Sam Shanee has considerable experience in primate conservation and has worked in several animal rescue centres in South America as well as reintroduction projects in Asia and the Middle East. It was whilst volunteering in Bolivia that he met Noga for the first time. He continued working in animal rescue at several projects and in 2004 married Noga whilst working at the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project in Phuket, Thailand. Sam graduated from Oxford Brookes University, UK, with an MSc in Primate Conservation and has since been back to South America to carry out further conservation work and research.