AUTUMN 2013: ISSUE 43
Wildlife MATTERS
NEW Snow leopard
adoptions make the perfect gift Special Report On the trail of criminal kingpins
The Art of Conservation
Wildlife artist of the year goes from strength to strength
Enterprising ways to save the snow leopard
Fabulous gifts that support endangered wildlife
Fulfilling the Art of Conservation
The magazine of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation - saving endangered mammals in the wild www.davidshepherd.org
WHO’S WHO Founder/President:
David Shepherd CBE FRSA
Honorary Vice Presidents:
Mark Carwardine, David Gower OBE, Gary Lineker OBE, Simon King OBE, Mandy Shepherd Trustees:
Nigel Colne CBE, Christopher Cowdray, Nigel Keen, Bruce Norris, Andre Pienaar, Richard Powles, Avril Shepherd, Melanie Shepherd Trading Company Directors: Christopher Oliver, Bruce Norris, Mary Nugent Chief Executive:
Welcome to
Wildlife Matters
A privilege also to be the founder of a conservation charity that is moving into its thirtieth year. Of course there have been some conservation lows over the years but, on balance, it has been thirty years with positive, can-do people making a real difference to endangered wildlife around the world.
Sally Case
Finance Director:
Mary Nugent
Head of Operations & Events:
Sally Wilson
Head of Fundraising & Marketing:
Anna Richardson
Head of Brand & Communications:
Vicky Flynn
Trading Manager: Lisa Langridge Gallery Assistant: Julia Lilley Trading Events: Kay Roudaut Administrator: Natalie Archer Education: Kim Hale Accounts Assistant: Marianne Watts Wildlife Artist of the Year: Nina Neve TigerTime: Chantelle Henderson 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: www.davidshepherd.org www.tigertime.info Charity No.1106893 Company No. 4918392 CAF ‘Give as you earn’ No. 001604. VAT Reg No. 414001815
Print: Kingsley Print Ltd Editorial & Design: Vicky Flynn, DSWF Cover Image: Snow leopard cub by Chris Conn. Adopt a snow leopard on page 25 and buy beautiful images and Christmas cards on page 22.
Keeping in touch help us cut costs Modern communication channels offer us a host of exciting and cost-effective ways to tell you about our work and help us give more to wildlife. 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.
As I write this welcome to Wildlife Matters I am still buzzing with excitement from my recent trip to Zambia. There is nothing quite like seeing conservation work in action to know that what you are doing can and does make a real difference. It’s so easy to read the papers and feel depressed about the number of elephants being killed for their ivory - a shocking one every fifteen minutes - but to see dedicated men and women putting their hearts and souls into conservation truly lifts the spirits! In Zambia, where the Foundation has been working for all of its ‘almost’ thirty years, the project brings together every element of what we strive to do; park protection, anti-poaching, education and awareness, community outreach and, because we no longer have a choice, rescue, rehabilitation and release back into the wild of the unfortunate victims of wildlife crime, in this case, orphaned baby elephants. I love elephants; they are colossal, beautiful, sentient creatures that have as much right as any of us to a place on this Earth and they help sustain a tremendously rich biodiversity. I am passionate about the work that DSWF supports in Zambia to protect these fabulous animals and to see others so awe struck by what we do that they reach deep into their pockets to help is humbling. I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who joined me on the recent trip and enjoyed the Ele Ball. It was a privilege to meet you.
I hope that all of you who have been with me from the beginning and those of you who have recently joined us, will help us celebrate in 2014. We have an incredible array of events in the pipeline, not least our annual Wildlife Artist of the Year competition (now open for entries) with its exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London in June and a black tie dinner at the Dorchester on October 10th. Alongside these established events we are adding some exciting new ones including a talk at Surrey University’s vet school in March with SKY TV vet, Luke Gamble. Luke visited and filmed at the elephant project in Zambia a few years ago and he has never forgotten the experience. In March, he will take to the stage with project manager, Rachael Murton and Dan Guerrera, who helped create a special boot for the orphan Suni whose escape from a poachers axe left her paralysed in one leg. It will be a fascinating evening. You can find out more about this event and a host of others, all of which help raise funds and awareness for our work, on page 26. You may notice a few changes to this edition of Wildlife Matters and I hope you like them. We’re especially delighted to have a guest column from our conservation advisor, the conservationist and wildlife photographer, Mark Carwardine. And with a new snow leopard adoption being launched in time for Christmas we hope that you enjoy the news about what we do to protect these magnificent big cats. I look forward to seeing you all at our events in the coming months and thank you again for your continuing and brilliant support.
You can also follow DSWF and TigerTime on Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter @theDSWF and @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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CONTENTS p.5 Marcus Brigstocke headlines for tigers p.7 Wildlife Words with Mark Carwardine p.9 the Elephant Orphanage prepares for change among their charges p.11 painted dog update p.14 orphaned cubs in Russia p.19 Steve Leonard to speak at Global Canvas event next March p.20 the week of wildlife art that was p.22 buy our fabulous gifts for Christmas
Many of you will have heard the shocking news reports of the poisoning of 80 elephants at a waterhole in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. As if slaughtering these innocent animals for their ivory were not bad enough, they now face the risk of a slow and agonising death from cyanide. The DSWF funded conservation team in Zimbabwe immediately sprang into action to assist the National Parks offering their knowledge, experience and resources. The eight poachers arrested face long jail sentences for their actions, a clear message to all those involved that the decimation of wildlife in this way will not be tolerated. 2013 sadly looks like it will be the most horrific on record for South Africa’s rhino. 746 had been killed for their horn by 14 October, already exceeding last year’s shocking total. From our meeting with Dr William Fowlds (see page 4), a vet who has first hand experience of trying to save rhino that have been hacked by poachers, the message was clear; it is no longer enough to simply protect the animals that remain - we must stop the illegal trade and the demand for horn.
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My first year by CEO, Sally Case
I am pleased to report that this year DSWF has prioritised funding for the investigation of the criminal gangs that trade in rhino horn. These well-resourced syndicates operate in the criminal underworld and engage in a thriving trade in endangered animals that spans continents. But, thanks to your funding the lynchpin of one major gang is no longer operating and our attention is now focussed on the next criminal gang - we will not rest until they too have been stopped.
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2013 also saw the Conference of Parties at CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) where member countries meet to discuss trade and the laws that are supposed to protect wildlife. A number of positive steps were taken but we are in dangerous times and there are some that would be very keen to see the trade in many endangered species legalised. DSWF representatives worked hard at the conference in Bangkok to ensure that there was a strong voice against trade and we are still working hard to make sure that that position will not change when countries next meet in South Africa in 2016. In some of the most difficult and challenging times for some of the world’s most iconic and beautiful animals, I am proud to say that DSWF is funding teams that really do make a powerful difference.
Wildlife Matters Issue 43
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News
Nkala Rescue
Endure 6 Challenge DSWF is delighted to be one of six charities benefitting from the Endure 6 Challenge - a groundbreaking three year global fundraising campaign launched by the Endure Foundation this September. The Challenge aims to raise £3million through a series of expeditions and challenges across mountain, desert, jungle, ocean, freshwater and ice regions as well music and sports events and art and photography exhibitions. Further information and event registration can be found at:
www.endureworldevents.com/events
Painted Dog Appeal Thank you to everyone who has supported our Painted Dog Appeal to date.Your support means that we can fund vital anti-poaching, education and rehabillitation work in Zimbabwe. Just £20 pays for one local child to attend a four day
Visitors Meeting people who work in the field is always a privilege. They bring conservation to life and inspire us all to do more. Our recent visitors were no exception. Keep an eye on our events listings at www.davidshepherd.org to see who’s coming soon!
Rescued in July and now settled in with his friends at the Elephant Orphange Project in Zambia, little Nkala’s remarkable bounce back to health is thanks to your generous donations and the hard, round-the-clock care of the team in Zambia. Find out more about the orphanage project and our work in Zambia on page 8.
Win an original work by David Shepherd Don’t miss out on your chance to win some fabulous prizes in this year’s winter raffle. For just £1 you could be the proud owner of a David Shepherd original oil painting, enjoy a VIP day at the Bentley factory in Cheshire or spend a night of luxury with dinner and bed and breakfast at the Dorchester Collection’s boutique hotel, 45 Park Lane, London. The draw takes place on Monday 20th January tickets would make a great stocking filler! If you would like a book of tickets please call us on 01483 272323.
education bush camp. This helps build a life-long appreciation of the importance of conservation and the painted dog ensuring a lasting legacy for the country’s wildlife. If you would like to give, simply call us on 01483 272323 or find out more and donate online at www.davidshepherd.org
Dr William Fowlds We were inspired by South African vet, Dr William Fowlds who, between his busy public speaking engagements in the UK, took the time to visit us in September and to share his story and his passion for saving the rhino. His first hand experience of trying to save the survivors of poaching attacks simply galvanises our resolve to keep up the fight to save the rhino and all animals whose fate is currently dictated by greed and the demand of Far Eastern markets. Dr Fowlds has agreed to host an event for us so please keep an eye on our website for details.
