Wildlife Matters Autumn 2016

WILDLIFE AUTUMN 2016: ISSUE 49

MATTERS

Elephants

Fighting for the survival of Africa’s elephants

Animal Hero

David Shepherd receives the Lifetime Achievement award at the Daily Mirror’s Animal Hero Awards

Gifts for Wildlife

Wonderful ideas for all your Christmas gifts

FIGHT . PROTECT . ENGAGE

The magazine of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation - saving endangered mammals in the wild www.davidshepherd.org

Welcome to

WHO’S WHO Founder/President:

David Shepherd CBE FRSA Honorary Vice Presidents:

Mark Carwardine, Saba Douglas-Hamilton, David Gower OBE, Gary Lineker OBE, Simon King OBE, Mandy Shepherd Trustees:

Wildlife

matters

Lady Melanie Lamb, Nigel Colne CBE, Christopher Cowdray, Nigel Keen, Fiona Luck, Bruce Norris, Andre Pienaar, James Rountree Trading Company Directors:

Christopher Oliver, Lady Melanie Lamb,

Chief Executive: Sally Case Head of Finance:

Lizzie Ball Executive Assistant: Mandy Gale Head of Brand & Communications: Vicky Flynn Fundraising & Policy Manager: Georgina Lamb Trading Co-ordinator: Lisa Langridge Individual Giving Manager: Georgia Boatman Communications Assistant: Luke Judd Office Manager: Natalie Archer Education Manager: Jo Elphick Accounts Assistant: Marianne Watts TigerTime Manager: Vicky Flynn Community Fundraiser: Marianne Watts Conservation Advisor: Mark Carwardine Education Advisor: Andrew White DSWF Office, Gallery & Trading Company:

Saba House

7 Kings Road Shalford

Guildford, Surrey GU4 8JU

Tel: 01483 272323

Email: dswf@davidshepherd.org Websites: davidshepherd.org & tigertime.info

Charity No.1106893 Company No. 4918392 CAF ‘Give as you earn’ No. 001604.

VAT Reg No. 414001815 Print: Pensord Press Limited Editorial & Design:

Vicky Flynn, DSWF

Cover Image:

Courtesy of Andrew White www.silentwildlife.com

Keeping in touch: Help us cut costs DSWF’s monthly eNewsletter keeps you up-to-date with all our latest news, events and offers and we also provide Wildlife Matters in an online format. If you would like to receive either communication in this way please email your full details to dswf@davidshepherd.org so that we can switch you from printed to digital communications. Or call us on 01483 272323.

A true hero to animals - David accepts his Animal Hero, Lifetime Achievement Award in London

At a star-studded gala event in London on Wednesday 7th September DSWF founder and president, David Shepherd, was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his life’s work to protect endangered wildlife. The award, part of the annual Animal Hero Awards run by the Daily Mirror in partnership with the RSPCA , celebrated some truly amazing animals as well as unsung heroes.

From recognition of businesses who put animal welfare at the heart of what they do to service animals who protect us all, the glittering awards ceremony hosted

by Amanda Holden was a wonderful celebration of the importance of animals.

Actor and DSWF supporter, Peter Egan presented David with his award saying: “In this field we stand among giants, but this man, the recipient of this award, is a Goliath.”

“I am overwhelmed and truly honoured,” said David, who received two standing

ovations and spoke of his continuing passion for wildlife and for the importance of educating the next generation to protect our planet.

“Education is so important and our annual Global Canvas Art and Poetry event is such a wonderful way to bring children from all around the world together to show their understanding and concern for the biodiversity of the planet.”

In his closing remarks David added: “I owe this accolade to the dedicated and loyal supporters of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, without whom none of our work to protect the world’s endangered wildlife would be possible.”

You can find out more about the 2017 Global Canvas competition on page 17 and read about, and support, the wonderful projects that have inspired David and the team for over 30 years throughout this edition of Wildlife Matters.

Keeping print costs down helps us put even more funds into conservation.

You can also follow DSWF and TigerTime on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter @theDSWF @theDSWFgallery @TigerTimeNow

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100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted

Inside this issue

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WILDLIFE

CEO Sally Case

Welcome to the autumn edition of Wildlife Matters. As ever it brings together a wonderful array of news from the field where your support is helping us make a huge difference to the protection of endangered wildlife. There’s some fabulous news for snow leopards on pages 16-17 and we also look at our work on the international stage at CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) on pages 6-7.

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At the conference there was, for once, near unanimity on the need to increase protection for all eight species of pangolin - currently the most trafficked mammal on earth. You can read more about that CITES decision and our work to protect pangolins on page 8.

For elephants the stakes were high and there were many hard-fought battles on several fronts to address the desperate decline of Africa’s elephants. The charge was led by a coalition of 29 African countries representing nearly three quarters of the elephant range in Africa all seeking the highest level of protection for these amazing creatures. You can read more about the outcomes on pages 6-7.

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CONTENTS p.6 Fighting for the world’s wildlife - our work at CITES this autumn p.5 Exciting new limited edition prints from Emily Lamb p.13 Wonderful news from Russia - with love p.19 The trip of a lifetime creates new ambassadors for wildlife p.24 Amazing new art and cards that help support endangered species

Working together for

One of the stunning images from this year’s Christmas card collection - see them all on page 24

In the midst of these intense international negotiations came news of two more orphan elephant rescues in Zambia, reminding us of the impact and importance of the decisions being made.

Teams that DSWF supports worked day and night to bring these new victims of the illegal wildlife trade to safety - you can read more about their emotional journeys on page 9.

I am so proud that DSWF continues to fight on every front, from protecting each tiny elephant in need of care and rehabilitation to raising awareness and engaging partners on the international stage. As ever, there is much to do when it comes to conservation but, with your generous support, we have been making a difference to wildlife survival for over 30 years and we are determined to continue fighting on every front until the job is done.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Wildlife Matters with a new look and feel for David’s iconic logo, reflecting our determination to fight on for generations to come. It’s part of a refreshed look and a new website coming very soon, so we can share the very best of what we do with even more people.

Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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Stunning NEW limited edition prints

by Emily Lamb

African Fish Eagle 28x38cm Signed limited edition print of 100 Mounted £150 Capturing the magic of Africa these beautiful limited edition prints from artist Emily Lamb are exclusive to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation with all sales supporting our wildlife conservation projects.

Following in the footsteps of her famous grandfather, David Shepherd CBE, Emily is a highly sought-after artist in her own right with numerous, international sell-out exhibitions to her name.

Emily supports the foundation by donating paintings for fundraising exhibitions and auctions but rarely releases limited edition prints. With just 100 of each print produced, don’t miss your opportunity to buy one today.

How to order Please call us on 01483 272323 to place your order or you can buy on-line at shop.davidshepherd.org All orders are subject to postage and packing charges

Carmines 30x30cm Signed limited edition print of 100 Box canvas £80

Surrey company lends a helping hand to Africa's troubled elephants

News Join us at the Dorchester Come and join us at our magical, annual Wildlife Ball on Friday November 11. Hosted by London’s top five star hotel, the Dorchester on Park Lane, what better way to celebrate and help the wildlife that we all love? Tickets include a champagne reception, four course dinner, music, entertainment and dancing! Why not take a table and say thank you to your team or customers and help endangered wildlife too.

Call us on 01483 272323 to buy your ticket today, limited availability!

Cranleigh based Ele’s Tyres & Servicing have donated £3,259.34 to DSWF’s vital elephant conservation projects across Africa. The amazing amount, raised by staff and customers, means they have raised almost £11,000 since 2013.

“This generous donation will not only enable us to support the tiny orphans that are losing their mothers to the illegal trade but also to help us lobby for a complete and lasting ban on the trade in ivory,” says DSWF, CEO Sally Case (pictured above centre with the Ele’s team).

First Godalming Tiger Trail Children visiting Godalming town centre in Surrey this summer were invited to take part in our first ever Godalming Tiger Trail. Ten of our stripy friends were hiding in shop windows along with the answers to ten tigery questions.

Children had to find the tigers and answer the questions to be in with a chance of winning a special edition Augustus the Tiger adoption pack. The winner was Eva who popped in to collect her prize (with her little sister - left) and to meet another very special tiger - Augustus himself!

Thank you to all the shops who took part: Waterstones, Lorimers, The Racquet Shop, Animal Magic, The Toy Box, Godalming Art Shop, Chandlers Opticians, Connecta Baby, Arty Crafty and The Godalming Food Company.

Money matters In the financial year 2015-16 income raised by the Foundation totalled £1.4 million of which donations and legacies made up £806,000 and event and activity income totalled £530,000. Charitable activities in the year totalled more than £800,000 which is an increase of over 15% as the special capital project grants were given in the year. These capital grants included a new dog vehicle in India, a plane for Zambian air support (see page 8) and the new conservancy project in Kyrgyzstan (see page 17).

