I
1987,
a
B itish
atu alist
became
the
fi st
p ofessio al
wa de
of
a
emote
Seychelles
isla d
I
1987,
B itish
atu alist
Ia
Bullock
a ived
o
emote
A ide
Isla d
i
the
Seychelles
to
become
its
fi st
p ofessio al
wa de .
Just
o e
yea
late ,
the
g ou dwo k
he
established
helped
make
possible
a
impo ta t
co se vatio
p oject:
29
e da ge ed
Seychelles
wa ble s
we e
moved
to
the
isla d,
c eati g
a
seco d
populatio
a d
helpi g
save
the
species
f om
exti ctio .Details
of
Bullock’s
pio ee i g
wo k
we e
eco ded
i
his
obitua y
i
The
Gua dia .
The
scie tific
details
of
the
wa ble
t a sfe
we e
published
by
Camb idge
U ive sity
P ess
i
Bi d
Co se vatio
I te atio al,
while
Bi dLife
I te atio al
mai tai s
histo ical
eco ds
of
the
species.Befo e
the
1988
t a sfe ,
the
e ti e
global
populatio
of
the
Seychelles
wa ble
(Ac ocephalus
sechelle sis)
lived
o
just
o e
isla d,
Cousi
Isla d.
The
populatio
had
o ce
falle
to
o ly
26
bi ds.Co se vatio ists
saw
the
da ge
of
havi g
the
e ti e
species
i
o e
place.
A
disease
outb eak,
atu al
disaste
o
othe
e vi o me tal
p oblem
could
have
wiped
out
the
whole
populatio .
A ide
Isla d
had
bee
clea ed
of
i t oduced
p edato s,
maki g
it
a
suitable
locatio
fo
a
seco d
populatio .
Establishi g
a
co se vatio
base
o
A ide
Isla d
As
A ide’s
fi st
wa de ,
Bullock
helped
c eate
the
co ditio s
eeded
to
p otect
e da ge ed
wildlife.
His
wo k
i cluded
mo ito i g
species,
mappi g
habitats,
t ai i g
field
staff,
stoppi g
poachi g
a d
ma agi g
visito s.Acco di g
to
E ic
Howell’s
obitua y
of
Bullock
i
The
Gua dia ,
his
wo k
o
the
isolated
isla d
helped
c eate
the
stable
co ditio s
eeded
fo
mo e
complex
co se vatio
p ojects.Baseli e
su veys
a d
habitat
ma ageme t
we e
pa ticula ly
impo ta t.
Movi g
a
small
populatio
of
i sect-eati g
so gbi ds
to
a
ew
isla d
ca ied
sig ifica t
isks,
so
co se vatio ists
eeded
detailed
i fo matio
about
the
isla d’s
wildlife
a d
e vi o me t
befo e
the
t a sfe .Betwee
23
a d
29
Septembe
1988,
29
adult
Seychelles
wa ble s
we e
moved
by
moto boat
f om
Cousi
Isla d
to
A ide.
The
bi ds,
16
males
a d
13
females,
we e
fitted
with
colo
i gs
so
esea che s
could
ide tify
a d
mo ito
them.The
p oject
became
a
majo
success.
Data
f om
Bi dLife
I te atio al
a d
studies
published
i
Bi d
Co se vatio
I te atio al
show
that
the
Seychelles
wa ble
populatio
has
si ce
g ow
to
mo e
tha
3,000
bi ds
ac oss
seve al
isla d
sa ctua ies.
The
species
has
also
bee
moved
out
of
the
highest
th eat
catego ies.
A
ca ee
i
field
co se vatio
Bullock
spe t
25
yea s
with
the
Royal
Society
fo
the
P otectio
of
Bi ds
(RSPB),
ma agi g
emote
atu e
ese ves
ac oss
the
U ited
Ki gdom
a d
ca yi g
out
populatio
su veys
of
th eate ed
bi ds.
He
died
f om
mela oma
i
Ma ch
2025
at
the
age
of
73.His
wo k
i
the
Seychelles
also
co ti ued
beyo d
his
time
as
a
wa de .
He
co-w ote
a d
illust ated
Bi ds
of
the
Seychelles,
pa t
of
the
P i ceto
Field
Guide
se ies,
givi g
esea che s
a d
wildlife
e thusiasts
a
detailed
efe e ce
to
the
egio ‘s
bi ds.Colleagues
said
Bullock’s
ca eful
fieldwo k
i
places
such
as
A ide
helped
establish
app oaches
that
a e
ow
widely
used
i
isla d
co se vatio .The
success
of
the
A ide
t a slocatio
showed
that
movi g
a
th eate ed
species
f om
a
isla d
whe e
it
was
co ce t ated
could
educe
its
isk
of
exti ctio .
The
app oach
has
si ce
bee
used
i
othe
co se vatio
p ojects
ac oss
the
Seychelles.
A
lifetime
p otecti g
emote
ecosystems
Bullock
was
bo
i
Camb idge
a d
studied
zoology
at
Ba go
U ive sity.
He
bega
his
co se vatio
ca ee
i
Af ica,
wo ki g
with
Volu ta y
Se vice
Ove seas
i
Ke ya
a d
the
Wildlife
Co se vatio
Society
of
Zambia.He
joi ed
the
RSPB
i
1978
a d
late
ma aged
seve al
impo ta t
isla d
ese ves,
i cludi g
Ramsey
Isla d
i
Pemb okeshi e,
Coll
i
the
I e
Heb ides
a d
Fetla
i
Shetla d.At
Ramsey
Isla d,
whe e
he
was
wa de
f om
1993
to
2003,
Bullock
wo ked
o
at
e adicatio
to
help
e da ge ed
Ma x
shea wate s
i c ease
i
umbe .
O
Coll,
he
helped
develop
ea ly
ecove y
pla s
fo
the
co c ake.F om
1990,
Bullock
also
wo ked
as
a
atu alist
guide
fo
Li dblad
Expeditio s
a d
Noble
Caledo ia.
He
led
wildlife
a d
esea ch
t ips
to
emote
a eas
of
the
A ctic,
A ta ctic
a d
Pacific
a d
Atla tic
ocea s.He
was
also
a
skilled
wildlife
a tist.
His
detailed
d awi gs
of
seabi ds
a d
ma i e
mammals
have
co ti ued
to
appea
i
publicatio s
a d
have
bee
used
by
co se vatio
cha ities
to
help
aise
mo ey
fo
wildlife
p otectio .Bullock’s
wo k
o
A ide
was
o ly
o e
pa t
of
a
lo g
ca ee
i
co se vatio ,
but
the
fou datio
he
helped
build
the e
co t ibuted
to
o e
of
the
Seychelles’
most
successful
bi d
ecove y
p ojects.
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