Damian Aspinall
Encyclopedia
John Damian Androcles Aspinall (born 24 May 1960), is an English casino owner, aspiring songwriter and conservationist, notable for his raising and release of Kwibi, a zoo-bred Lowland Gorilla in Gabon
. He is the son of Jane Gordon Hastings and John Victor Aspinall
, zoo owner, gambler and founder of Aspers, and conservationist. Aspinall was educated at Millfield
School, Somerset.
, 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 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.
Kwibi, the celebrity gorilla released when 5 years old in 2005 in Gabon, had been born and raised at Howletts, a wild animal park in Kent
. Aspinall tracked Kwibi in 2010 and the video of the reunion became widely viewed on YouTube
.
, Westminster
, London
, to Louise Elizabeth Julia Sebag-Montefiore (b. 31 July 1962), daughter of Peter Geoffrey Edmund Nathaniel Sebag-Montefiore (b. 29 June 1929) and wife (m. 17 September 1960) Joanna Ethne Julia Poett, the mother of his two daughters Tansy Aspinall (b. Westminster, London, 1989) and Clary Aspinall (b. Westminster, London, 1992), and still maintains good relations with her. After his divorce he dated Kirsty Roper, a former Miss UK. Until 2007 he was in a relationship with TV presenter Donna Air
, the mother of his daughter Freya Aspinall (b. September 2003).
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
. He is the son of Jane Gordon Hastings and John Victor Aspinall
John Aspinall (zoo owner)
John Victor Aspinall was a British zoo owner and gambler. He was born in Delhi, India, but was a citizen of the United Kingdom.-Biography:...
, zoo owner, gambler and founder of Aspers, and conservationist. Aspinall was educated at Millfield
Millfield
Millfield is an independent school in Street in Somerset, in south-west England.The school currently has a roll of 1,260 pupils, of whom 910 are boarders...
School, Somerset.
Career
Damian 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 PackerJames Packer
James Douglas Packer is an Australian businessman.Packer is the son of the late media mogul Kerry Packer and grandson of Frank Packer. He inherited the family company, Consolidated Press Holdings Limited, which controls investments in Crown Limited, Consolidated Media Holdings and other companies...
, son of Kerry Packer
Kerry Packer
Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer, AC was an Australian media tycoon. The son of Sir Frank Packer and Gretel Bullmore, the Packer family company owned controlling interest in both the Nine television network and leading Australian publishing company Australian Consolidated Press, which were later...
. He runs the John Aspinall Foundation
John Aspinall Foundation
The John Aspinall Foundation is a British charity which works to promote wildlife conservation. It was set up by professional gambler and zoo owner John Aspinall in 1984 and runs the two zoos he set up, Port Lympne Zoo and Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent, England...
started by his father, and his stated goal is to breed gorillas and return them to the wild. He manages Howletts 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.
Kwibi, the celebrity gorilla released when 5 years old in 2005 in Gabon, had been born and raised at Howletts, a wild animal park in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
. Aspinall tracked Kwibi in 2010 and the video of the reunion became widely viewed on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Personal life
Damian Aspinall was married for 15 years from July 1987; his wedding took place at Westminster AbbeyWestminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
, Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, to Louise Elizabeth Julia Sebag-Montefiore (b. 31 July 1962), daughter of Peter Geoffrey Edmund Nathaniel Sebag-Montefiore (b. 29 June 1929) and wife (m. 17 September 1960) Joanna Ethne Julia Poett, the mother of his two daughters Tansy Aspinall (b. Westminster, London, 1989) and Clary Aspinall (b. Westminster, London, 1992), and still maintains good relations with her. After his divorce he dated Kirsty Roper, a former Miss UK. Until 2007 he was in a relationship with TV presenter Donna Air
Donna Air
Donna Air is an English television presenter, singer and actress.-Early life:As a former student of Gosforth High School, Donna attended the Drama School at First Act in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, where she was a pupil alongside Jill Halfpenny, Ant & Dec and Dale Meeks.-Television:She became...
, the mother of his daughter Freya Aspinall (b. September 2003).