The Foundation focuses on field projects where even limited funding makes a very real difference to the survival of wildlife, their habitat and for the benefit of rural people who share their environment. Emphasis is placed on long term support to allow projects to become self-sustaining where possible. All funding of these projects goes through a rigorous application and reporting process.

3% 11% 4% 37%

5% 8%

14%

6% 7%

5%

Charitable giving by country/sector 2015/2016

Our projects all face challenges on the ground and many benefit from our input to help with not just finance, but expertise and guidance.

Zambia

Mongolia/Kyrgyzstan

Zimbabwe

Russia

We are aiming to increase our income in the coming years in order to be able to extend our reach and support the species in dire need as demonstrated by our new pangolin programme in Zambia (see page 8). We continue to work as efficiently as possible and make every penny count.

Namibia

Thailand

Uganda

Cross border/demand reduction

India

Education

Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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CITES update There was intense drama at the seventeenth Conference of Parties to CITES in Johannesburg this September writes DSWF CEO, Sally Case. The 182 countries who are signatories to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, met to debate the levels of trade to be permitted for some of the most endangered species on our planet.

Elephants

With figures recently released from the Great Elephant Census showing a massive 30% decline in African elephants in just seven years, ivory trade was high on the agenda. A coalition of 29 African Countries (the African Elephant Coalition or AEC) between them representing nearly three quarters of all African Elephant range states, led the charge with a package of five proposals designed to bring about an end to the trade in ivory and deliver lasting protection for elephants. At its heart was the message that African elephants must be considered together, because the existence of a legal ivory market means illegally sourced ivory can be laundered through them allowing criminal networks to make billions of pounds.

Elephants are migratory animals and the current system of allowing different countries to have different levels of protection makes a nonsense of the CITES convention. An elephant herd may start its day in Angola and finish it in Namibia; elephants must be afforded protection on a biological basis and no longer be subject to the vagaries of a system so heavily influenced by politics.

There were early wins in the ivory trade debate; the process agreed in 2007 to create a Decision Making Mechanism (DMM) for a process of trade in ivory, has expired without any trade process being agreed, and it will not be renewed.

After negotiations late into the night, there were more wins for elephants when parties agreed to recommend that all countries

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with legal domestic markets in ivory that are contributing to the illegal trade, take all necessary measures to close their domestic markets as a matter of urgency.

But, the big debate was held over until the very end of the conference. Thirteen countries called for an uplisting of all African elephants to Appendix I of the convention; that would mean all international trade in them would be banned - the highest level of protection available to endangered species.

Gabon estimated, despite their best efforts, they were haemorrhaging about a ton of ivory per month Country after country spoke on this question, urging fellow parties to act before it was too late. One of the most passionate calls came from Gabon who lost over 20,000 elephants following the “experimental” sale of ivory to China and Japan in 2008 when markets for ivory flooded open.

They paid tribute to the 1,000 rangers who have lost their lives in the last decade in a desperate attempt to stop the slaughter of rhino and elephant. Parties were asked to acknowledge that entire nations have been destabilised by poaching and collectively, as an international community, they have failed to manage the ivory trade.

Gabon estimated that, despite their best efforts, they were haemorrhaging about a ton of ivory per month. They concluded their speech with a plea that the green light was not given to poachers, traffickers, organised criminal networks and terrorists;

instead a clear message of solidarity was issued - a declaration of war on the forces that destabilise African nations.

One of the most dramatic and surprising moments came when Botswana, one of the four countries whose elephant populations are currently in Appendix II, came out in favour of the AEC uplisting proposal. “We unreservedly relinquish that status and support uplisting of all African elephants to Appendix I,” said Tshekedi Khama, Botswana Minister of the Environment, Wildlife and Tourism. “Although Botswana has previously supported limited trade we recognise we can no longer support the sale of ivory; we cannot deal with this issue in a vacuum.”

Sadly it was not enough. The call to give elephants the highest level of protection was lost by just nine votes. The new European Union bloc vote of 28 was exercised against the proposal, compelling it to fail.

Pangolin

There were however, good victories for other species including pangolin. With over one million pangolin estimated to have been poached for their meat and scales in just ten years, they are the most trafficked animal on the planet. With few natural defence mechanisms, these intriguing animals are at the mercy of poachers who store them alive in bags and suitcases, hoping to sell them for thousands of dollars.

The four species of Asian pangolin have been critically endangered for some time

100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted

Elephants courtesy of Andrew White

and, with supply running out, traffickers have turned to the four species of African pangolin to make their money. Only Indonesia objected to giving these vulnerable creatures the protection they need; and after a relatively short debate both African and Asian pangolin were placed onto Appendix I causing jubilant scenes amongst conservationists who had fought so hard to achieve this.

Rhino

In the end the debate on a renewed trade in rhino horn was mercifully short. Swaziland had placed a proposal to amend language around the listing of their population of southern white rhino to permit a limited and regulated trade in horn. The proposal was beaten conclusively with 72 parties against and just 26 for. In other discussions, a rhino working group chaired by the British Government recommended that Mozambique be asked to report on the implementation of its National Ivory and Rhino Action Plan and Vietnam be asked to report on its legislative and enforcement efforts and, in particular, its collaborative efforts with China. These actions will be carried forward for review at a further meeting of the group.

Tigers

The news for tigers was greeted with cautious optimism. As a trade focused convention efforts are directed towards the trade in farmed big cats. Tiger “farms” and other facilities hold more than twice the number of tigers in the wild, with more than 7,000 captive tigers in just four countries - China, Thailand, Lao PDR and Vietnam. All Asian big cats are already listed on Appendix I, but domestic farming is still permitted meaning tiger skins, bones and other parts are entering the illegal trade through tiger breeding facilities and perpetuating the trade which in turn impacts on tigers poached from the wild.

Lao PDRs announcement that they would look at the closure of their tiger breeding

facilities and seek expert help to do so was supported by the USA and NGOs who welcomed this bold move.

There was celebration too when India, Nepal, the USA, EU and Lao PDR overruled a proposal from China to delete a Decision to end tiger farming. China stood alone in suggesting that the Decision, which states that “tigers should not be bred for trade in their parts and derivatives”, should be “retired”.

Also approved at CITES were a suite of Decisions that will continue a thorough review of efforts to improve legislation and enforcement and will put facilities that keep and breed tigers and other Asian big cats for commercial purposes under greater scrutiny.

Additionally, there was support in principle for a proposal from India which encourages countries that make seizures of tiger skins to share photos of these with range states, to facilitate investigations into the origin of the skins.

The news that Africa’s lions were not moved to Appendix I and that limited trade would be allowed was a disappointment, not least because the trade in lion bones would impact on wild tigers too.

As with all of the issues that were discussed, the job in hand is now to ensure these recommendations, decisions and requests become concrete actions - before it is too late.

Sadly it was not enough. The call to give elephants the highest level of protection was lost by just nine votes

Representing DSWF at CITES, Policy Manager, Georgina Lamb and CEO, Sally Case

In collaboration with Foundation Franz Weber from Switzerland, DSWF were pleased to send a team of experts to the seventeenth meeting of the CITES Conference of the Parties to raise awareness of all of these issues. Armed with scientific and economic data, the team from more than ten different countries worked to support parties in the run up to each vote, ensuring each had what they needed to articulate their view.

This work would not have been possible without the generous support and expertise of Vulcan - the Paul G Allen Foundation.

Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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Zambia

DSWF supporters help put ‘eyes in the sky’ to protect wildlife Thanks to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and the Olsen Animal Trust, the GRI - Kafue Conservation Project is now the very proud owner of a Savannah VG aircraft.

Pangolins get vital support from DSWF and the international community A series of confiscations by the DSWF funded pangolin protection team in Zambia this summer further highlighted the need for greater awareness and protection for these shy and harmless creatures.

So, when the decision was made to uplist all eight species of Asian and African pangolins to Appendix I at CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, the body, composed of 182 governments, that sets wildlife trade policy) there was huge relief.

“This decision will help give pangolins a fighting chance,” says DSWF CEO, Sally Case.

“It means that all international trade in pangolin and their parts is banned.”

With over one million pangolins believed to have been traded illegally in the last decade, these largely unknown creatures are hunted for their meat and scales. The voracious trade in Asian pangolin has now reached its African counterpart and the wildlife crime prevention team (working alongside he Department of National Parks and Wildlife) that DSWF funds in Zambia, has been faced with a dramatic increase in seized pangolins in the last two years.

But, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we have been able to implement an immediate response to this crisis, providing: • Rescue and rehabilitation - so that seized pangolins, which may have been kept in very poor conditions, are rehabilitated and cared for until they are ready to be released back into the wild.

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• Education and awareness – to ensure local people are aware of the perilous state of the pangolin and of the likely penalties for those found in possession of them.

• Law enforcement - so that all law enforcement officers in the area are aware of the work and support of the DSWF funded team and are able to make them aware of all pangolin cases in the area.

DSWF’s aim is to reduce the threat, the illegal trade and local consumption of pangolin through this comprehensive programme, and with your support we will continue to help pangolins who come into the hands of the criminals.

