honors. During his studies, he was heavily involved with the University’s Wildlife Society'; started a small charity to raise money for chimpanzee conservation; and was JGI-Australia's Youth Ambassador to the 2008 Jane Goodall's Global Youth Summit in Florida.
John is currently volunteering at the Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of Congo, working primarily on reintroducing a group of mandrills into the wild. In addition, he is involved in a research project on intestinal parasites in primates.
