Femke den Haas
Wildlife Conservator
Born in Cameroon on 8 September 1977, Femke den Haas (she/her) is of Dutch origin and hasbeen a firm advocate for animal rights since the moment she could talk, protesting againstanimal abuse and rescuing street animals on every occasion. As a teenager and young adult,she volunteered at animal and wildlife rescues in the Netherlands, Greece, Venezuela,Kalimantan and Guinea.Femke studied veterinary nursing and was always more attracted to working in the field thansitting behind a desk. In 2002 she moved to Jakarta to run an emergency centre for wildlifewhich was confiscated through smuggling at the airport or port and in 2004 she co-foundedJakarta Animal Aid Network (JAAN), Femke and her band of conservationists work endlessly to protect Indonesianwildlife and to improve animal welfare, enlisting the help of individuals andIndonesian authorities to rescue animals from exploitation and to decrease the trade inendangered wildlife. Femke has worked alongside with Ric O’Barry of Dolphin Project, openingthe 1st dolphin rehabilitation centre in the world. Her book ‘Swim Free’ about this 3-yearmission is currently being published.Femke lives her 12-year-old son Rio and Indonesian husband who is also an animal rescuer.In 2021 musician Warren Ellisdecided to support Femke and her team of wildlifeconservationists and this was the start of a real passion project, EllisPark, a wildlifesanctuary in Southern Sumatran Forests.