“The new protection agreed at CITES should now mean a dramatic reduction in demand for these remarkable animals. But, for anyone trying to trade in endangered species we will make sure local enforcement bodies are ready and waiting,” adds Sally.

You can support pangolins by donating online at www.davidshepherd.org or by calling us on 01483 272323.

“This will be a game changer for our law enforcement and research support to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) in Kafue and will help us build on recent successes,” says GRI CEO, Sport Beattie.

In the last quarter the DNPW, with ongoing support from the GRI and DSWF funding, have apprehended 536 poachers and confiscated 318 illegal firearms.

The team, which now includes 125 rangers, have achieved some amazing successes with just two land cruisers at their disposal.

In 28,855 man patrol days they have recovered 126kgs of ivory, 13,528kgs of bush meat and removed 1,077 snares.

“The positive impact to wildlife of the team’s hard work and dedication cannot be underestimated and we are hugely proud to have helped fund this work,” says Chair of Trustees, Lady Melanie Lamb. “The addition of the light aircraft will hopefully drive up these successes but our work is only just beginning. To secure the Kafue National Park to a level where it can become sustainable we need to be supporting and empowering a minimum of 350 rangers.”

“This is not an insurmountable task,” adds Sport. “And, with the help of DSWF and their amazing donors, there is no reason why we could not achieve this within the next five years.”

To enhance the programme we’re introducing an irresistible new pangolin adoption with handcrafted toys produced in Zambia.

See page 25 for full details.

100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted

Images courtesy of Game Rangers International

ABOVE: A mother and baby pangolin seized from poachers this summer were looked after by the DSWF funded team in Zambia. Sadly, the baby was just too weak to survive and the mother returned alone to the wild.

From top left: Kasewe arrives at her new home; Little Mwembwe, too weak to survive; a rescue underway; Kakaro remains a cause for concern and integrating with the herd at the orphanage

A call to arms

as five orphan rescues stretch the team to the limit It has been a tumultuous autumn for the DSWF supported team at the GRI Elephant Orphanage in Zambia with five emergency rescues stretching them to the limit.

The first three unrelated rescue requests came in over a three day period. Njanji, who is approximately a year and a half old, was the first orphan to be rescued. Found in Livingstone, the team quickly identified that he had been separated from his mother and had been rejected by a passing herd. Malnourished and dehydrated the team acted quickly to dart the small orphan who was in desperate need of care.

Njanji was taken to the nursery facility at Lilayi to receive the vital care needed to stabilise and further assess his condition.

“He has responded well to round the clock monitoring and care and is now integrating with Nkala and Muchi, the other orphans already at Lilayi, and enjoying daily walks out into the bush with his new elephant family,” says manager, Rachael Murton.

For the other orphans rescued that week the news was not so good.

The second orphan, found wandering alone in South Kafue National Park just hours from the release facility team, was quickly and safely

transported to the site. Weak and dehydrated, little Mwembwe initially seemed to be responding to treatment but was simply not strong enough to survive. The third orphan, a tiny female found in Luangwa, was so weak that she sadly passed away in the arms of her would-be rescuers.

her mother was killed by poachers on the Mozambique border, has settled in well with her new herd.

The trauma suffered by the elephants and the rescue team in those emotional few weeks has left its mark on all involved.

Then in September, just as world governments were meeting in Johannesburg to discuss the fate of Africa’s elephants at the CITES conference (see page 6) two more emergency calls for help were received by the team.

“While we all try to remain objective about our work it is very hard not to feel deeply saddened by the loss of these precious lives,” says DSWF CEO, Sally Case. “Our hope now is that Njanji, Kakaro and Kasewe will remain strong and continue to flourish as they begin their long journey back to the wild. We’d like to thank everyone who responded to our emergency appeal during these rescues.”

The first, a highly spirited youngster with a damaged tail, collapsed soon after rescue giving the team sleepless nights and real cause for concern. As Rachael says: “It was touch and go with Kakaro. Every time we thought the worst was over he slumped again. His temperature dropped and his glucose levels were hard to normalise but the moment he attempted to steal milk from the other orphans we had an idea he was on the mend!”

The reprieve was short-lived as the team realised that the damage to his tail, from a hyena or crocodile bite, was badly infected.

As Wildlife Matters went to press Kakaro was recovering from surgery to remove the infection and things were looking positive.

Luckily, orphan number five, a female called Kasewe, who rangers say was orphaned when

These elephants will need our care and support for at least ten years before returning to the wild. We desperately need funds to make sure we are there to support them.

With the orphans guzzling an incredible 250 pints of milk a week and their rescues highlighting the need for a dedicated rescue vehicle, the team urgently need our help. Donating would mean so much to the team and to the safety and survival of Zambia’s orphan elephants, so please, if you can, donate today at www.davidshepherd.org or call us on 01483 272323. Thank you.

The Elephant Orphanage Project is a project of Game Rangers International, established by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, in close collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife and International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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Uganda Kabim

Birth of a Ranger Station

By Anne-Marie Weeden of the Uganda Conservation Foundation

In the recent Great Elephant Census, Uganda is one of the few countries where elephants are in growth. Despite being almost poached to extinction in the 1970s/80s, elephants in Murchison Falls National Park are in slow but steady recovery, thanks to long term efforts by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and Uganda Conservation Foundation (UCF), supported by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

In the last five years UCF has constructed six ranger posts and three marine ranger stations helping to support UWA rangers in recovering key elephant habitats. The latest of these is strategically located on the Albert Nile in northwestern Murchison Falls National Park, in an area known locally as Kabim.

Elephant bathing in the Albert Nile © Sherry McKelvie

By using spatial analysis of evidence gathered by anti-poaching patrols under the UCF WILD LEO project (Wildlife Intelligence Leadership Development for Law Enforcement Officers), UCF is able to pinpoint hotspots of illegal activity and work together with UWA to prioritize areas most under threat. In this instance, rangers had taken geotagged photos of illegal activities and mapped them using spatial analysis techniques. The period January to June 2015 showed a worrying upsurge in poaching activity with 60% of all snares found across the 5,000km2 park being located in Kabim. And, despite snares being intended for bushmeat species such as buffalo, more endangered species - such as elephants - were being caught up.

Indeed, up to a third of elephants in the area were exhibiting snare injuries.

It was quickly realised that the area needed a permanent ranger presence. Kabim is just 5km from the large town of Pakwach and poachers were predominantly entering the area by boat, with the river offering the perfect cover to pose as fishermen. By building a ranger post, as well as a marine ranger station, the area could be recovered, snares removed and regular marine patrols would cut off further illegal ingress.

Confiscated spears at Kabim Ranger Station © UCF

The construction crew took just two months to build the ranger post, camping on site throughout. Apparently evenings could be quite magical, the crew looking up from their meals to see one of the three resident bull elephants passing silently by.

By January 2016, UWA rangers moved in and were able to conduct regular patrols, followed a few months later by the Marine Unit once the marine station was completed and installed. The difference a year on? Where rangers once removed more than a hundred snares a month, it is unusual today for patrols to break double digits.

The original residents – the three bull elephants – still pass through the ranger post on a regular basis. Having new neighbours has clearly not bothered these elephants at all. In fact, not one of these six-ton giants has ever shown any animosity towards the workers or rangers. It is almost as if they know they are there to help.

Thanks to your support Uganda’s elephants are recovering. You can donate to help us continue this great work to protect them via our website:

www.davidshepherd.org or call us on 01483 272323

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UWA Rangers with confiscated spears and snares at Kabim © UCF

100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted

Zimbabwe In Search of Broken Rifle Protecting Zimbabwe’s rare painted dog populations

Snares, set for bushmeat, are a major hazard for painted dogs and removing them is rarely straight forward. Earlier this year the team at the DSWF supported Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) responded to an emergency in an attempt to save the life of a dog called Cusp.

An email alert containing the picture of a light brown dog with a distinctive black and white stripy tail showed a raw, bloody wound that circled its neck like a macabre necklace. The skin had been stripped bare by a copper snare and the metal was still plainly and painfully visible.

Last year alone the anti-poaching unit supported by DSWF removed more than 2,000 snares saving countless animals from a slow and horrendous death.

The team recognised Cusp, a female from the nine-strong Broken Rifle pack. This seldom seen pack, named after the waterhole where they were first found, roam far away from PDC’s base. But, with only 150 painted dogs in Hwange and less than 7,000 in the world, each individual is important. Without hesitation the team set off to find Broken Rifle and remove Cusp’s life threatening snare.

Images courtesy of Nicholas Dyer

The team travelled 100km from base and spent five days patrolling in the punishing Southern African drought.

There had been few sightings so it soon became apparent that darting Cusp when the pack came to drink was probably the team’s best bet. They waited by the Little Makololo waterhole. It had been another blisteringly hot day and thirsty herds of elephants emerged to cool off in the water. There were a couple of false alarms, but still no sight of the pack.

