Gison Morib

  • Project name: Getting to know Attenborough's Echidna: A soul-searching journey looking for one of the rarest animals of Papua
  • Project site: Pegunungan Cycloop, Papua, Indonesia
  • EDGE species: Attenborough’s Long-beaked Echidna, Zaglossus attenboroughi
  • Active: 2025 - ongoing

Biography

Gison Morib (also known as Jeff Wonda) is an early-career conservationist and biology graduate from Cenderawasih University, Papua, Indonesia. He currently works part-time at YAPPENDA, a local NGO, where he supports education and youth outreach initiatives. Jeff has already made significant contributions to conservation, including participating in the 2023 expedition that rediscovered the Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna—Zaglossus attenboroughi—after more than 60 years without confirmed sightings.

Born and raised near the Cyclops Mountains, Jeff has a deep personal connection to this unique landscape. His growing experience includes camera trapping, species monitoring, ecological surveys, and community engagement. He is passionate about combining scientific research with local knowledge and cultural values to drive grassroots conservation in Papua.

Through the EDGE Fellowship, Jeff hopes to develop his technical and leadership skills, establish stronger community partnerships, and become a leading voice for biodiversity protection in Papua. He also aspires to inspire future generations of Papuan conservationists and foster a wider appreciation of the region’s rich natural heritage.

EDGE Project

Jeff’s vision is a future where the Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna is protected by the communities who share its mountain home—and where the species’ cultural and ecological importance is widely recognised.

His EDGE Fellowship will establish the first comprehensive understanding of this Critically Endangered species’ distribution, habitat preferences, and the local perceptions that shape its conservation. Drawing on camera trap surveys, community interviews, and stakeholder engagement, the project will support the development of a conservation strategy sensitive to the local context.