Dr Koustubh Sharma The DSWF team were left in no doubt that the snow leopard is one of the world’s most amazing big cats when project scientist Dr Koustubh Sharma dropped in to tell us more on his whistle-stop tour of the UK. Senior Regional Ecologist at the Snow Leopard Trust, Dr Sharma was part of a recent three week expedition in South Gobi in which they set up 38 research cameras in an area of roughly 1,500-2,000 km² - an area where they had never placed cameras before. Placing camera traps in new areas will give the scientists an even greater understanding of the range and habitats of the
Dr Williams Fowlds with DSWF trustee, Melanie Shepherd and CEO, Sally Case
snow leopard - the least documented of all the big cats. “Mapping where the snow leopard comes into contact with human settlements helps us mitigate conflict situations and to focus our conservation efforts in the right place,” Dr Sharma explained. “It also gives us an incredibly priviledged insight into the life of this charismatic big cat.” You can read more about the work that DSWF supports on page 13. And don’t forget our fabulous new snow leopard adoption and Christmas cards on page 25 & 23.
4 100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted
Events Indian Summer
TigerTime
update
Launched to raise awareness of the issues facing the tiger in the wild using the power of social media, the TigerTime campaign continues to gain momentum. In September the team took to the streets of Guildford, Surrey for the first ever street collection and raised a wonderful £600 and lots of awareness too (see photo below that appeared in the Surrey Times). “The collection was designed to co-incide with Russia’s annual Tiger Day which from humble beginnings in 2000 is now a national holiday celebrated throughout the Russian Far East, home of the Amur tiger,” explains Campaign Manager, Chantelle Henderson. “We followed up with an awareness push via social media networks including Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr and were delighted with retweets (people sharing our message to their followers) from key celebrity supporters including Stephen Fry, Ricky Gervais, Jody Craddock and Brian Blessed. Our goal now is to convert this fabulous awareness raising into the generation of funds to help save the tiger in the wild.”
Trustee Melanie Shepherd, WTI’s Vivek Menon, David and Thorunn Gower, Meera Gandhi, David Shepherd and guests
On the first beautiful day of a fantastic summer DSWF welcomed 300 guests to Coworth Park, the Dorchester Collection’s five star country house hotel in Ascot for our black tie event.
Williams, everyone who donated an auction or raffle prize and of course our guest speakers David Shepherd and Vivek Menon of the Wildlife Trust of India.
“The setting was magical and the weather could not have been better,” says CEO, Sally Case. “We would like to thank everyone who made it such a memorable evening especially our guests, our host, Christopher Cowdray, CEO of the Dorchester Collection, Meera Gandhi of the Giving Back Foundation, KSpark Entertainment, Oasis Events, Planned2Perfection, Barry
“The event helped raise awareness of the issues facing the world’s wildlife and vital funds to support our conservation projects. Thank you again to everyone for your amazing support we couldn’t do it without you!”
BOOK NOW!
For more on our events please see the website: www.davidshepherd.org
Marcus Brigstocke & Friends We are thrilled to announce that TigerTime supporters and comedians, Marcus Brigstocke Simon Evans, Joel Dommett and Zoe Lyons will be raising a laugh, awareness and funds for the campaign at our first comedy event at G Live, Guildford on November 11.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered on the day! If you don’t already, please follow the campaign on Facebook and on Twitter @TigerTimeNow. Find out more at www.tigertime.info
Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe this is a fabulous opportunity to catch some of the country’s top comedians. Call us now to enquire about ticket availability on 01483 272323 or see the G Live website at: www. GLive.co.uk
About us: money matters
Photo credit: The Surrey Ad
The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation funds conservation projects throughout Africa and Asia. We provide vital funding for anti-poaching, park protection, rescue and rehabilitation, education and community outreach programmes as well as undercover investigation work to help bring an end to wildlife crime. Our mission is to save endangered wildlife and help spread awareness that wildlife is worth more alive than dead to those communities who share their wild spaces. You will find information about the projects we fund in this magazine and more at www.davidshepherd.org Since 1984, DSWF has spent over £6 million supporting wildlife conservation projects.
Highlights include: £500,000 has helped protect the painted dog in Zimbabwe, educating 1,000s of local children in the Bush Camp school and paying for 28,000 ranger patrol hours a year. £480,000 has been spent in Russia on tiger conservation, successfully increasing the number of critically endangered Amur tigers. At the year end March 31, 2013, income of £1.3 million had been received; £494,000 funded conservation activities, £175,000 funded education and reserves of £540,000 were carried forward to fund future work.
Wildlife Matters Issue 43
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SPECIAL REPORT
Undercover Investigations Hunting down the traders and kingpins of wildlife crime OPERATION LAST CHANCE Shaking the Untouchable Wildlife trafficking kingpins remain “untouchables” in many parts of the world, especially in Asia, where illegal trade and consumption in endangered species is rampant. The reasons for this include fear of revenge: the kingpin is well protected and will strike back at those who dare to threaten their profitable business. Then there is corruption: police can make more money protecting the kingpin than arresting him or her. And there’s the fact that this is organized crime: dismantling a well oiled, funded and armed syndicate is not easy in any line of business. But, thanks to support from the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, one of Asia’s top wildlife kingpins is now on the run. Vixay Keosavang was one of Asia’s top wildlife traffickers between 2002 and early 2013. He was the owner and director of Xaysavang Trading, Inc, based in Laos, with investment and trade partners in Vietnam and Thailand. “Boss” Keosavang originally set up his company to move wildlife across borders within Asia, then he expanded into sourcing animals from Africa too. He had boats, planes and trucks that imported and exported live and dead tigers, leopards, bears, pangolins, snakes, turtles, as well
as rhino horn and ivory. He signed contracts with buyers in Vietnam and China for many millions of dollars per agreement, moving tons of wildlife at a time. And he did all this with impunity, largely due to corruption, but also by covering his tracks with ‘legal’ captive breeding operations sanctioned by the Laos Government. He was laundering all the animals through the facilities as though they’d been bred for export. DSWF partner, FREELAND based in Bangkok, started investigating Keosavang and his company in 2004. When it became apparent how big a player he was, FREELAND began compiling information to give to the authorities. Staffed by former law enforcement officers from the UK, US, Asia and Africa, FREELAND knew how to convert the tip-offs they were receiving into actionable intelligence. But there was a problem; agencies were either not interested, afraid, or their hands were tied. FREELAND persisted for eight gruelling years, testing officers in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Interpol, CITES Secretariat and others with solid information on the kingpin. Nothing worked. They could not pin the kingpin to the illegal shipments.
Then opportunity struck. In early 2011, one of Keosavang’s deputies, Chumlong Lemthongthai, showed up at Bangkok’s international airport with a permit for a rhino horn with his boss’s name and ID card copied on it. The horn was said to come from a legal safari hunt, but FREELAND investigators advised authorities to look more closely. FREELAND then joined Thai and South African authorities in an 18 month investigation supported by DSWF that led to the arrest of Chumlong and warrants for more of Keosavang’s syndicate. Keosavang had used Chumlong, a Thai, and other deputies, including one Loy Chamthangvongsa, a Lao citizen, to finance illegal safari hunts and poaching operations in South Africa that netted countless rhinos. Thanks to the excellent investigative work by South African Police Service and Revenue Service (SAPS and SARS), and using additional information provided by FREELAND, South Africa put Chumlong away for 40 years (recently reducing his sentence to 30 on appeal). Thai authorities then used FREELAND’s information to conduct their own investigation into Keosavang’s gang in Thailand, which led to an arrest warrant for Loy. And Keosavang? “Finally, all the good cops we were working with admitted that the best strategy was to ‘out’ him in the press as they had no solid traction in Laos,” says FREELAND Director Steven Galster. “So we did.” On March 3, 2013, on the opening day of the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), the face of Vixay Keosavang ran on the front cover of the International Herald Tribune, named as Asia’s biggest wildlife trafficker. Within a month, FREELAND learned that he had stepped down from his business, which began to shake under the pressure of bad publicity and the reluctance of suppliers to be associated with him.
Photos: FREELAND
And now? “We’re still looking for him,” says Steven. “And DSWF will continue to fund the chase,” says CEO, Sally Case. “This is one untouchable that we are determined to unearth.”
