By Abdullahi Lukman
The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has awarded its Gold Medal to renowned conservationist Dr. John G. Robinson in recognition of his outstanding contributions to wildlife conservation and his role in building the organisation’s global conservation programme.
Robinson, who retired from WCS at the end of 2024 after more than 30 years of service, transformed its Global Conservation Program from a small team of fewer than 10 researchers into the world’s largest field-based conservation programme, with operations spanning more than 55 countries.
WCS President and Chief Executive Officer, Adam Falk, described Robinson’s contributions as significant to both the organisation and global conservation efforts.
He noted that Robinson championed scientific research, long-term field operations, strategic partnerships and investment in local conservation institutions.
A primatologist by training, Robinson joined WCS in 1990 as Director of Wildlife Conservation International. Over the years, he played a central role in expanding the organisation’s conservation activities across Africa, Asia, the Americas and the world’s oceans.
Under his leadership, WCS strengthened research-driven conservation initiatives, collaborated with governments and local institutions, and supported the establishment and expansion of protected areas, helping safeguard millions of hectares of land and ocean.
Beyond his work with WCS, Robinson has contributed significantly to international conservation research and policy, particularly in wildlife utilisation, tropical forest hunting, protected areas and the application of scientific knowledge to conservation practices. He has published more than 195 scientific papers and contributed to or edited 12 books.
He has also mentored hundreds of scientists and conservation professionals, many of whom have assumed leadership roles in their respective countries and within the international conservation community.
Robinson previously served as president of the Society for Conservation Biology and held several leadership positions within the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), including vice president of its Council and chair of the Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Advisory Board.
In 2025, he was named an Honorary Member of IUCN in recognition of his contributions to conservation science, policy and leadership spanning more than four decades.
His other recognitions include the Zoological Society of London Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016 and induction into the Royal Order of the Golden Ark in 2003. He is also a Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge.
Robinson earned a doctorate in zoology from the University of North Carolina in 1977, specialising in primate behaviour and ecology, before undertaking postdoctoral studies at the Smithsonian Institution. In 1980, he established the University of Florida’s Program for Studies in Tropical Conservation to train students from tropical countries.
WCS Executive Vice President for Global Conservation, Joe Walston, said Robinson had established a strong foundation for the organisation through his emphasis on science, long-term conservation and the development of local leadership.
The WCS Gold Medal is awarded to individuals whose contributions to wildlife conservation or scientific discovery merit special recognition. Previous recipients include conservation figures such as Rachel Carson, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Al Gore, William Conway and George Schaller.