By day five there were dogs everywhere with reports that Broken Rifle were in full hunt, crisscrossing the roads. There was certainly no opportunity to fire a dart, not with any degree of accuracy or safety. More worrying was that none of the team could see Cusp.

“After an hour of searching the roads we decided to wait by the waterhole suspecting that the dogs would want a drink after such an energetic hunt. We settled down anticipating a long wait,” says PDCs Peter Blinston.

After only five minutes, nine small creatures emerged from the distant tree line. It was Broken Rifle coming to drink; the opportunity had finally arrived.

The dart gun was loaded. There was Cusp - two spikes of copper poking out below the flesh of her red raw neck - Peter took aim.

After a minute, Cusp began to wobble until her legs buckled and she collapsed, gradually becoming motionless. Her pack sniffed her and pushed her with their muzzles. But after a while, with no response, they moved off towards the trees with seeming indifference… what else could they do?

as a vitamin B cocktail to boost her immune system.

Laying her gently down, Peter injected her with the revival drug and stepped back. Cusp woke almost immediately and, after sitting confused for a short while, she struggled to her feet and stumbled around like a drunk reaching home after a very heavy night out. Having regained her composure she lay down in the shade to sleep off her ‘hangover’.

In the late afternoon she would wake up and hoo-call to her pack to re-join them snare free.

We can protect Zimbabwe’s painted dogs with your help.

Please donate at www.davidshepherd.org or call us on 01483 272323

“We waited patiently to be sure Cusp was unconscious before approaching her on foot.

After a brief inspection we moved her out of the sun into the shade of the Land Rover,” adds Peter. Once she was stabilized the team were pleased that there was no sign of infection and the lesions were surface deep, not slicing her trachea or the tendons in her neck. One tooth had been recently broken, probably caused from frantically biting the snare, but Cusp should survive.

Peter worked with confidence, efficiency and gentleness, backed by his 18 years’ experience working with painted dogs. He cut the copper and carefully removed the noose and cleaned the wound. He injected her with a precautionary dose of antibiotics as well

Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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Namibia Thousands gather to celebrate the Amur tiger DSWF funding helped bring colour to the streets of Vladivostok in Russia this autumn when 15,000 people joined the celebrations for the 17th annual Tiger Day. Coming together to celebrate and raise awareness for Amur tigers the procession of ‘tigers’ was led by specialized motor vehicles (three quad bikes and seven off-road jeeps) designated for use by anti-poaching teams and were later handed over to the Primorsky Hunting Management Department to help patrol this key tiger territory.

A new calf for Inka We are thrilled to be able to share some good news with you from Namibia - home of the last truly wild desert-adapted black rhino population. Inka, our DSWF adoption rhino, has been seen with a new calf. The tracking team spotted her this summer and are giving mother and baby plenty of space and privacy in the important early months. CEO of the DSWF funded Save the Rhino Trust, Simson Uri-Khob said that he was delighted to see this photo of Inka adding that the last time they met she had chased him into hiding under a cliff.

It is thanks to your support, and your adoption of Inka, that we can continue to fund the teams that protect her and Namibia’s precious black rhino. You can find out more about adopting Inka on page 24.

Stepping up anti-poaching know-how to protect Namibia’s rhino

Once a thriving population of over 10,000 Amur tigers roamed the Russian Far East but habitat loss and poaching has reduced this rare sub-species to as few as 400 individuals. With ranges extending over vast expanses (females are known to have territories of 450km2 - males even larger) they are the biggest of the tiger sub-species with average length for males reaching three metres from their head to the tip of their tails.

DSWF has been working to protect these magnificent cats since 1994, supporting key anti-poaching and education programmes to protect and raise awareness for the Amur tiger with the Annual Tiger Day forming a key part of this programme.

For many years rhino poaching had been concentrated in other African countries but with increased demand for rhino horn Namibia is now in the firing line. The country lost 80 rhinos to poachers in 2015, up from 25 in 2014. DSWF funding is helping to support the team as they adapt to the challenges of keeping Namibia’s rhino protected including funding important anti-poaching training courses.

The series of courses have been conducted by the SRT team in Namibia, in conjunction with the government enforcement activities, as part of their ongoing programme to step up the protection of the country’s black rhino.

Focusing on counter poaching measures the courses included navigation, patrol formations, rhino and human tracking, observation and reporting and communications. Two weeks in the classroom with short practical sessions in the field are followed by a week spent on deployment putting the newly gained knowledge into practise.

Images courtesy of SRT and Phoenix Fund

“The courses have helped to not only cement a deeper understanding and awareness among SRT frontline staff but have also helped increase their determination to protect rhino,” says

DSWF funded training in the classroom and in the field is equipping SRT to face the challenges brought by increased rhino poaching

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You can support Amur tigers by...

Making a donation: Online at www.davidshepherd.org By phone on 01483 272323 Adopting an Amur tiger: Choose either Zhorik (see page 24) or Augustus (right)

100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted

Russia

© PRNCO Tiger Centre

A story of hope in the Russian Far East In Russia, where your support helps protect the Amur tiger, increased enforcement has led to the arrest of a number of traffickers caught with tiger parts and skins. Perhaps as a direct result of these poaching cases a number of orphaned cubs have also been reported and rescued. While some have been too small to survive the freezing winters without their mothers there is hope for one very special couple.

Two orphaned tigers named Boris and Svetlaya - that had been cared for at the Centre for Rehabilitation and Reintroduction of Tigers and released back into the wild in 2014 - have been caught on camera trap spending time together. What is remarkable

about these sightings are that the tigers were released 500km apart.

“It is not unusual for male Amur tigers to cover large distances to find a mate but this 500km journey to find the tigress he had shared his rehabilitation with is an extraordinary story,” says our TigerTime campaign manager Vicky Flynn. “While we are hugely hopeful that their reunion may lead to offspring of their own Boris’s long walk may also be an indication of the scarcity of Russia’s tigers.

“It is crucial that we work to stabilize and grow wild tiger populations, to increase their connectivity and end poaching. As this brief update illustrates there are moments of

real hope, of governments taking decisive actions, of enforcement being stepped up, of successful returns to the wild for Russia’s Amur orphans all showing that together we can take actions that save wild tigers. Please, if you can, continue to support our work and make these moments of hope more frequent and more permanent.”

You can donate to protect Russia’s tigers via our websites: www.davidshepherd.org www.tigertime.info or call us on 01483 272323 Thank you

Augustus - the perfect Christmas gift that supports Amur tigers Adoptions make the perfect gift at Christmas and our special Augustus adoption is no exception!

We’ve teamed up with publishers Little Tiger Press and award-winning children’s author and illustrator, Catherine Rayner, to create a very special pack chocka-block with wonderful goodies. Not only that but every purchase helps support our tiger projects in India, Russia and Thailand.

Each pack contains: • A signed mounted open edition print of Augustus drawn exclusively by Catherine Rayner for this adoption • A copy of the 10th anniversary edition of the awardwinning book Augustus and his Smile (rrp £10.95) perfect for all children up to 8 years old • A cuddly tiger toy • A tiger fact sheet and an Augustus activity sheet • An adoption certificate

All this for just £35 + £2.50 p&p (UK)

Call us today on 01483 272323 to order yours - or shop online at www.davidshepherd.org See our full range of adoptions on pages 24-25

Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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India

To Catch the Falling Leopard

Third dog to boost K9 anti-poaching unit A new vehicle and a third dog, funded by DSWF, have increased the capacity and reach of Assam’s first anti-poaching dog squad. Jorba, the original dog in the team, has been working in Kaziranga National Park and helped investigate six rhino poaching cases. His ability to follow a scent from the scene of the crime to the suspects hideouts assisted the police and park authorities make important arrests. Meanwhile, Babli, dog number two, has been working in Manas National Park assisting with the work of the anti-poaching forest teams.

“Thanks to DSWF’s generous supporters and after much searching we have eventually found a suitable third dog,” reports Dr Bibhab Talukdar, director of Aaranyak the NGO that DSWF supports in Assam. “He is currently undergoing training at a para-military facility in southern India and our chief dog handler, Anil Das, will soon be visiting the facility to bring the dog back to Assam. We look forward to introducing our third K9 ranger to DSWF supporters very soon.”

Simple and Effective: the goats that are helping to save tigers in Assam

In the Jaipur district of northern India, leopard populations have declined by an alarming 70-80%. The primary cause: rising incidences of human-leopard conflict, including retaliatory killings by villagers who have lost cattle or kin in leopard attacks, and motor vehicle deaths on roads that cut through forested areas.

In July the Wildlife Trust of India started a Rapid Action Project funded by DSWF to address issues of conflict and the fall in leopard numbers in the region. The project’s primary aim is to engage with affected communities and foster awareness about conflict mitigation techniques, the animal’s social behaviour and ecological importance, government policies and legal frameworks that protect the species.