A FREELAND tip-off lead DSI officers to a house in Thailand were they found these following photographs; Chumlong Lemthongthai above on a rhino hunt and dehorning the rhino as their sick reward (right)
6 100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted
Wildlife words “ Dismantling a well oiled, funded and armed syndicate is not easy in any line of business.”
with DSWF conservation advisor
Mark Carwardine
Horns of a dilemma There’s a feeling of desperation among everyone involved in rhino conservation these days. With increasing wealth in countries such as Vietnam and China, demand for rhino horn is soaring. And with nearly three rhinos being killed every day in South Africa alone poaching is already out of control. Why on Earth, then, is South Africa proposing to legalise international trade in rhino horn? In particular, it wants permission from CITES (which regulates trade in endangered species and is signed by 178 governments) for a one-off sale of its 16-tonne stockpile of rhino horns (worth some $1 billion). They argue that legal trade will flood the market with rhino horn, thereby forcing the price to drop and reducing the incentive to poach; that it will generate much-needed funds for conservation (albeit only for South Africa); and that it will take control away from criminal syndicates. Supporters of a longer-term legal trade also argue that rhino horn is a renewable resource (it can be obtained without killing the animal) and that de-horning would mean fewer rhinos available to poachers. But I think it’s all utter rubbish. There is no magic solution to the current crisis and, admittedly, efforts to curb poaching, tackle illegal trade and reduce demand clearly aren’t working. Or, at least, they aren’t working fast enough. But introducing a legal trade is categorically not the answer. For a start, there would be no way of telling the difference between legal and illegal horns. And how would we force enduser countries even to attempt such a distinction? This failure alone would provide nothing less than a laundering service for the illicit trafficking of illegal horns. Worse still, legalising international trade in rhino horn is more likely to cause an explosion in demand, which will encourage yet more poaching. With only 27,000 rhinos in the world – and a potential market for rhino horn exceeding 1.5 billion users in East Asia - it’ll never be possible for supply to outstrip such insatiable demand. Meanwhile, the criminal syndicates involved would either stockpile the legal horn, specifically to avoid flooding the market and driving the price down, or they’ll compete by offering illegal horn much cheaper.
How you can help Wildlife crime is one of the key drivers for the destruction of species and habitats. Some sources estimate it to be worth as much as US $19 billion a year. Help us identify those who are responsible for the continued destruction of Africa and India’s wildlife. It costs £150 per week to keep a team of investigators active and ready to shut down criminal syndicates.
Then there’s the problem of sending mixed messages. Are we trying to reduce the demand for rhino horn, or not? What is really frightening is that we’ve tried this before. In 2002, CITES approved one-off sales of elephant ivory stockpiles by four southern African countries to China and Japan. The result? Elephant poaching and the illegal ivory trade boomed to its highest levels in history. So why are we even considering rolling the dice again? The consequences are likely to be catastrophic and, once the damage has been done, there will be no going back.
Wildlife Matters Issue 43
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ZAMBIA
Raising awareness and funds for wildlife rescue, education and park protection
Park protection
Chodoba enjoying more independence and Suni receiving acupuncture
Elephant updates and education for all It’s been a busy few months at the Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP) as three elephants prepare for the next stage of their journey back to the wild. Two of the infants, Maramba and Kavalamanja will soon be moved from the nursery in Lilayi near Lusaka to the release facility in Kafue National Park. “They will be joining the older elephants including the oldest, Chodoba, who is now spending more and more time away from the facility interacting with a local bachelor herd,” says EOP Manager, Rachael Murton. “While we will certainly miss his character on camp, it is hugely satisfying to see his increasing independence. We look forward to the day when the only time we see him will be from a distance knowing that all the hard work to rewild him has worked.” For another orphan life remains a little less certain. Readers may recall the case of Suni who was injured when poachers slashed her back with an axe. While this fiesty little elephant has amazed everyone with her resilience, her condition remains serious. “She has made steady progress with the paralysis of her rear left leg and she is an active and spirited member of the herd at Lilayi,” says Rachael. In the quest to heal her injuries, Suni is currently receiving daily acupuncture and the team is very grateful to their friends from Colorado
State University for introducing this quite unique treatment and for training the staff in its application. Thanks too goes to Emma Buckland of Surrey Animal Acupuncture and The House Vet who were so touched by Suni’s story that they donated a new supply of needles for Suni. You can find out more about Suni’s story at the University of Surrey next spring when SKY TV vet, Luke Gamble, hosts an evening dedicated to her fight for suvrival. (See next page for more.) With education very much at the heart of the DSWF funded work in Zambia, Suni is also a major attraction for school children and visitors both local and international. “The nursery facility with its viewing platform provides a great educational resource helping us target the urban population with messages about conservation,” says Muzovu Awareness Project (MAP) Manager, Kate Brill. “We’ve also been having great success further afield and saw over 3,000 children in July to teach them about jobs in conservation.
Poaching remains a serious issue throughout the Kafue National Park and the DSWF funded game scouts are playing an active role in securing the area around the release facility against serious and well-armed poaching gangs, writes Sport Beattie, Founder and CEO of Game Rangers International. And the Special Anti-Poaching Unit (SAPU) scouts continue to rake in good results. Since the team was formed in February, 2,275 man patrol days have been completed in Kafue National Park; 14 lengths of ivory have been recovered; 73 bicycles used in bush meat poaching confiscated; 19 weapons recovered from poachers, including heavy calibre sporting weapons for elephant poaching, AK47s, shotguns and home made muzzle loaders;1,600kg of bush meat recovered; 2 lion skins and 2 leopard skins recovered; 325+ snares removed, representing 325 animals saved from an agonizing death; 2 pangolins recovered and released back into the wild; 56 poachers apprehended, including 2 notorious ones and 32 poachers successfully prosecuted. The scouts represent the ‘thin green line’ helping to stop the destruction of Zambia’s wild herds in an increasingly volatile and difficult situation. Thank you to everyone who supports this work which, as you can see from the results, is proving an invaluable tool in the fight against wildlife crime.
A Zambian Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) Scout, an Elephant Keeper and a Project Driver discussed the roles they play in protecting Zambia’s natural environment and the skills, experience and qualifications required to do their jobs. “The children were very excited to learn about the different jobs and hopefully Zambia has many professional conservationists in the making!” says Kate.
News: IFAW partnership We are delighted to announce a new partnership with Game Rangers International and IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare). From July 2013 IFAW became a supporting partner of the Elephant Orphanage Project in Zambia, providing much needed funding to support the rescue, rehabilitation, safe release and post release monitoring of the orphaned elephants they care for. All three organisations, GRI, DSWF and IFAW, will now work closely together for the benefit of these vulnerable animals which we hope will one day reintegrate back into the wild.
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100% of all donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full with no costs deducted
Suni - a survivor’s story comes to Surrey Join us at the University of Surrey on March 27th when SKY TV vet Luke Gamble hosts an evening dedicated to the story of Suni (pictured above). Orphaned when poachers killed her mother, Suni was left paralysed in her back leg after sustaining axe wounds to her spine during the attack. Find out more about her amazing survival story with Luke, Rachael Murton (manager of the Elephant Orphange Project) and Dan Guerrera, the man behind the special boots that are helping Suni live life to the full.
Tickets will be on sale soon - please keep an eye on our website for details.
Cycles, canoes and cars
Photos courtesy of Game Rangers International and Richard Baldwin
There have been a host of exciting fundraising events in support of the project in Zambia this year including a 500km cycle, a 100 mile canoe challenge and the annual Ele Charge. DSWF Education Advisor, Andrew White, took his cousins, Seb and Dom Loram, and headed to Zambia for an epic cycling challenge in August. They covered 500km of dusty and tsetse fly infested terrain and raised almost £7,000 for the elephants and education projects in the country. “It was an amazing adventure with some interesting moments,” said Andrew who also teamed up with local schools en route for sports days, litter picks and to spread the conservation message. “The next adventure, currently in the planning stage, will be to help raise even more money for a new education centre.” Back in the UK a group of Cheltenham College students and their friends set themselves a tough challenge as they embarked on a five day, 100 mile canoe expedition along the River Wye.
William-Ross Anderson, Alex de Wesselow, James Battishill and Henry Morshead undertook the gruelling trip to raise funds for the Elephant Orphanage Project accompanied by Henrietta and Evelyn from Malvern St James School. A special mention should also go to Hamish-James, William-Ross’s 11 year old brother who also completed the challenge!
From top; the viewing platform at Lilayi, working with local schools and a cycling lesson with Andrew White Below; preparing for the Elephant Charge and the Wye100 team
And back in the driving seat the DSWF team headed off on the annual Elephant Charge an off-road motorsport challenge held in the Zambian bush to raise money for conservation and wildlife education causes. Thank you to everyone for your support!
How you can help Support the care of the orphaned baby elephants. £1000 per month provides all the care needed to nurture the babies at the Lilayi nursery.
