Damian Aspinall
| John Damian Androcles Aspinall | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 May 1960 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Businessman and Conservationist |
| Notable work | Raising and releasing several zoo-bred lowland gorillas |
| Spouse(s) |
Louise Sebag- Montefiore (m.1987-2002) Victoria Fisher (m. 2016) |
| Children | Three |
Louise Sebag- Montefiore (m.1987-2002)
John Damian Androcles Aspinall (born 24 May 1960) is an English businessman and conservationist, notable for his raising and release of a number of a zoo-bred lowland gorillas in Gabon.
Aspinall is the son of Jane Gordon Hastings and John Victor Aspinall (d.2000) who was a zoo owner, gambler, founder of Aspers, conservationist and the stepson of Sir George Osborne, 16th Baronet. Damian's step-mother is Lady Sarah Aspinall; in 1972, his father had married, (for the third time), Lady Sarah ("Sally") Courage, widow of the racing driver Piers Courage and daughter of Francis Curzon, 5th Earl Howe (d.1964). From the age of six, Damian Aspinall was educated, as a boarder, at Millfield School, Somerset.
Aspinall's wealth is estimated to be around £200m. Aspinall acquired his wealth independently in the real estate business - his father refusing to assist him financially. After his father's death in 2000, Damian bought back the family casino interests with the help of Australian associate James Packer, son of Kerry Packer.
He runs the John Aspinall Foundation started by his father, and his stated goal is to breed gorillas and return them to the wild. He manages Howletts Wild Animal Park and nearby Port Lympne, where 120 gorillas have been born and 77 presently live. The foundation has released 51 gorillas to secure areas in Africa. Several of them have been found dead, possibly due to having been primed to humans and being unable to care for themselves in the wild and attacks by other gorillas. Critics, among them the president of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund have commented that this outcome was predictable.
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