A telephone helpline has been set up to receive early warnings of emergency conflict situations and four ‘Hope Troopers’, drawn from local communities, have also been appointed to provide information about leopard attacks and illegal activities such as hunting, poaching and the felling of trees.

If you’ve ever wondered how a goat can save a tiger read on. With your help DSWF is funding an innovative goat scheme in Assam that is giving local tribes people in the Karbi Hills an alternative source of income.

Hunters by tradition, the tribes were taking key tiger prey from the forests leaving little for the tigers which would then seek food elsewhere leading to conflict with humans.

Awareness campaigns have also kicked off, with events conducted at local schools and media workshops and meetings with key stakeholders including forest officials, civil defence teams, police personnel and local villagers all planned.

This simple scheme, which started with 40 goats, supplies a pair of breeding goats to a family who must return two goats back to the scheme. These in turn are given to another family. They can use the remaining goats as they choose, for milk or to sell, thus providing an important and sustainable source of income for their family.

prey species available for the precious tiger populations in the area.

As well as providing the goats your support helps cover vaccinations and four monthly visits to check on the health of the animals.

As it grows, the scheme will embrace over 300 families and greatly reduce the loss of

These simple and effective schemes are vital to engaging local communities and providing real alternatives to hunting. They are all part of DSWF’s holistic approach to conservation.

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Leopards are the best stealth predators among India’s big cats; highly adaptable and adept at living close to human habitations they are increasingly coming into conflict with humans as their home ranges are depleted and encroached upon.

It is hoped that by reducing the conflict Jaipur’s leopard numbers will slowly begin to recover.

100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted

Thailand

EXPOSED: brothers behind major trafficking route David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation supported FREELAND - the Thai based anti-trafficking organisation - has dramatically exposed the men behind the insidious global trade in endangered species. The results of the investigation, which were published in The Guardian newspaper this September to tie in with the CITES conference in South Africa, follow years of undercover work into key traffickers and their links to corrupt officials at the highest level.

“

Dismantling a well-oiled, funded and armed syndicate is not easy in any line of business.

But it can be done.

“We applaud FREELAND for this fearless and ground-breaking work,” says DSWF Chair of Trustees, Lady Melanie Lamb, who has worked with FREELAND for over 20 years. “It is vital to expose the role of international organised crime groups who mutilate and kill tens of thousands of animals and threaten to eliminate endangered species including tigers, rhino and elephants. The world needs to understand how the trafficking networks operate, to break them down and, in turn, save key species from extinction.”

FREELAND provided information and crucial analytical support to a Thai Government surveillance team and, in the absence of effective international attempts to block the business, gave exclusive access to The Guardian to publish its findings.

It points to two Vietnamese siblings, the Bach brothers, as key suspects who control a primary smuggling route for endangered animals.

Estimated to be worth a staggering £17.5bn a year, animal trafficking is the fourth most lucrative black market industry after drugs, people smuggling and arms smuggling. FREELAND’s findings show that the Bach brothers have dramatically scaled up their operations with increased profits and increased trade in wildlife in the past three years.

“In 2013 FREELAND carried out an investigation that led to the conviction of trafficking kingpin Vixay Keosavang’s deputy Chumlong Lemthongthai and the media pressure at that time forced Vixay to step down from his business which began to shake under the pressure of bad publicity,” says Melanie Lamb. “Let’s hope that FREELAND’s latest exposé leads to a similarly powerful result.”

Director of FREELAND, Steven Galster said: “Dismantling a well-oiled, funded and armed syndicate is not easy in any line of business. But it can be done.”

A FREELAND tip-off led officers to a house is Thailand where they found these pictures of Chumlong Lemthongthai killing and dehorning a rhino

To find out more about DSWF’s work in this field go to: www.davidshepherd.org

On course for improved park protection

Images courtesy of Aaranyak, Sathya Vagale, WTI, FREELAND

When a Deputy Superintendent of the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand asked for support to join FREELAND’s PROTECT Managers Training course DSWF, understanding the importance of the Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai World Heritage Site for tiger conservation, agreed to support him.

About 40% of all the rangers and officials across this World Heritage Site have graduated from the course. Now it was Mr.Issarin’s turn. He joined the 17 day course with 19 other participants from Thailand, Cambodia and, for the first time, five from Myanmar.

Tactical field operations, protection planning, investigations, training course implementation, staff management, finance and disciplinary options are all part of the course. Finally, candidates put their learning into practise with a Command Post Exercise to protect a fictional park called ‘Green

Mountain’. Given limited budget, rangers and vehicles, candidates have to deal with poaching and logging gangs by bringing all their resources into play. Using a series of linked computers with custom software and GIS, which allows real time movement of rangers and poachers, the whole activity is overseen by marshals to ensure that interventions are realistic and authentic. The plan is to capture the criminals in the park, without loss of rangers or wildlife, testing participants to their limits.

Although he found it challenging Mr. Issarin (pictured) was a diligent student and managed to achieve second place on the course. He expressed his thanks to DSWF for sponsoring him and pledged to put his new skills into practice protecting wildlife in Khao Yai National Park. FREELAND expects that within a few years Mr. Issarin will be a Park Superintendent and fully utilize his PROTECT Manager skills at other parks too.

Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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Mongolia Your support has created an important new Protected Area for snow leopards For the past eight years DSWF supporters have made it possible to study these cats; today Tost’s snow leopards are the longest, most extensively studied snow leopards in the world. You might remember the time a young female snow leopard named Zara walked over 25 miles from Tost to the Chinese border and then promptly turned around and came right back. Or the time two snow leopards, female Khashaa and male Tsagaan, seemingly shared an ibex meal together near Valentine’s Day. Tost is also special because it is the lifeblood for over 200 herding families. For them, these mountains are ‘the providers.’ These mountains are sacred. They house ancient rock paintings and vital water sources. They tell hundreds of years of their life story as well as the stories of their great-great grandparents. Protecting Tost is as important to snow leopards as to Mongolia’s traditional nomadic herding culture.

“Tost Nature Reserve is now a keystone for one of the largest protected snow leopard habitats in the world. This is a huge step forward for the endangered snow leopard; but now the real work begins.”

Dr. Charudutt Mishra, Director of Science and Conservation

For our friends at the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, and readers of Wildlife Matters, April 14, 2016 is a day to remember and celebrate. This is the day you helped create a new Nature Reserve for snow leopards in Mongolia, writes Siri Okamoto of the Snow Leopard Trust (SLT).

As many readers might remember, for years you’ve been helping us protect the Tost Mountains in Mongolia’s South Gobi. Now Tost is Mongolia’s first ever Nature Reserve created specifically for snow leopards.

“This is a huge step forward for the protection of the endangered snow leopard in this part of its range”, says Charu Mishra, the Snow Leopard Trust’s Science & Conservation Director. “This Nature Reserve will be a bridge between two existing Protected Areas, the Great Gobi and the Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park. The resulting landscape will be one of the world’s largest continuous protected snow leopard habitats.”

What makes Tost so special?

Tost is stark. It doesn’t have much in the way of trees or water. But Tost has snow leopards.

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Right now, there are between 14 to 16 adult snow leopards - and their cubs - roaming Tost Mountains. And, with cats migrating in and out, we know that Tost is important for maintaining genetic vibrancy in the larger Gobi region.

We almost lost Tost This success in Tost comes after many years of struggles. In 2009 we first learned the grim news about mining in these mountains. We discovered that mining licenses blanketed the mountains and we were mortified. What if all the snow leopards we knew in Tost could be wiped out or dislocated due to mining?

What if the people of Tost lost their sacred mountains, and with them their ancient livelihoods? The path was clear: We had to get more protection for Tost.

“Saving Tost’s snow leopard wouldn’t be possible without dedicated and long-term investment from the UK,” says Michael Despines, Executive Director of the Snow Leopard Trust, “The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation along with other NGOs has supported critical steps leading up to this moment.” In fact, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and Wildlife Matters readers were some of the first to support snow leopard conservation programmes in Mongolia almost 20 years ago!

In 1998 you helped us build relationships with communities and government in South Gobi thanks to programmes like sustainable handicrafts. You were there in 2010, when we worked with the Tost community to make the mountains a Local Protected Area. You were there in 2012 when a proposal was put before the federal government to upgrade Tost to a Nature Reserve. You helped our Mongolia team launch national media campaigns and lobby government, and you made it possible for the voices of Tost to travel to the capital to speak out for protecting their homeland - and it paid off! Under this new designation as a state Protected Area, only traditional economic activities such as livestock grazing

100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted

Kyrgyzstan First photographic evidence of Snow Leopards in Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range that aren’t harmful to nature will be allowed in Tost, while mining, construction, and hunting will be prohibited.

Now the real work begins Now that Tost is a Nature Reserve it means new opportunities and challenges for the region. That’s why right now we’re strengthening our focus and energy in Tost. “Within the 8,163km2 that are being considered for the National Park, there are currently around 12 licenses for mining exploration, and two active mining sites,” says Bayarjargal Agvantseeren, the leader of Mongolia’s Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation and Director of SLT’s Mongolia Programme. How to address these licenses with the help of local and national government is one of our top priorities.