Wildlife Matters Issue 43
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NAMIBIA
Monitoring and protection for the rare desert rhino The fate of the rhino is in our hands By Marcia Fargnoli, CEO, Save the Rhino Trust The sun is setting and you are sitting by a water hole. In the distance you see a puff of air, warm and made visible against the cool night breeze. As you watch, slowly she walks toward you. She stops and gazes out at the scenery, as if she sees something beyond. She walks to the water hole, pauses and catches your eye. The majesty of meeting a rhino in the wild is an unforgettable moment. It pains me to know that this great and wise elder species of Africa is facing a serious crisis. According to science, these prehistoric creatures have been around for 50 million years. Yet 95% of the world rhino population has been decimated by humans in a short time period. Rhino poaching has recently increased to up to three rhino per day in South Africa alone. Now more than ever the rhino needs each of us to care. As I have recently been given the honour and responsibility of leading Save the Rhino Trust as the new Chief Executive Officer, I want to offer hope that our team, with the vital support of DSWF, remains focused, determined and driven by a passion to protect this species that we all hold dear. But they need your continued support. The fate of the rhino is in all of our hands. Let us link arms and stand together united as guardians of this truly majestic species.
Photos courtesy of SRT and Karl Andre Terblanche Photography
How you can help
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Rhino Ranger programme expands By Jeff Muntifering, Science Advisor During the past few months after our successful mid-term training workshop, news has spread about the Rhino Ranger programme. We are very excited to announce that one additional conservancy, Orupembe, has formally joined the programme, and three other conservancies have made informal requests to participate. These new additions will boost our Rhino Ranger family to include 13 communal conservancies supporting 26 community rhino rangers covering 100% of Namibia's northwest rhino population. Joint patrols with the Support
Group training teams have proceeded and the photos from new Rhino Ranger teams using their new ultra-zoom digital cameras continue to improve giving a greater insight in to the rhino within the various areas. Next on the agenda is a full term evaluation workshop to polish their basic rhino monitoring skills, receive their achievement certificates and present a completely new rhino conservation tourism training course. Thanks to DSWF support, they will also be receiving bedrolls and winter parkas to add to their rhino field kit.
Rhino and elephant security operation success By Bernd Brell, Director: Special Operations & Services, SRT Having lost two more rhinos to illegal activities recently, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism together with Save the Rhino Trust carried out another rhino and elephant security operation. This included the fitting of transmitters and satellite collars (anklets) as well as taking DNA samples of all the rhino processed during the capture operation. The use of aerial surveillance afforded sightings of various females with new calves as well as the discovery of natural mortalities of rhino and other game. DNA samples were also taken of both recent rhino poaching cases. The operation was also used for purposes of training and retraining personnel in various techniques of rhino security operations and procedures when confronted with possible illegally hunted rhino and other protected species. The actions taken by the Ministry and their partner organizations (as well as other rhino stakeholders) form part of the pro-active plans trying to counter any possible upsurge in illegal hunting of rhino in Namibia. SRT ‘s Bernd Brell takes information and DNA samples during a recent security operation
Save these animals from the brink of extinction. It costs ÂŁ220 per month to offer a secure livelihood to a reformed poacher as a wildlife guard. Adopt a black rhino and help support their cousins in the wild. Adoptions make the perfect gift - choose from one of six amazing animals. See page 25 for more details.
100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted
ZIMBABWE
Anti-poaching and community outreach to save the painted dog When goats are killed by painted dogs the usual reaction is for the owner to seek compensation, writes Peter Blinston, Managing Director of the DSWF supported Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) programme. But, on this occasion, the owner spoke out about how much we are doing for the people and the community at large through our HIV/Aids programme and our general community development projects. This is just the kind of attitudinal and behavioural change that PDC has been keen to create through our outreach work and we were keen to acknowledge it. A unanimous decision was made to invite the Makwandara Primary School in the goat owner’s village into our Bush Camp programme. This is the first school to be added to the programme since it started in 2004. A certificate was presented to the village head man and the head teacher of the school and a delegation of parents have been invited to visit PDC in the coming weeks. The grade six children from the school will attend the camp in 2014, an experience that we hope will continue the good work of spreading a wider awareness not just of the painted dog but of conservation in general to the community.
Further sadness came with the death of the alpha male and female (Ester) from the Kutanga pack. Both were killed in snares adjacent to the communal lands near Mabale village. I called an urgent meeting and a purge of poachers in the village resulted in the arrest of five poachers with another poacher being chased away from the village. The five that were arrested received jail terms varying from six to nine months. Despite these setbacks, the dog news on the whole though has been good. A pack consisting of five adults and six pups, yet to be identified, was seen to to the south of us at a waterhole called Ngweshla and we also managed to collar packs outside Victoria Falls and in the Western Region of Hwange National Park. So, in the Hwange Main Camp region we are currently aware of eight packs numbering approximately 33 adults and 26 pups, plus a dispersal group of three females. This is the highest count we have had in quite a while, so we are very encouraged. Thanks as ever goes to DSWF for their amazing support and for raising awareness of our work through the recent Painted Dog Appeal which features Ester’s story. Donate online at www.davidshepherd.org
Top: Jealous (head tracker) and Peter collar a new dog and above: Wilton (education & community development manager) presents the invitation to Makwandara school’s head master to be part of the Bush Camp programme
How you can help Just £20 pays for one local child to attend a four day education bush camp inspiring the next generation to value their local wildlife and spread the conservation message to their family and friends.
Photos courtesy of PDC
On the dog front we have experienced the usual highs and lows. After many, many days of searching Jealous was finally able to locate the Nyamandhlovu pack. This is the pack that had ten pups, born in May (pictured below). We spent some time with the pack observing them and counted seven pups - a reasonable survival rate given that there are only five adults in the pack.
During that time we were also able to dart and collar one of the males in the pack, which will enable us to monitor their movements more closely. Sadly, tragedy struck two weeks later when we received news that one of the pups had drowned in a concrete water trough constructed to provide water for the elephants. in the park.
Wildlife Matters Issue 43
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Above: Rangers caught five poachers as they travelled down to Semanya for the handover of the Ranger Post Right: Rangers on patrol
UGANDA
The Marine Ranger Station, positioned at the waters edge to house fuel, engines, life jackets, prisoners and confiscated items. Over the next month this will have the boat, engine and jetty delivered. All in all – the Semanya capability has almost stopped poaching along a 20km stretch of the Delta, and due to the permanent structure – it can be kept that way
Anti-poaching and protection for wildlife and waterways Just 60 years ago Murchison Falls was the most visited protected area in Africa. Uganda’s oldest and largest National Park, it boasted the highest biomass of mega herbivores on the continent. The Idi Amin era changed all that. Poaching was rife and the disruption that followed his overthrow left a trail of destruction and corruption. In a frighteningly short space of time the uncontrolled poaching led to the Northern White rhino becoming extinct and an elephant population estimated at 14,000 animals crashed to fewer than 180 individuals.
Photos courtesy of UCF
Since then wildlife numbers have increased slowly, but poaching has taken its toll and by 2011 had once again become extreme. The park’s size worked against it: overstretched and underpaid, Uganda Wildlife Authority’s (UWA) demotivated rangers were unable to cope, and indeed often colluded with poachers to help support their own families.
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Bruce Norris, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation provided the backing which enabled UCF to direct support to Murchison. A plan was devised that included building a strategically significant ranger post in the heart of the Delta – ensuring the rangers blocked poachers from getting to the area. Just one year on and the Semanya Ranger Station is operational and has had an immediate impact. On the very date the station was handed over to UWA, five poachers with spears and snares were arrested in the vicinity. The self-contained station – the largest in Murchison – comprises a brick building providing permanent accommodation for six rangers and a converted container can house another 16 mobile rangers and is thus an important base for patrols both on land and on the waterways.
The problem was worst in the Delta - this prime tourism area in the park was ground zero for poaching. Masquerading as fishermen, poachers were flooding across the River Nile, watching until any ranger patrols had passed and then landing to set thousands of snares. The impact was devastating and heartrendingly cruel. Elephants were losing trunks and lions, legs. It is debatable whether they, the survivors, were luckier than the untold many that died.
For their part, UWA have not only addressed the issue of the rangers’ pay, but also brought in more than 400 new rangers trained in Murchison Falls. Equipped and motivated, these young men are amazing: hundreds of poachers have been caught and prosecuted; well over 7,000 snares, traps and spears have been removed and destroyed and more than 200 illegal boats and 10km of illegal fish netting have been burnt.
