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Bill Jordan Awarded | |
DR W JORDAN PhD MVSc BSc MRCVS Mbiol Chiol FZS OBE THE RICHARD MARTIN AWARD 2005  Where to begin with a man who has accomplished so much for wildlife and who is highly respected throughout the world for his continual achievements in working to oppose and all forms of cruelty to wildlife? In the early days Dr Jordan, better known as Bill, established his own veterinary practice outside Chester, having previously lectured in this field at Liverpool University. Then in 1964 he was given the opportunity to travel to Iran where he became consultant veterinary clinician to the government and also vet to the Shah of Iran. From Iran he moved the South Africa and from there back to Britain where his work with the RSPCA began – first as deputy vet, later as head of the wildlife department with he founded. Whilst working for the Society both as employee and later as a council member, Bill’s expertise and outstanding dedication have been invaluable. He founded the Wild Animals Advisory Committee and the Animal Experimental Advisory Committee and is now a Vice President. Bill’s concern for wild animals is not just confined to Britain. As founder of Care for the Wild International, he has made the conversation and welfare of wildlife abroad, particularly in Africa and Asia a focus of attention, and he continues to do this with the Bill Jordan Wildlife Defence Fund. Bill has made such an impact on the welfare of wildlife through active participation and the written word that it is impossible to mention all that he has achieved, but there are just a few of those achievements: • His report into killing of harp seal pups was debated in the European parliament and resulted in a ban on the importation of their fur. • Bill established the now famous fostering programmes for the David Sheldrick Wildlife Society and also the Mokolodi Cheetah reserve in Botswana. • He persuaded the International Whaling commission to ban the ‘cold’ non-explosive harpoon, which was the cause of so much cruelty in whaling and his investigation into the North African tortoise trade led to its final ban. • He was founder member and former secretary of the British Veterinary Zoological Society and his book, The Last Great Wild Beast Show, became the catalyst for the creation of the Zoo Act. The Richard Martin Award is the Society’s highest recognition of an outstanding contribution in the field of animal welfare, and Bill truly deserves such recognition. The uniqueness of Bill’s work is in his ability to achieve far-reaching effects across the globe, which touch all species of wild animals both captive and non-captive, from badgers to seal pups to elephants to donkeys. Without him many of the harmful practices inflicted upon them would still be in use today. PRESENTED AT THE SOCIETY’S ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 25th JUNE 2005 |