We have just finished a round of exciting eco-camps for 40 children, taking them into Tost Mountains to learn about the reserve’s snow leopards and ecology. We also recently completed a successful training to improve ranger skills in monitoring and patrolling Tost.

There is still much work to do, including boundary demarcation, expanded wildlife surveys, and increased collaboration with communities actively living in and using Tost. But we’re grateful for the success we’ve reached so far and glad to have DSWF supporters there with us to make Tost a powerful new Protected Area for snow leopards moving forward.

Images courtesy of Karma Ladakh and SLT

Eco-camps for children in the Tost Mountains help them understand the reserve’s snow leopards and local ecology

We are thrilled to be able to share with you these first photographs of snow leopards caught on camera in Shamshy, Kyrgyzstan.

The former hunting concession - which is now a co-managed wildlife sanctuary by the Kyrgyz government and conservationists including DSWF through its partnership with the Snow Leopard Trust - was known to have great potential as a snow leopard habitat.

“Earlier this year, we found snow leopard tracks and scratch marks on several ridge lines in Shamshy. Now, these pictures prove the cat’s presence in the sanctuary,” says Kuban Jumabai uulu, director of the Snow Leopard Foundation Kyrgyzstan, and country programme manager for the Snow Leopard Trust.

Snow leopards were photographed at five different locations within Shamshy Sanctuary in a total of ten encounters. The photos are the first photographic evidence of snow leopards in the Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range (“Snowy Mountains” in Kyrgyz); a mountain range that is part of the North Tian Shan Mountains and extends some 200 miles from east to west.

a healthy balance between exploitation and conservation. This initiative in Shamshy is one such effort towards conserving wildlife populations through alternate models of managing natural areas through comanagement.”

On its own, the area is too small to host a sizeable snow leopard population, but it could serve as a core zone of a larger habitat. “With proper protection and management, Shamshy’s ibex population could double or even triple in the next ten years, so it could become an important area for the snow leopard population of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range,” says Charu Mishra, the Snow Leopard Trust’s Science & Conservation Director.

“We’re thrilled to see that the snow leopard is already in Shamshy,” Mr. Musaev says.

“This cat is an important part of our national culture and heritage, and we’re committed to securing its future.”

Shamshy, 50 miles southeast of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, used to be a hunting concession under the administration of the Kyrgyz Government’s Department of Rational Use of Natural Resources (formerly the Hunting Department).

“It is our duty to manage the natural resources of the Kyrgyz Republic sustainably,” says Musaev Almaz, the Department’s director. “This means finding

Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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Education matters Welcome to the autumn 2016 education update from DSWF. Our young supporters have been so busy over the last few months that there’s hardly room to squeeze all the news and adventures into these two pages! We’re thrilled to have TV presenter Michaela Strachan as our guest columnist and to announce the launch of the 2017 Global Canvas Art & Poetry Competition. Getting involved in DSWF’s conservation work is so rewarding that I hope you’ll be inspired to join in too. Gary Lineker, Captain of Young Friends

Discover the wild...

Let your imagination run wild for wildlife

Our Precious Planet Enter our 2017 Art & Poetry Competition

We are very excited to announce the 2017 Global Canvas Art and Poetry Competition theme: 'Our Precious Planet'.

We are so lucky to be surrounded by an abundance of natural beauty. From the depths of our oceans to the peaks of our mountains, this amazing planet supports some extraordinary animals and plants.

But, the world today is very different from the way it was just a decade or two ago.

As the human population expands and develops climate change, habitat loss and pollution are some of the problems that our planet and its wonderful wildlife face.

Groups of children aged under 16 are invited to enter, we are looking for imaginative entries particularly focussing on planet Earth's amazing wildlife. Create a mini exhibition and let your creativity run wild! The deadline for entries is Wednesday 8th February, finalists will be invited to the

Natural History Museum on Thursday 23rd March 2017 to set up their displays for the final judging and to attend the prize giving ceremony. There’s always a treat in store and lots of great prizes!

You can find all the information you need on our website at www.davidshepherd.org or call us on 01483 272323 for full details and terms and conditions.

Would you like an education workshop or assembly?

If we want this generation of children and your children - to have the luxury to explore and expand their love and understanding of wild animals and places we have to act now to protect it.

The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation understands that saving wildlife begins with education. Being part of a conservation charity, contributing to their work and getting involved in their education programmes is a great way to begin a lifelong journey of wild discoveries. Why not get involved today? Get your class mates together and take part in the Global Canvas competition (more info on this page), invite Jo Elphick (DSWFs education manager) to come and talk to your class or your school or start an awareness or fundraising project for tigers, rhinos, elephants, snow leopards, painted dogs or pangolins!

The more we understand the more we care and when we care about something we are far more likely to want to do something to protect it.

Go on, get involved and start on your own wild discoveries ...

Michaela Strachan

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Enjoying a DSWF art workshop with TASIS School’s wildlife club

Over the last few months the DSWF education team has been busy visiting schools across the South East to talk to children about endangered species and the work that we do. We have provided assemblies, talks and art workshops to almost 6,000 children across every key stage.

During workshops children have been busy printing, sticking, painting, cutting and colouring to produce some brilliant art work. By first listening to a talk about endangered animals and following it with a fun art activity the children really engage with the subject and are always very enthusiastic!

If your school is interested in a visit from us please get in touch with jo.elphick@davidshepherd.org Our visits are free of charge. However, we also run full Conservation Education Days for which there is a fee, please get in touch for more details. Please note geographical restrictions to visits may apply.

100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted

Zambia: the trip of a life-time A group of year 11 students from Dane Court Grammar School in Kent - who had been learning about DSWF in Zambia and fundraising for us all year - enjoyed the trip of a lifetime when they headed off to Africa this summer. Led by teacher and DSWF education advisor Andrew White, the group enjoyed a heady mix of community visits and wildlife encounters in Zambia.

Images courtesy of Andrew White,Peanut Lamb, Michaela Strachan, Pixabay

In Lilayi, they visited the DSWF supported Elephant Nursery and got stuck in when head keeper Gift invited them to prepare the milk feed for the orphans. But it wasn’t just about the baby elephants. The students soon realised that a successful conservation programme has to involve the wider community and discovered more about education, community engagement, antipoaching, animal behaviour and welfare.

Highlights included: • A talk about wildlife crime prevention and the threats facing elephants and pangolins in particular.

• Watching the elephant orphans with the amazing keepers.

• Visiting a community project called Little Ndaba which helps local women generate an income by making beautiful handmade toys.

• Helping with an art project in a community school.

‘It was truly the most amazing and unforgettable experience’ Above, workers at the Little Ndaba project and the Dane Court students getting stuck in with the education and community programmes

The students finished their unforgettable trip with a visit to South Luangwa where they saw a stunning array of wildlife including leopards, hippos, lions, giraffes and elephants.

“The group returned home with a deeper understanding of the issues that face Zambia’s precious wildlife and wild spaces,” says Andrew White. “Our hope is that the seeds of a lifetime passion for Africa and for conservation have now been sown.”

For bespoke school visits please contact: Andrew White awhite@danecourt.kent.sch.uk

THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDRAISERS Chinthurst school were inspired to hold a cake sale which raised a wonderful £256 and each year group adopted one of our animals, thank you so much Chinthurst.

DSWF visited the year one children at St Paul's School, Dorking for an elephant morning and made their very own elephant friend from recycled milk jugs.

They raised money by helping out with chores at home and have adopted Nkala the elephant.

Earlswood School's Reception children enjoyed a DSWF talk about tigers. After the visit the children decided to fundraise by making clay necklaces and selling them, great work Reception!

Eleven year 6 Tillingbourne School pupils organised a sponsored skip and raised £50 to support our work.

Each received certificates in assembly to thank them for their amazing work.

Totley All Saints Primary children held a toy sale to fundraise for DSWF and raised a fabulous £50.

Year 4 children at Northfield Manor Primary Academy raised £50.

Thank you so much to all of our school fundraisers for enabling us to support endangered wildlife around the world. We think you are brilliant!

Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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A wonderful week of There are few places on earth where you can find a red fox rummaging next to a herd of Prezewalski horses which are being watched, unblinking, by a reclining Bengal tiger. But, at our annual week of wildlife art at London’s Mall Galleries, the wonders of the wild world were on display in magnificent colour and texture, diving below the waves with great white sharks and skimming the clouds with flocks of beautiful birds.

Joining the stunning and eclectic shortlist of this year’s Wildlife Artist of the Year competition was work from award-winning guest artists; photographer Andy Skillen, sculptor Nick Mackman and illustrator Catherine Rayner.

“It was a beautiful celebration of the natural world, not only raising significant funds for our conservation work but also showcasing the work of some truly inspiring artists,” says DSWF CEO, Sally Case.

It was a sculptor from France who was crowned this year’s David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s Wildlife Artist of the Year.