It was against this backdrop that UWA asked the Uganda Conservation Foundation (UCF) for help to turn the devastation around. Following a field trip by DSWF Chairman of Trustees,
“We are delighted to say that, all in all, it was not a good year for the poachers! Incidences are now few and far between in the Delta thanks to the ranger team permanently based there,
and hopefully the wildlife can now bounce back,” says Michael Keigwin, UCF Founder. But this is just one part of the park and law enforcement is only one part of the plan: there is also the matter of providing rapid and effective help for snared animals. UCF have already refurbished a Landcruiser so that the veterinary department can reach victims more quickly and, as you read this, UCF is refurbishing a derelict building to become the new laboratory, providing a base in Murchison where vets will have facilities for storing drugs and carrying out operations. “While it is satisfying to have such successes to report, there is always more to be done. Present efforts need to be sustained, and UCF are now extending their efforts to the southern part of Murchison Falls, an area of 3,000km², with not a single ranger post or track. Not surprisingly poaching is rife. But, thanks to DSWF, we will forge ahead and work to create a safer environment for wildlife,” says Michael.
How you can help You can support the team by donating towards the following: £700 buys paddles, buoys, life jackets and the anchor for a patrol boat. £2,000 buys mosquito nets, bicycles and geolocation cameras to equip a ranger station.
100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted
CHINA
CHINA & VIETNAM
Rescuing moon bears from bile farms
Talking Tigers in the Dragons Den There’s nothing like getting to the heart of the problem, and that’s exactly what the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has been able to do with the generous assistance of DSWF writes Debbie Banks, lead campaigner at EIA. In March this year we released the findings of a series of ground-breaking investigations into the Asian big cat trade in China, which we undertook over the course of the preceding ten months. Our clever detective work and tenacity had paid off and we obtained first hand evidence of a governmentlicensed trade in the skins of captive bred tigers. Marketed as luxury home décor, this legal trade is perpetuating the notion that big cat skins are a desirable symbol of power and wealth. Tragically, buyers who cannot afford the prices of the high-end legal skins can still find the skins of wild tigers, leopards and snow leopards for sale in well-established black market havens for wildlife.
Peter bear’s first steps on grass after years in a rusty cage (picture courtsey Animals Asia)
This year marks the 15th anniversary of Animals Asia. Here, the team looks back at the amazing changes that have happened and how DSWF’s support has helped them achieve so much, including the rescue of 400 bears.
Where did these 15 years go? 8/8/98 - a memorable day in Hong Kong, as a small team clambered onto an open-top bus, resplendent with banners and balloons, and launched Animals Asia (AA). The date was deliberately chosen to include the most auspicious number; 8 for prosperity and fortune, and another auspicious number, 9, symbolising long life and harmony. Animals Asia is as true to its promise today as it was then – to work until the very last bear farm has closed, until bears can wake with the sun on their backs and without fear in their hearts. The growth and development of the animal welfare movement since that favourable day has been explosive, and Animals Asia is at the forefront of significant progress in both China and Vietnam. Bear bile farming is now “an issue” in both countries and while it is illegal in Vietnam,
How you can help By adopting a moon bear you will help support the rehabilitation of the bears in Vietnam and China, providing them with stimulating outside areas where they can spend their wonderful days of freedom. See page 25.
it is also looked upon with contempt by an increasingly growing number of Chinese whose feelings about the industry made it one of the top ten most discussed issues last year. This anniversary year has seen some very encouraging events. In January AA welcomed six new bears rescued by the Sichuan Forestry Authorities. “We are happy to say that all six bears have come through the long months of surgery needed to ensure full fitness and are now enjoying all the luxuries of a life free from pain and fear in our beautiful outdoor enclosures,” says Nicky Vyvyan-Robinson of AA. And, on the anniversary date itself, in an announcement which has been called ‘the best birthday present imaginable’ by AA founder, Jill Robinson, 150 Chinese drugstores announced that they would no longer be selling bear bile products.
Critically, we have been able to get all our materials translated into Mandarin for the first time – our campaign reports, films and the confidential briefings that we have passed to Chinese law enforcement personnel. We were also able to travel to China to share our findings with local organisations and media faceto-face. At the time of our visit, most people felt that tigers had been “taken care of ” following the International Summit in St Petersburg in 2010, that the then Prime Minister of China had committed to saving tigers and China was not about to re-open tiger bone trade. However, none realised what was going on behind the scenes with regards to tiger skin. Just being able to raise awareness among stakeholders in China has motivated others to explore and challenge the system themselves. At a time when China is about to embark on a campaign to reduce “illicit demand”, leaving a gaping loophole for “legal demand”, the more people who can expose this duplicity the better.
Animals Asia’s on-going ‘Healing without Harm’ programme now boasts a total of 11 chain stores and 260 pharmacies proudly proclaiming themselves “bear bile free”. There have also been awareness campaigns backed by government authorities and media in both Vietnam and Korea to alert tourists to the horrors of bear farming. 12,000 brochures were distributed at top attractions and Animals Asia recently gained the support of top Korean travel agencies to remove visits to bear farms from their itineraries, decreasing the significant percentage of bear bile from Vietnam’s illegal farms now smuggled out by Korean tourists. “Our 15th anniversary year has proved to be so exciting and we are, as always, extremely grateful for DSWF’s ongoing support. We couldn’t do it without you!” adds Nicky.
EIA is DSWF’s partner NGO on the TigerTime Campaign. Their report, Hidden in Plain Sight, is available in English and Mandarin on their website: http://www.eia-international.org/hidden-in-plainsight-chinas-clandestine-tiger-trade
Wildlife Matters Issue 43
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RUSSIA
Anti-poaching and educational awareness to protect the Amur tiger After a long period of rehabilitation the young tigress named Cinderella was returned back to the wild in the Bastak Nature Reserve this May. Since then, specialists have been monitoring her movements with the use of radio telemetry and were delighted to catch her on camera this summer. Although it is too early to declare her return to the wild a success things are looking promising and evidence of regular wild boar kills bode well for her survival.
doing well too and showing positive signs of a successful return to the wild.
Besides tracking Cinderella, the team have been following the fate of four other tiger cubs, three siblings called Businka, Kuzya and Boris and young male tiger Ustin, residing in the Rehabilitation Centre for Rare Species. The siblings were rescued in November 2012 and Ustin was found this February.
As well as tiger rehabilitation (an increasingly important part of Amur tiger conservation as poaching and human-tiger conflict increases) the team in Russia have a wide-reaching education and awareness programme supported by DSWF. The annual Tiger Day, which started as a local awareness raiser in Vladivostock in 2000, has now become a colourful annual holiday in the region attracting thousands of supporters and in 2012, the Chinese town of Hunchun joined the celebrations for the first time too.
The two brothers, Boris and Kuzya, recovered fast and gained weight quickly, but their sister Businka sadly died in May. A post-mortem showed that she had haemorrhagic pneumonia. This contagious disease is easily passed from one cat to another so immediately after her death the other three cubs were vaccinated.
Photos courtesy of Inspection Tiger, WCS and the Phoenix Fund
Recently Boris and Kuzya were moved to Cinderella’s old enclosure and they are doing well according to the keeper. Like Cinderella, they avoid people, which is a good sign for their return to the wild. In June, the cubs started their hunting training with live rabbits. Ustin is
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“We are grateful to everyone who supports our tiger conservation projects and thanks to generous donations from local people and DSWF supporters we are also providing Zhorik, the DSWF adoption tiger, and other tigers in need with necessary medical treatment and care,” says Irina Burstev of Phoenix Fund.
“Making people aware not only of the importance of the Amur tiger but of the wider biodiversity of the region is vital to its protection,” adds Irina. “And we hope that with growing support from the government, which agreed harsher penalities for wildlife crime, that the next Amur tiger census in the winter of 2014 will show some positive improvements in tiger numbers.”
Above: Connecting tigers and the environment at the 2013 Tiger Day celebrations Left: Inspecting one of the orphan cubs
How you can help
Help the rare Amur tiger population to stay safe and to thrive in the wild. Just £10 provides food and veterinary care for one week at the rehabilitation centre.
Enterpr O
ne of the key successes of the snow leopard conservation project that DSWF supports in Mongolia is Snow Leopard Enterprises (SLE) a handicraft programme that provides training, micro-credit loans and logistical support to help herders create and sell fine handmade wool crafts. This flagship programme has been supported by DSWF since the late 1990s and is now one of the largest grassroots snow leopard conservation projects in Mongolia. “As part of SLE, herders agree to stop poaching and illegally killing snow leopards and prey species within their community,” explains Siri Okamoto. “At the end of the year, participants receive a 30 per cent cash bonus if no one in their region has violated this contract. Right now, over 250 families in Mongolia are making over 30,000 crafts with each purchase protecting snow leopards and supporting a family living in snow leopard habitat.”
How the crafts are made Many of the most popular SLE handicrafts from Mongolia are made from felted sheep wool. The wool, when hand sheared, often comes off in dirty clumps and pieces. The raw wool is washed and dried, then carded
MONGOLIA
rising ways to save the snow leopard to untangle it, remove guard hairs and debris, and to align the fibres. The wool is then laid out into sheets and flattened into felt using a combination of hot water, pressure and friction. The wet felt is then dried and can be dyed, cut into patterns and sewn together to make different products. Finishing touches, such as linings for booties and decorative stitching are added last.
