Professor Carl Jones has worked with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust since 1985, where he now serves as Chief Scientist, and he is a founding member and scientific director of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. He has led successful recovery efforts for the kestrel, pink pigeon and echo parakeet, and is credited with saving three reptile species, a fruit bat and several plants from extinction.

He studied biology at North-East London Polytechnic before completing his M.Sc. and Ph.D. at Swansea while working for the World Wildlife Fund.

Carl was appointed MBE in 2004 for his contributions to conservation and, after two prior nominations, won the Indianapolis Prize in 2016. He holds an honorary professorship in ecology and conservation biology at the University of East Anglia. He now lives in Carmarthen with his wife and two children.