Umberto Nuzzo accepted the £10,000 top prize not quite believing the news.

Commenting on the winning piece, a dramatic bronze of a ribbon eel, the judges said that it was wonderfully sensuous with a lightness contrasting with the weight of the bronze. “Its beautifully smooth texture created a very modern, original, evocation of wildlife art,” said judge, Sarah Barker.

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WildlifeART

A self-taught artist, Umberto practiced photography before working professionally for ten years as a model maker for the show-business, advertising and decoration industries. When he started working in an art foundry his sculptures became figurative and nature-focused. This was when he resolutely turned to the world of artistic creation and moved to the countryside to set up his workshop where he continues working today. Umberto has won many awards over the last thirteen years and his sculptures are exhibited and sold to fans and collectors worldwide.

Joining Umberto on the winners podium was overall runner-up, an oil on canvas of an elephant entitled ‘Fading Giant’ by Italian artist Stefano Zagaglia. The judges chose it because it depicted everything that the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation is trying to protect against in painted form. Judge, Hazel Soan said: “Without words it says ‘something grand is disintegrating before our eyes’ the white space will be all that is left.”

“We would like to extend our very grateful thanks to all the artists who took part in this year’s competition and to all our sponsors, supporters and buyers who helped make it so successful by helping to generate over £108,000 of sales,” adds Sally Case. “We are looking forward to an equally fabulous event in 2017 which marks the 10th anniversary of the Wildlife Artist of the Year competition.

For more information see the back of this issue of Wildlife Matters.”

Full winners list:

Overall winner £10,000 sponsored by Mr & Mrs Covey: Ribbon Eel by Umberto (Cher, France) Runner up £1,000 and artist residency for a week at Nature in Art, Gloucestershire, sponsored by Simon Trapnell: Fading Giant

by Stefano Zagaglia (Milan, Italy)

Category winners:

Animal Behaviour: Game Face On by Warren Cary (Hoedspruit , South Africa) Earth’s Beautiful Creatures: sponsored by Gary Hodges: Maribou Portrait by Alan Woollett (Maidstone, Kent) Hidden World: Boomslang by Dido Crosby (London) Into the Blue: Heart of the Sea by Nick Oneill (Brighton) Urban Wildlife: Wire Fox, Unnatural Selection by Candice Bees (Newport, Wales) Vanishing Fast: sponsored by Elephant Communications: Siberian Crane by Naeemah Naeemaei (Tehran, Iran) Wings, Feathered or Otherwise: sponsored

by Barlow Robbins: Sleep Tight by Tamara Pokorny (Baden-Wurttemberg , Germany) The David Shepherd Choice: The Sentinel

by Laurence Saunois (Figeac, France) The Artist Magazine Award: selected by the editor of The Artist Magazine: Crossroads

by Gunnar Tryggmo (Skane , Sweden)

Be inspired!

ENTRY FOR THE 2017 WILDLIFE ARTIST OF THE YEAR COMPETITION IS OPEN UNTIL 20 FEBRUARY - BE PART OF IT! Enter online at www.davidshepherd.org

100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted

The 2016 Winners

The winners (clockwise from top left) Siberian Crane by Naeemah Naeemaei; Fading Giant by Stefano Zagaglia; Boomslang by Dido Crosby; Wire Fox, Unnatural Selection by Candice Bees; Game Face On by Warren Cary; Heart of the Sea by Nick Oneill; David Shepherd with The Sentinel by Laurence Saunois; Maribou Portrait by Alan Woollett; Sleep Tight by Tamara Pokorny; Crossroads by Gunnar Tryggmo

We’re launching an exciting new website for wildlife art in 2017 - visit www.wildlifeart.org.uk in the New Year to explore the wonderful world of wildlife art. From originals to prints you’ll find a fabulous choice of styles to suit all budgets and, with every purchase supporting our conservation projects, there’s no better way to buy beautiful wildlife art.

Until then please continue to shop at www.davidshepherd.org

Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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Visit our online shop to explore the wonderful world of wildlife art. From originals to prints you’ll find a fabulous choice of styles to suit all budgets and, with every purchase supporting our conservation projects there’s no better way to buy beautiful wildlife art.

Razzle Dazzle by Catherine Ingleby Limited Edition Print - 50 x 40 cm - £95

Quirky limited edition prints from

Stacey Allens’ Cookery Birds collection These fun and colourful prints combine Stacey’s love of watching birds from her kitchen window and a fascination for the design of kitchen accessories. Limited edition giclee prints of an illustrated paper collage.

Coffee pot sparrow 31 x 41 cm - £62

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Early bird 26 x 26 cm - £49

Featherweights No2 26 x 31 cm - £50

All sales support DSWF conservation projects across Africa and Asia

Featherweights No4 31 x 31 cm - £54

Treat someone this Christmas

Beautiful art for a great cause

ORIGINAL

Stunning CARDS for CHRISTMAS

Hyena Pup - stunning original by 2016 Wildlife Artist of the Year category winner, Warren Carey. Pastel - 77 x 45 cm - £1,100

ORIGINAL

This year’s Christmas card collection is a stunning compilation of some of the most beautiful images from our Wildlife Artist of the Year competition.

Magnificent tigers, beautiful polar bears, perfect pandas and comical penguins help make up this truly wonderful collection. And, with every purchase supporting our work to save endangered wildlife they are the perfect way to share your Christmas wishes!

BUY YOURS TODAY

Each pack contains 10 cards, 1 each of 10 different designs and costs £7.50 inc. P&P The greeting reads: ‘With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year’ Call us on 01483 272323 or order online at shop.davidshepherd.org

Brown Bear by Sophie Elinor-Martin Limited Edition Print - 80 x 80 cm - £195

Riviera Maya II by Paul Fearn Original - brass sheet with patinas 50 x 50 cm - £1,400

Heart of the Sea by Nick Oneill Limited Edition Print - 33 x 33 cm - £80 Samba Deer by Christine Dadd Limited Edition Giclee Print - 30 x 23 cm £90

To buy or for more information please call us on

01483 272323

LAST DAY FOR UK CHRISTMAS DELIVERY 15TH DECEMBER All orders are subject to P&P

Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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How will you help WILDLIFE? Become a Friend of DSWF At the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation we work to protect endangered wildlife and their wild spaces. Our work helps save elephants, tigers, rhinos, snow leopards, pangolins and painted dogs. We refuse to sit by and watch them become extinct at the hands of man but we cannot do it without your help.

Will you be a Friend to endangered animals too?

You can be a Friend for as little as the cost of a meal out. Your support will mean these animals have the chance to survive in the wild where they belong. Your ongoing support means that we can ensure funding on a regular basis.

As a Friend you will receive the following:

• A gift when you become a Friend • Bi-annual Wildlife Matters magazine via post or email • Additional invitations to exclusive events for Great and Lifelong Friends • Discount on selected art work and gifts via email • Special offers with affiliated partners via email • Regular news updates via email

Choose your Friendship:

Image courtesy of Andrew White

- Friend - £32 per year - Joint Friend - £40 per year - Great Friend - £120 per year - Lifelong Friend - £1000 per year

Call us on 01483 272323 to talk about becoming a friend to wildlife and helping us create a sustainable future for the animals that we love

Adopt an endangered animal and give the gift of life With our special new pangolin adoption or our existing adoptions you can give the perfect gift for someone you love and for wildlife.

Each pack comes with everything you need to know about the special animal you are adopting along with much more! Bursting

Painted Dog Socks

Tigers Rahni . Zhorik & Augustus

with information and gifts including an exclusive sketch and soft toy there is no better way to show your support not only to the Foundation, but to your favourite animal and the brave men and women that fight every day to help protect them.

Elephants Chamilandu & Nkala

Rhino Inka

Snow Leopard Ariun

Wildlife Guardians You can support the brave men and women in the field who put their lives on the line to protect endangered wildlife by sponsoring a Wildlife Guardian. Without them many vulnerable species would be lost.

Order by calling us on 01483 272323 or going on line to www.davidshepherd.org

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100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted

ift t g as ec m rf ist pe r e Ch Th his t

NEW pangolin adoption!

Why Pangolins need our help ...

Often referred to as scaly anteaters, pangolins are pre-historic looking mammals which many people have never heard of. Even experts know relatively little about them. Unfortunately pangolin populations are in severe decline. They are the most trafficked mammal in the world with over a million believed to have been illegally captured and sold in the last decade.

Pangolin meat is considered a delicacy in some Asian countries and some believe their scales can be used to cure a range of illnesses. In Africa, they are eaten as a part of the bush meat trade and are used in traditional African medicine but, there is absolutely no scientific evidence to suggest that pangolin scales have any medicinal benefit. In Asia, pangolins have suffered a 90% decrease over the last twenty years so poachers and traffickers have turned their attention to African pangolins to supply this market too.