The products are taken to Ulaanbaatar, the capital, and finished off with labels before they are boxed up and shipped off for retail sale.
Updating the product line “In July 2013 we organized a summit attended by 40 herder women representing 20 communities to come up with new product lines for SLE. They were joined by local trainers, a US-based felting expert, Snow Leopard Trust staff and a retail expert from Woodland Park Zoo,” says Siri. “Together they collaborated to improve the product quality and design of current products, learned new techniques, and developed new crafts. As a result, prototypes were developed for seven new products that we hope will join our current line in 2014.”
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Most of our participants are part of this programme in order to make a living. However, beyond creating economic opportunities, what makes SLE unique is that it ties these opportunities to the conservation of snow leopards. Our participants are learning how to make and sell products, but they’re also learning more about the cats and why they, too, need a place to live and food to eat.
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Bulk products are collected twice a year when Snow Leopard Trust staff travel the roadless countryside visiting communities, sharing information about snow leopards and picking up hundreds of pounds of wool crafts - a journey that can take up to a month!
Unuruu, SLE North Coordinator, Mongolia Photos courtesy SLT
The DSWF Gallery in Shalford has a selection of SLE products available this Christmas. Please call in to find out more at 7 Kings Road, Shalford, Surrey GU4 8JU Wildlife Matters Issue 43
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INDIA
Anti-poaching, community outreach, education and undercover investigation
Hunters put down their weapons in the Simlipal Tiger Reserve With an impassive expression, Baliya lays down his weapons – a bow and arrows that he had been hunting with for years. He was one of ten local hunters of the Ho tribe surrendering their weapons to the authorities at Simlipal Tiger Reserve in the East Indian state of Odisha, pledging never to hunt an animal again. The surrender ceremony was just the beginning. Since then ten Ho tribe villages in the region have come forward, including three notorious for illegal wildlife trade, pledging to stop their traditional practice of hunting wild animals. This major breakthrough followed an intensive awareness drive carried out as part of a Rapid Action Project (RAP) implemented by Honorary Wildlife Warden, Mr. Satyanarayan Das and the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), supported by DSWF. Simlipal is a UNESCO biosphere reserve, spread over 845.7 km² in the Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. One of the lesser known tiger habitats, Simlipal is home to 42 species of mammals including the rare melanistic (white) tiger and1,076 recorded species of plants, including 96 species of orchid.
the drives was to spread the message about the importance of wild species in the forests. Long conversations were held with individual hunters and talks addressed ten prioritised villages in Simlipal. Medical camps were held and banners and signboards were put up in village squares with information about the importance of wild species and Mr Das, in collaboration with WTI, worked with the government in the area to ensure that people were given alternative livelihood options.
“Tribes notorious for illegal wildlife trade have pledged to stop hunting wild animals” A small but efficient informer network was also set up amongst the villages which notified forest guards when suspected hunters were entering or leaving the park. As a result, guards stopped potential hunters from killing animals on 15 occasions in the three months.
“It was a little disheartening initially, when after the first awareness drive the hunters returned to the forest the next day,” said WTI’s Rudra Mahapatra. “But the surrender of weapons showed a slow but sure change in their lifestyles.” Rudra added that the change would have been impossible without help from the Divisional Forest Officer, Mr Asish Kumar Behera, who met the villagers on several occasions, trying to understand their problems and find solutions. “The forest department is also striving to provide these villagers with an alternate livelihood to ensure that this shift is sustainable,” said Mr Das. “And there are plans to improve their irrigation systems and find alternatives for sufficient water and electricity supplies. The three timber smugglers are now a part of the village eco development committee and earn an honest living from it.” Another group of hunters are expected to surrender their weapons soon.
The15 Ho tribe villages within the park cause intense pressure on the forest with reports of numerous poaching incidents, illegal tree-felling and a lack of control because of insurgency in the area. Mr. Das approached WTI keen to educate the tribes and the DSWF funded project swung into action during the Akhand Shikar, a tribal hunting festival during April-June.
Photos courtesy of WTI
Since then, over ten awareness drives have been conducted in the villages of the Ho tribe - one of the most populous tribes in India and a community dependent on wild meat for their survival.
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“In my initial interactions with the villagers three timber smugglers came up to me and said they were sick of running from the Forest Department,” said Mr Das. “Expert marksmen, they regularly hunted bush meat and occasionally larger wild animals. They urged me to consider including them in a welfare scheme saying they wanted nothing more than to stop their smuggling and hunting.”
Above; wild elephants in the reserve and left; raising awareness at Simlipal Tiger Reserve in the state of Odisha
It was these three men, in their late 20s, who helped mobilise a total of ten tribesmen in the village to give their weapons up. The aim of
100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted
Education awareness, flood preparation and alternative livelihood schemes in Assam At the time of going to press 23 rare onehorned rhino had lost their lives to poachers in 2013 in Kaziranga National Park, Assam. In the same period three tigers were poisoned (see story below). Now, as never before, the need to increase park protection and to spread awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation is a top priority. For DSWF supported Aaranyak, education has formed a vital part of their work again this year. “We conducted a series of campaigns around Kaziranga to raise awareness among communities and to assist the park authorities in its protection and conservation measures,” says Aaranyak Director, Dr Bibhab Talukdar. “These included our ‘Rhino Goes to School’ programme and our annual cycle rally which take the message of conservation to schools and villages in and around the national park.” The annual flooding of Kaziranga is always a period of danger for wildlife as the rising water forces them out of the protected areas of the park. With this in mind the team once again ran a series of pre-flood awareness meetings encouraging communities to rescue and protect displaced animals.
“In total, our awareness campaigns reached 50 villages in and around the park,” says Bibhab. DSWF has also provided field equipment including wireless communications, bicycles, boots and cameras to support the forest rangers in the very challenging flood period. Along with these educational and anti-poaching activities DSWF support is continuing to champion Aaranyak’s alternative livelihood scheme, assisting marginal families and families of ex-poachers to find sustainable incomes. Launched in October 2011, Aaranyak is now encouraging the making of traditional cotton goods and pig keeping.
Above and far left; Rhino Goes to School forms an important part of Aaranyak’s education work and below; one of the families benefitting from the alternative livelihood scheme
“The pig keeping scheme has proved very popular,” says Bibhab. “Each family receives two pigs which they then breed, returning a piglet back to the scheme so that it becomes a selfsustaining programme.” Ensuring that people are educated about the importance of conservation and are gainfully employed is a powerful part of creating a long-term future not just for the people in and around the park but for its wildlife too.
First poisioning in Kaziranga A decomposed tiger carcass found in Kaziranga National Park on September 15th is said to be the first case of a tiger poisoned by poachers in the park.
Photos courtesy Michael Vickers, TigersintheForest.com and Aaranyak
Dr Firoz Ahmed, whose tiger research in Kaziranga is supported by DSWF said: “With two tiger deaths in nearby Orang National Park suspected to be as a result of poisoning, poachers are now using it as a more regular
method to kill tigers. This is the first incident of tiger poisoning in Kaziranga.” Two people were arrested and later taken to the scene of the crime with a magistrate. They identified the location where they had buried the carcass which consisted of decomposed flesh and skin. The bones, highly prized in Far Eastern markets, were missing and had reportedly been sold on.
A spokesman for the park, Mr S.K. Seal Sarmah, said: “The two poachers have already been arrested and handed over to the police. The search for the other three suspected culprits continues.” A 2012 study, sponsored by DSWF showed that Kaziranga National Park has over 100 Royal Bengal tigers, making it a vital stronghold for the future of the species.
How you can help Help us to protect and maintain the wildlife jewels in India’s crown. It costs nearly £100 per month to keep the network of camera traps in Kaziranga National Park running. And £500 would buy a special ‘bite jacket’ to help our anti-poaching dog, Jorba, during his training.
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FUNdraising round-up Message from our Captain Dear Young Friends I hope you have all returned to school rested and ready for the new challenges ahead after what turned out to be a lovely summer. The football season has kicked off too and I was delighted to hear that retired footballer Jody Craddock (pictured) - who played for Cambridge Utd and Sunderland and lifted the Championship trophy for Wolverhampton Wanderers, is now going from strength to strength in his painting career. It was great to hear that he is using his talents to help wildlife, a subject dear to my heart. At a recent exhibition of his work at DSWF’s Shalford Gallery a percentage of his sales were offered to fund DSWF projects. I was inspired by Jody and I hope you are too. Remember, you can make your art matter by entering the Global Canvas art and poetry competition! 2014 is DSWF’s 30th anniversary so dust off those paint sets, sharpen your pencils and let’s make next year’s Global Canvas competition the best ever. As always, I will do my best to meet the art and poetry winners in March.
