What is Joan Embery's Net Worth?
Joan Embery is an animal and environmental activist, public speaker, and equestrian who has a net worth of $5 million. Joan Embery is widely known for her appearances on the late-night talk shows "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." She has also hosted a number of educational television series, including "Animal Express," "Baby Panda," and "Challenges to Wildlife." Beyond television, Embery was a founding member of the American Association of Zoo Keepers and served for over three decades as the goodwill ambassador for the Zoological Society of San Diego.
Early Life and Education
Joan Embery was born on June 1, 1949 in San Diego, California. Growing up, she loved the outdoors, and often camped under the stars and hiked the San Diego canyons. For her higher education, she attended San Diego State University and then Eastern Illinois University, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from the latter school.
Animal Activism
In the 1960s, Embery became involved in animal activism. She was a founding member of the American Association of Zoo Keepers, which was first organized in San Diego in 1967 to help educate professional zookeepers. Since then, its membership has grown to include zoo professionals at all levels, from directors to students and volunteers. Embery also served 32 years as the goodwill ambassador for the Zoological Society of San Diego, which oversees the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Elsewhere, Embery was a trustee of the Morris Animal Foundation, a member of the advisory board of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine's Wildlife Health Center, and a professional fellow of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. She has served on various other boards focused on wildlife and conservation issues, including those of the San Diego River Park Foundation, the Blue Sky Community Foundation, and the Anza-Borrego Foundation.
Embery has traveled far and wide on wildlife expeditions to such places as China, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand. She has raised awareness of animal and environmental conservation through books, tours, and other projects. Embery's books include "My Wild World," "Amazing Animal Facts," "On Horses," and "The Good Dog Book." In 2004, she founded the non-profit foundation the Embery Institute for Wildlife Conservation, which works to foster connections between people and wildlife conservation issues.
Television Appearances
Embery frequently brought her animal activism to television. She became widely known to the public for her many appearances on the late-night talk show "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," on which she appeared over 70 times in total. A favorite of both Carson and his audiences, Embery brought on such memorable animal guests as a lion cub, a baby rhinoceros, a tarantula, and a baby elephant that could paint. One of her most famous appearances saw her bringing on a pygmy marmoset that jumped onto Carson's arm, moved up to his shoulder, and then sat and quietly urinated on his head. Embery responded to the humorous incident by saying that the marmoset was marking its territory. After Carson left his show in the early 1990s, Embery made many appearances on his successor's program "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."
In addition to her late-night talk show appearances, Embery has hosted an array of educational wildlife series on public broadcasting television. Her shows include "Animal Express," "Animals of Africa," "Challenges to Wildlife," and "Baby Panda." Embery also made cameo appearances on such television sitcoms as "Newhart," "ALF," and "The Larry Sanders Show," and appeared on the game show "Hollywood Squares."
(Denver Post via Getty Images)
Honors and Awards
Embery has earned many accolades over the years. In 1998, she was given the Distinguished Alumna Award from her alma mater Eastern Illinois University. Later, in 2007, Embery was inducted into the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame. Also in San Diego, she was named Outstanding Celebrity Philanthropist by the city's Rotary International chapter.
Personal Life
Embery was married to Duane Pillsbury for 41 years until his passing in 2020. During their marriage, Pillsbury always accompanied his wife on her travels. The couple lived on a 50-acre ranch in San Diego County called Pillsbury Ranch, which contained such unusual animals as a toco toucan and a zebra that grazed on the front lawn. Embery also raised and trained various horses on the property that she used in her equestrian endeavors. An accomplished horsewoman, she won trophies in the areas of dressage, jumping, driving, and cutting. Embery also manages the community equestrian facility Lakeside Saddle & Driving Club.