Images courtesy of PDC, Suzi Eszterhas, Rhonda Lee, SRT, SLT, GRI

Sadly pangolins are easy to catch as they roll up into a ball when threatened and a poacher can simply pick them up and carry them away.

In response to this urgent need, DSWF has funded the establishment of a Pangolin Protection Programme (see page 8), which supports a local awareness campaign to counter the sudden trend in taking these animals.

This exciting new adoption goes to the heart of our work...

Like all of our adoptions our Pangolin ‘Marimba’ is designed to engage, support and protect an endangered species. But, for the first time, you have the option to add a wonderful handcrafted, crochet toy.

Hand-made in Zambia, these charming crochet pangolins are produced by a small company called Little Ndaba. Ndaba is a common word in Africa that means gathering, usually joyous and social. So, your purchase goes a long way. This growing group of women on the outskirts of Lusaka gathers once a week to sew the knitted and crochet pieces into beautiful pangolins. For many of the women this provides their only opportunity to contribute to their family income so this support means a huge amount and helps keep families away from the temptation of poaching!

Each hand-made toy has its own unique character.

But, even if you don’t opt for the soft toy you’ll still be getting a fabulous adoption packed full of information and pictures AND a beautiful, exclusive signed print by award-winning artist, David Filer.

David was the winner of our Wildlife Artist of the Year award in 2011 and is a fabulous supporter of our work.

• Adoption prices start at just £32 or for £47 add a beautiful hand crocheted pangolin toy.

You can buy online at www.davidshepherd.org or call us on 01483 272322

To further support this project, we are thrilled to add the new pangolin adoption to our existing family!

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Order by calling us on 01483 272323 or going on line to www.davidshepherd.org Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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Get involved for WILDLIFE WILDLIFE WARRIORS

Meet the inspirational DSWF fundraisers coast to coast across the UK

Marathon marvels - a record breaking run for wildlife - London Marathon 24 April TeamDSWF’s awesome runners raced against extinction in this year’s London Marathon and raised a whopping £16,100 breaking all previous DSWF records! HUGE thanks to Tim Miller, Sophie Persey, Tertia Rollason, Ian Gardner, Trevor Orman, Kay Belcham, Nadia Gibbs and Joyce Gibson (all pictured above) who finished the challenge in impressive time.

”Just watching the pain on so many faces at mile 23 brought home the enormity of the task that the team took on for wildlife – they were all superstars,” says DSWF CEO, Sally Case who was there with the DSWF team to cheer them on. Thanks too to Tiger Therapy’s Marina Kyriacou who provided much needed massages at the end of the run.

Would you like to run the 2017 London Marathon for DSWF? Call us today on 01483 272323 - we’re waiting for your call!

Golf Day 23 September

Could you run, cycle and kayak over 105 miles through the Highlands of Scotland on a coast to coast challenge to raise money to protect endangered wildlife? Wildlife artist Stella Mays and her husband Steve did just that and in only 12 hours and 29 minutes!

Add to that the triumph of coming 139th and 140th out of a field of over 600 and ticking a challenge off your bucket list and it’s a success for everyone involved. If you feel like getting inspired for wildlife let us know and we’ll support you all the way!

The third annual DSWF golf day swung into action on 23 September raising almost £4,000! Thirty golfers made up of local businesses and DSWF supporters took to the fairway at Wildwood Gold Course on a beautiful day with unbroken sunshine.

The winning team were reigning champions Frederick R Miller Ltd. Captain of the winning team, Tim Miller said: "What a perfect day we had - great weather, a lovely course, great beer from Firebird Brewery and finally our wonderful favourite charity DSWF working hard for wildlife.”

To book a place or to sponsor next year’s charity golf day please contact Marianne Watts on 01428 272323

Blazing saddles - a 100 miles for wildlife - RideLondon 31 July Kieran Flood, Nick Mackman, Mike Benton, Dave Walker, Edward Davies, William Oliver and Sharon Oliver pedalled through the car-free streets of London and through the Surrey Hills to complete a staggering 100 miles and raise over £16,300 for wildlife this summer.

After cycling the 100 mile course William Oliver said: “It was an amazing day. The last couple of miles and the final hill seemed to go on forever but the thought of cycling for such a worthy cause spurred me on through the exhaustion.”

“Every year our Wildlife Warrior fundraisers play a critical role in raising much-needed funds and we are immensely grateful to the magnificent seven who completed RideLondon and for committing their energy and time training and preparing for such an incredible feat on behalf of the charity,” say DSWF Community Fundraiser, Marianne Watts.

Would you like to take part in the 2017 RideLondon challenge for DSWF? Call us today on 01483 272323 - we’re waiting to hear from you!

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100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted

Image courtesy of Surrey Ad

Be inspired!

THANK YOU

Tiger feet A team of ten walkers from Stoke-on-Trent led by Anthony Bellamy have raised over £1,000 for DSWFs TigerTime Campaign.

The charity walk, which took in six local towns means that vital anti-poaching and education programmes can be funded across Asia. Thank you all!

Walking for wildlife - Surrey Three Peaks - 23 April Cranleigh-based Cranfold Physical Therapy Centre took on the Surrey Three Peaks Challenge on Saturday 23 July and raised £1,214.22 for endangered wildlife.

Seven walkers took on the 26 mile sponsored challenge that spans Holmbury Hill, Leith Hill and Box Hill taking in some of Surrey’s most glorious countryside.

Company director, Wendyanne Harrison said: "Cranfold Physio is a proud supporter of DSWF. We were keen to contribute to their great work in wildlife conservation, particularly their work protecting elephants, whose numbers are rapidly declining due to poaching. We were delighted to enter a team of physios, therapists, friends and even a couple of dogs! The beautiful scenery kept us going up the hills on a very hot day.”’

AMBASSADORS

Thank you & well done to Suzi Robinson who featured in the last edition of Wildlife Matters for completing the 84 miles of Hadrian’s Wall and raising £400 for tigers!

Could you be a VOLUNTEER FUNDRAISING AMBASSADOR for us?

It takes a little time and a lot of passion but the rewards for you and for wildlife are amazing! Join the team and take on as much or as little are you can and we’ll do everything to support you in your endeavours. If you’d like to find out more please contact marianne.watts@davidshepherd.org or call her on 01483 272323.

Celebrity tweet TigerTime celebrity supporters Ricky Gervais and writer Jane Fallon led the call across social media to support the cause by buying a limited edition Kerby Rosanes design t-shirt. The two week campaign raised a wonderful £3,000.

Jane also helped raised £500 for tigers at our ‘Meet the Author’ event with Lisa Jewell at Burgh House in May.

Here’s what our brilliant ambassadors have been up to recently: Amanda Butler (Wiltshire & Glos.) and husband Barry drove 1000 miles in three days calling at 35 different elephant ‘watering holes’ to raise awareness and £1,000 for elephants! Anita Murray (North Norfolk) helped spread the word about the work of the Foundation and raised £158 for wildlife at her local arts & craft fair. Val Green (Scotland) fundraising activities in Scotland this summer have been a mix of car boots and online sales, supported by a successful Tiger competition that raised £300. With £1,500 in the bank Val is keen to hit £2,016 by the end of the year. And Rebecca Ward (Oxfordshire) helped organise an awareness raising drive at the Steppes Travel show at the RGS in London in September.

We’d like to extend a very warm welcome to our first junior fundraising ambassador, Alisha Brassington (left). Alisha has recently moved to Lusaka in Zambia and will be well placed to report back on events there.

“Before I moved I was invited to the Wildlife Artist of the Year preview where, as well as seeing some amazing pieces of wildlife art, I met David Shepherd. He has inspired me to continue raising money to help elephants. I look forward to bringing you my first report and please dig deep for DSWF!” says Alisha.

Skyhigh treat Wow! Huge respect to Kylie Townsend for skydiving to raise £400 for TigerTime. We know the tigers you’re protecting would be very impressed!

You can do it!

If you’d like to raise funds for DSWF or our TigerTime Campaign just give us a call on 01483 272323 or email dswf@davidshepherd.org with your idea and we’ll do everything we can to help.

Wildlife Matters Issue 49

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Call for entries

Image courtesy Radka Kirby

Wildlife Artist of the Year 2017 ÂŁ10,000 sponsored TOP PRIZE

Seven categories to suit all artistic styles & mediums

. Animal Behaviour . Earth’s Beautiful Creatures . Hidden World . Into the Blue . Vanishing Fast . . Urban Wildlife . Wings, Feathered or Otherwise .

Expert judges include fellow artists, conservationists & art critics

Entry until 20 February 2017

Image courtesy Adele Behles

Join us for an exciting 10th Anniversary Week of Wildlife Art at the Mall Galleries, London SW1 Tuesday June 27 - Sunday July 2

Join us

For full details & rules of entry please see www.davidshepherd.org or call 01483 272323

Featuring: PV - Monday June 26 The 2017 Wildlife Artist of the Year shortlist And some exciting 10th anniversary events - more soon!

More details can be found on our website at www.davidshepherd.org or call us on 01483 272323