The amazing Connor Phipps and his family, who have supported DSWF in so many ways, have once again been fundraising! In August, Kathy Phipps, Connor’s granny, sold her knitted toys to raise £64.50 and Connor also adopted DSWF baby African elephant, Chamilandu.
to send out to Zambian Schools near to our wildlife projects. With many schools woefully short of basic equipment, donations such as these to support education at our projects are vital. If you would like to help in this way please contact us.
In June, pupils and parents from Beckley School, East Sussex raised £50 after our Education Manager, Kim Hale made a presentation on DSWF's Elephant Orphanage Project. Kim explained all about the awesome elephant, the dangers they face in the wild and the amazing work the Elephant Orphanage Project in Zambia undertakes. Inspired, children as young as three from Holmbury Playgroup enjoyed putting money in our huge elephant money box and the parents and children donated £50!
Additionally, two more Millais School pupils, Taylor and Cameron, are determined to continue the school’s support for the Elephant Orphanage and are planning a whole range of fundraising events for this school year, including an elephant adoption and a competition to name a baby elephant. Good luck to everyone involved!
The annual Shalford Village fete attracted a large number of visitors to the gallery and children were able to take part in animal related games and activities which raised nearly £200 for the painted dogs. Young pupils from the American Community School in Cobham raised £119.81 in donations from their big cat mufti day in May. Holly Nicholson and her friends from Millais School in Horsham, West Sussex, have been collecting pens and pencils and other supplies
Pupils from Ashdell School, Sheffield enjoyed finding out more about the work of DSWF and the animals we work to protect when Kim Hale, our Education Manager, visited in June. Heidi Wragg continues to inspire pupils to enter our Global Canvas art and poetry competition each year and the school is a regular adopter of our endangered species. This summer, local children visited the DSWF gallery in Shalford to find out more about endangered wildlife and to participate in some exciting craft activities during our “Wild Wednesdays”. Their enthusiasm for wild animals was amazing and some amazing animal craft creations were produced!
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED US THIS YEAR!
I know it’s easy to become disheartened when you read the terrible news about the growing numbers of animals killed by poachers but, I believe, as David Shepherd does, that you care enough to want to do something about this. Keep up the good work, come up with some fun and exciting fundraising ideas and play your part in team DSWF!
Gary Lineker, OBE Captain of Young Friends
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100%ofofall donations marked for specific in the field go in in the full with deducted costs deducted 100% donations you send markedprojects for specific projects field no go administration in full with no costs administration
Snow leopard exhibition We know you will all be frantically busy preparing for school plays, carol concerts and Xmas Fairs but please make time to paint or write a poem or short story to be displayed in our gallery’s education area. Our theme for the winter months is the critically endangered snow leopard. You can email kim.hale@davidshepherd.org and submit your work online by the end of November. The best picture, and poem or short story will receive a certificate and a small prize. There is no entry fee. Threats to their habitat mean that snow leopards are in very real danger of becoming extinct. Why not put a snow leopard adoption on your Christmas list and help to save them in the wild? See Page 25.
Lovely Letter The letter below is from a teacher at one of our local schools, Shalford Infant School, who adopted an animal and raised a further £83.58 for DSWF! It provides a wonderful example of how much children can learn and how much fun they can have raising money for their own animal adoption. If your school would like to get involved in this way, please contact us.
Image courtesy of Save the Tiger Fund
Dear DSWF
about the write to tell you I thought I would d at Shalford di s, as ss, Pine Cl fundraising my cla oney to adopt a term to raise m Infant School last tiger. children had out animals, the During a topic ab al conser vation erested in anim become very int lp. With a little to something he do to ed nt wa d an idea of raising me up with the guidance we ca ter a class vote an animal and af money to adopt d a display and te . We then crea er tig a e os ch they to buy a tiger rent asking them wrote to ever y pa n and place it children had draw for 50p that the back into the s er - 'putting tig ap m rld wo e on th raised the £32 this venture we world' - through needed! splay (right). photos of our di I have enclosed
GLOBAL CANVAS ART & POETRY COMPETITION “IT’S OUR WORLD” Entry is now open for children around the world up to and including the age of 16. Think carefully about the title ‘It’s our World’. Whose world is it? Do the species with whom we share the planet have an equal right to exist? If we regard ourselves as the custodians of planet Earth, then perhaps we are not doing a very good job. What are our responsibilities? How can we make positive changes to our environment? We know you’ll have some really creative ideas!
Overseas Entries - We are excited by the increasing number of enquiries from schools and conservation clubs from countries around the world. If you are submitting a large volume of work from overseas you may prefer to pay your entry fees online by clicking on the DONATE NOW button on the competition page. Winning or shortlisted entries will then need to be sent in by 24th January 2014.
2014 Exhibition & Prizegiving - all our lucky
finalists will be exhibited at the Natural History Museum, London on March 13th and receive their prizes from David Shepherd and guest speaker vet and TV presenter, Steve Leonard (pictured right). Don’t miss out - enter today! For more information about the competition including downloadable pdfs of the terms and conditions, entry forms and competition flyers, and photographs from last year’s event please visit the website:
www.davidshepherd.org/education/competition
DID YOU KNOW Snow leopards have long thick tails and use them not only for balance in the steep mountain terrain where they live, but in the cold, cold winters they use them like scarves to keep themselves warm!
Tailor-made for you... DSWF offers tailor-made presentations and talks to schools and can accommodate small, local groups at our Shalford gallery on request. Our education pack is currently being redeveloped as an online resource but an information and fundraising pack is still available, FREE of charge, to schools and educators. Please consider supporting one of DSWF’s conservation and/or education projects by nominating us as your Charity of the Year or Term.
Contact us for more information or to discuss your education and fundraising ideas on 01483 272323
rah Hall
Many thanks, Sa
Wildlife Matters Matters Issue Issue 41 43 Wildlife
Photos courtesy of Kim Hale and Jo Sarsby
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ART MAT TER of the
This year’s week of wildlife art at the Mall Galleries, London, was the most exciting to-date. It brought together exquisite work from artists and sculptors from around the world along with celebrity sketches to raise money for tigers, and live art demonstrations. “The gallery buzzed with buyers and art-lovers all week and helped raise £40,000 to support our conservation projects,” says DSWF CEO, Sally Case. South African artist, Simon Max Bannister, was named the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundations’ 2013 Wildlife Artist of the Year at the prize-giving event during the private preview on June 3rd for his near life-size trio of giraffes. He accepted the £10,000 sponsored top prize from David Shepherd and special guest and DSWF honorary vice-president, David Gower. Simon, who has been creating sculptural artworks for the last three years, and is currently based at Londolozi Game Reserve, South Africa as artist in residence, was amazed by the win. “I walked into the gallery earlier that evening and was overwhelmed by the talent that greeted me. That I should win against such brilliant competition was extraordinary and thrilling!” he said. “The entries were quite magnificent this year and Simon was a very worthy winner,” says David
Wildlife Artist of the Year 2013 results
Shepherd who launched the art competition in 2008 to raise funds and awareness for endangered wildlife. “From the judges’ point of view the drama and technical excellence in all the work was quite breath-taking.”
The 2013 Wildlife Artist of the Year Winners:
Over 150 works of art were short-listed from this year’s competition - from established and up-and-coming new artists - creating a stunning exhibition in the main gallery to suit all budgets.
Overall runner-up & Endangered Category winner High Life by Stella Mays
Alongside the competition entries were original works from three generations of the Shepherd family in the North Gallery, ‘Urban Safari’ by Jeremy Houghton in the Threadneedle Space plus celebrity tigers, a collection of sketches and artwork from celebrity TigerTime campaign supporters that were auctioned to save the tiger in the wild. “The juxtaposition of the traditional with the new and unexpected gave the event a vibrancy that we are keen to repeat in 2014, our 30th anniversary year,” adds Sally Case. “Entry is now open until the end of January and wtih a slight twist on the seven categories we can’t wait to see the submissions.” We offer fabulous, exclusive evenings during our week of wildlife art at the Mall Galleries. To discuss your requirements call Anna on 01483 272323.
