What makes the West Country "home" to you?

We moved to the Bristol area 13 years ago from Jersey and have never looked back. The few things we miss about Jersey are more than made up for by what this part of the country offers - great scenery, the ability to get to most parts of Britain easily, friendly people and a vibrant city.

How do you relax?

Running (I've done a few half-marathons), walking, birdwatching, fly fishing and watching sport in the hope that England will achieve greatness in cricket, football and rugby all in the same year.

When and where are you happiest?

This is really difficult as I love my job as well as the things I do to relax, so there are a lot of competitors for this. If I had to pick, I'd say family moments such as Christmas when everyone is together and relaxed; being at the top of a big hill having had a hard walk up and seeing a landmark event at the zoo such as an important birth in a conservation breeding programme.

What's your earliest memory?

Before the age of three, standing in the back garden of our house waiting for the chimney sweep's brush to emerge from the chimney – it's amazing what was exciting to a two-year-old.

What makes you laugh?

Slightly surreal aspects of life or films – the Monty Python films are great.

What do you dream of?

England winning the next Ashes series (dream on ...?)

What is your greatest fear?

Losing a loved one.

Who do you admire, living or dead, and why?

Charles Darwin. The older I get, the more I understand the enormity of his work and how much it has shaped the way we look at our world.

He developed his theory without any understanding of the mechanisms behind natural selection. Now, of course, we have filed those gaps with our knowledge of DNA, genetics and much more, and have nothing of any significance that calls his theory into question.

What is your worst habit?

Not quite finishing off jobs.

What possession could you not live without?

Books and a brain.

What is your greatest frustration?

Bureaucracy getting in the way of conservation initiatives alongside a lack of funding for conservation.

What is your favourite book?

My Family And Other Animals by Gerald Durrell – it's extremely funny and an inspiration to all budding young naturalists.

What is your favourite word?

Obfuscation – it describes what it means and there's far too much of it.

What would you chose to eat and drink at your last meal?

A freshly cooked crab to pick away at and a good Sancerre to wash it down.

What or who is the love of your life?

My family – Christine, Claire and Henry – followed by some non-human primates, especially gorillas.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Some very wealthy people who would like to make significant contributions to wildlife conservation – names to me, please, and I'll set it up.

What single thing would improve your life?

A safari trip to Botswana and seeing African hunting dogs.

What is your greatest ahchievement?

Running the European Zoo Association's first international campaign. This focused on bushmeat – such as hunting wild animals for food, which is usually unsustainable and, for many species, illegal. In Africa, this particularly affects great apes and other primates and is one of the biggest threats to gorillas and chimpanzees, our closest relatives.

We took a two-million signature petition to the European Parliament, got a parliamentary resolution passed and funding for great-ape conservation work.

What talent do you wish you had?

I'd like to play guitar like Eric Clapton. But I can't play at all at the moment, so it's a big wish!

How would you like to be remembered?

As someone who cared and who played a small part in helping the natural world.