Alison Cronin

{{short description|American primatologist}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox person | name = Alison Cronin | honorific_suffix = [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] | image = | alt =  | caption = | birth_name = Alison Lorraine Ames | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1966|9}} | birth_place = United States | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Zookeeper, primate behavioural expert | years_active = | known_for = Monkey World | notable_works = | spouse = {{marriage|[[Jim Cronin (zoo keeper)|Jim Cronin]]|1996|2007|end=died}} | children = }} '''Alison Lorraine Cronin''' (nee '''Ames'''), [[Order of the British Empire|MBE]] (born September 1966) is the American director of [[Monkey World]] in [[Dorset]], England, a sanctuary for abused and neglected primates. She is an expert in the rescue and rehabilitation of abused primates, and in the enforcement of international treaties aimed at protecting them from illegal trade and experimentation.<ref name="WFM">{{cite news |title=Huge recognition for owner of Monkey World |url=https://www.wessexfm.com/news/dorset-news/2667433/huge-recognition-for-owner-of-monkey-world/ |date=August 25, 2018}}</ref>

Cronin was appointed a [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) in 2006 for Services to Animal Welfare along with her husband as well as for founding the Endangered Asian Species Trust.<ref name="WFM"/>

==Early life and career== Cronin was born in September 1966 as Alison Lorraine Ames in [[San Diego]], California.<ref>{{cite web |last1=ltd |first1=company check |title=DR ALISON LORRAINE CRONIN director information. Free director information. Director id 911101463 |url=https://companycheck.co.uk/director/911101463/DR-ALISON-LORRAINE-CRONIN/summary |website=Company Check}}</ref> She studied physical anthropology at [[Cambridge University]]. It was while she was living in the UK that she met [[Jim Cronin (zoo keeper)|Jim Cronin]] at Monkey World in 1993. They married in 1996. They were joint directors of Monkey World. After her husband died, Cronin continued running the site and working against animal smuggling and the pet trade.<ref>{{cite web |title=London Calling |url=https://grahammack.wordpress.com/2016/10/06/london-calling-2/ |website=Mack's Craic |date=October 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Hevesi |first1=Dennis |title=Jim Cronin, Foe of Illegal Trade in Primates, Dies at 55 |work=The New York Times |date=March 21, 2007 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/21/world/europe/21cronin.html |language=en}}</ref>

Cronin became known through the television series ''[[Monkey Business (TV series)|Monkey Business]]'' (made by [[Meridian Broadcasting]] and shown on [[ITV Network|ITV]] Meridian in the UK and on [[Animal Planet]] worldwide) which has documented the frequent rescue missions and undercover investigations throughout Europe and Asia. The show began in 1998 with ''Monkey Business'' which was then replaced with ''[[Monkey Life (TV series)|Monkey Life]]'' in 2007. It covers the low and high-profile rescues, one of the most dramatic being in January 2008 when Cronin led a huge rescue of 88 Capuchin monkeys from [[Chile]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Monkey World's Capuchins |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/dorset/content/articles/2009/03/24/monkey_world_capucin_one_year_on_feature.shtml |language=en-gb}}</ref>

In 2008, Cronin led the creation of the Dao Tien Endangered Primate Rescue Centre located in [[Cát Tiên National Park]], [[Southern Vietnam]] which is a rescue, rehabilitation, and release centre focusing on [[Nomascus gabriellae|golden-cheeked gibbons]], [[Pygathrix nigripes|black-shanked douc langurs]], [[Trachypithecus cristatus|silvered langurs]], and [[Nycticebus pygmaeus|pygmy loris]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Monkey World - Ape Rescue Center |url=http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/idp/idp/entry/522 |website=pin.primate.wisc.edu |language=en}}</ref> Cronin has written on primates as well as fought to get legislation changed to protect the primates.<ref name="Cronin2002">{{cite book|author=Alison Cronin|title=The Old Man of the Forest|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U12IAAAACAAJ|year=2002|publisher=Creative Characters Partnership|isbn=978-1-902857-06-0}}</ref><ref name="Committee2014">{{cite book|author=Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee|title=HC 984 - Primates as Pets|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LdPzAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA32|date=June 10, 2014|publisher=The Stationery Office|isbn=978-0-215-07288-7|pages=32–}}</ref>

In 2018, Cronin was awarded an honorary degree from [[Oxford Brookes University]] for her work.<ref>{{cite web |title=Conservationists of the built and natural world to receive honorary degrees - Oxford Brookes University |url=https://www.brookes.ac.uk/about-brookes/news/conservationists-of-the-built-and-natural-world-to-receive-honorary-degrees/ |website=www.brookes.ac.uk |language=en |access-date=September 11, 2018 |archive-date=December 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211072409/https://www.brookes.ac.uk/about-brookes/news/conservationists-of-the-built-and-natural-world-to-receive-honorary-degrees/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.monkeyworld.org Monkey World]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cronin, Alison}} [[Category:1966 births]] [[Category:21st-century American zoologists]] [[Category:American animal welfare workers]] [[Category:American emigrants to England]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Members of the Order of the British Empire]] [[Category:Women primatologists]] [[Category:People associated with Oxford Brookes University]]