Overall & Go Wild Category winner Journey from Londolozi by Simon Max Bannister
Wild Places Category winner Jagged by Sevina Yates Wildlife in Action Category winner Nesting Rosie Bee Eaters by Davina Bosanquet Wild Life Category winner Hornbills by David Quinn Young & Wild Category Animal Friends Insurance winner Early Bird by David Nuttall David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation winner Untitled by Madeline Mackay 3D Category winner Closing the Circle by Neil r Mason The David Shepherd Choice winner High Life by Stella Mays
Entry now open for 2014 - see back page or www.davidshepherd.org for details
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100% of all donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full with no administration costs deducted
The main exhibition space at the Mall Galleries looked spectacular and live art demonstrations by Emily Lamb (pictured) Mandy Shepherd and Hazel Soan were popular all week
The winners with David Shepherd and David Gower, clockwise from above; Stella Mays, Simon Max Bannister, Neil r Mason, Sevina Yates, Davina Bosanquet with her work, David Quinn, David Nuttall and Madeline Mackay
Winning work clockwise from top right; Journey from Londolozi by Simon Max Bannister; Jagged by Sevina Yates; Nesting Rosie Bee Eaters by Davina Bosanquet; Untitled by Madeline Mackay; Early Bird by David Nuttall; Closing the Circle by Neil r Mason; High Life by Stella Mays and Hornbills by David Quinn
Wildlife Matters Issue 43
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SHOPPING for wildlife
Make your Christmas gifts extra special this year by helping to save wildlife too Gallery Exclusives!
Is it a Beetle? by Emily Lamb Limited Edition of 250 on canvas 39cm x 27cm £50 plus £9.95 p&p to mainland UK
Scarves & Kenyan Dog Collars
A wide range of beautiful scarves and Kenyan beaded dog collars (small and medium) in a variety of colours and styles are available at our Gallery in Shalford. Prices start at £10. Come in and discover more!
Pewter Miniatures
These sweet little sculptures make perfect Christmas gifts. Approx. 3cm wide by 3.5cm high. £39 each plus £4.95 p&p to mainland UK. Rhino, Elephant, Warthog, Hippo, Painted Dog
African Chef
Add a taste of Africa to your table
The African Chef donates 20p from every sale of its delicious products to the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. The unique and innovative condiments, jams and cordials come in attractive packaging, each featuring its own endangered animal and make the perfect gift or addition to your table! There’s a magical taste of Africa in every beautifully packaged product.
For those who enjoy a hot, fiery and fruity kick the Caramelized Chillies is sure to please. Packed full of scotch bonnets and African birdseye chilies it is incredibly versatile and tasty with a variety of dishes.
African Gold is full of flavour considering it only has five ingredients. It livens up soups, houmous, cheese and gravy. Curry Ketchup infused with African and Indian spices, is a firm favourite with fish and chips and can help spice up your baked beans too! Moringa Chilli Relish is a new addition to the range. With the deep, earthy and smokey flavour of the nutritious moringa leaves there’s a hint of lime, coriander and garlic making it a must with bangers and mash! The Baobab Chilli Jam is a fantastic accompaniment to cheese and a range of dishes. Mixed with plain yoghurt it makes a delicious marinade
or dip and has recently made the finals of the Devon Life 2013 Food Awards for Best New Product.
Butternut Squash with a touch of rosemary and Carrot and Ginger are the perfect partner for the cheese board and particularly good with goats cheese. But for pure Baobab flavour then try the original Baobab Jam it’s a tangy, apricot and passion fruit sensation and winner of two Gold Star awards from the Guild of Fine Food. Baobab Cordial infused with a range of spices can be served hot or cold, mixed with sparking water or prosecco for a refreshing drink or, for the perfect salad dressing mix with olive oil and a touch of vinegar. Each handmade product comes with its own recipe.
You can view and order the full range available at www.theafricanchef.com There is also a selection available at DSWF’s Gallery in Shalford. Prices start from £4.99.
100% of all donations you send marked for specific projects in the field go in full with no administration costs deducted
Christmas cards, notelets and prints
Fading Out by Paul Bartlett
Winter’s Embrace by Nathan Bye
Available as: Christmas Cards - ten cards with envelopes featuring the greeting: With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year Card size 148 x 105mm. £4.50 per pack.
Available as: Christmas Cards - ten cards with envelopes featuring the greeting: With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year Card size 148 x 105mm. £4.50 per pack.
Open edition mounted print Mounted size 41cm x 36.5cm £30 plus £7.50 postage and packing to mainland UK
Open edition mounted print Mounted size 45cm x 34.5cm £35 plus £7.50 postage and packing to mainland UK
Masai Beads by Emily Lamb
Christmas Cards - ten cards with envelopes featuring the greeting: With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year Card size 148 x 105mm. £4.50 per pack.
Postage and packing for cards and notelets: £2.95 for five packs and under. Please call 01483 272323 for postage rates over five packs or for overseas orders.
New mounted prints by David and Mandy Shepherd
Black Prince
Open edition mounted print by David Shepherd Mounted size 33cm x 21.5cm £30 plus £4.95 postage and packing to mainland UK
Notelets
by David Shepherd (Blank for your own greeting, card size 140x140mm) £9,00 plus p&p (see above)
Snow Leopard
Open edition mounted print by Mandy Shepherd Mounted size 34cm x 24.5cm £30 plus £4.95 postage and packing to mainland UK
How to order
To order any of the featured works, log onto www.davidshepherd.org/shop to see our fabulous collection of prints and original works of art by David Shepherd and other leading wildlife artists. Or for further information, call DSWF on 01483 272323 or email dswf@davidshepherd.org Last order date: All UK orders received by December 18 will be delivered in time for Christmas.
Please note that exact colours of cards and prints may diiffer slightly from those printed here
Wildlife Matters Issue 43
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Thank you for your support The Foundation and the animals that it protects would not survive without the support and enthusiasm of our supporters, both individual and corporate. Read on to find out how you could get involved and to see the amazing things people do for wildlife.
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Flash mobs, cake sales, marathon runs and sky dives have all been part of what our brilliant supporters have been doing to raise money for endangered wildlife this year. The TigerTime teams were out in force with Hamerton Zoo raising £1,000 during a tiger awareness day, Chrissy Walsh threw herself out of a plane for £838, Jason Millward took on the Yorkshire Warrior event and raised £55, Steven Wilson ran the Dublin Marathon and runs the New York Marathon in November and already has £1,000 in the pot and the Animal Protection Society at Essex University had an awareness day and raised over £60.
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Team DSWF were also pounding the streets with our London marathon team of Rosie Simson, Victoria Cole, Ruth Steward, Michael Brown and Mark Barnett raising over £5,950 and our first RideLondon 100 cyclists George and Christopher MacColl raising £710.
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A huge thank you to everyone who worked so hard this year for wildlife and to Andy and Carrie Skillen who although they had to drop out of the RideLondon event made a fabulous donation.
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Call Natalie on 01483 272323 if you’d like to run in the 2014 London Marathon or cycle in RideLondon 100 for DSWF
Thanks too goes to the CycleZambia and Wye100 teams who did such a brilliant job raising money for the Elephant Orphanage Project and education in Zambia. You can read more about them on page 9. Apologies to anyone we’ve left out - do let us know in words and pictures how you’ve been supporting us - we’d love to feature you in Wildlife Matters and online! You can email us at dswf@davidshepherd.org
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Photos; 1, Essex Uni 2, Hamerton Zoo 3, Michael Brown 4, Victoria Cole & Rosie Simson 5, Mark Barnett 6, Jason Millward 7, Steven Wilson 8, Chrissy Walsh 9, Ruth Steward
HOW YOUR BUSINESS CAN WORK WITH DSWF Corporate donations and employee engagement Many companies find creative ways to enhance employee engagement through team fundraising events or by adopting a charity of the year. DSWF can offer places in the London Marathon and RideLondon 100 plus a host of tailor-made opportunities to encourage team building, helping to motivate staff to achieve shared goals while the company enjoys the benefits of positive PR. Many of the companies we work with choose to select formal agreements to donate regularly through sales of products and services. Recent partnerships include those with international confectionary brand, Chupa Chups, Animal Friends Insurance and Currency UK (see right). A formal partnership arrangement provides use of our logo for marketing so that companies can demonstrate their passion for wildlife and their commitment to the cause.
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Event Sponsorship
DSWF Gallery events
Each year, DSWF holds a number of high profile events that can help you promote your business and bring key people together for client cultivation or employee engagement. Our annual week of wildlife art at the Mall Galleries, London each summer provides a stunning venue as do our black tie dinners. In October 2014 our 30th anniversary dinner will be at London’s prestigious Dorchester hotel, the perfect place to demonstrate your commitment to conservation while entertaining your guests in style!
The DSWF Gallery is located on the village green in Shalford, near Guildford, Surrey. It exhibits and sells the work of three generations of the Shepherd family and other supporting artists offering original art, jewellery, cards, prints and other gifts.
Whether you love a particular species or wildlife in general, are passionate about education or about art, we have a whole host of opportunities just waiting to be supported.
To explore sponsorship and /or employee engagement opportunities with DSWF please call Anna Richardson on 01483 272323
Some of the companies we work with enjoy exclusive hire of the gallery for private events, for corporate entertainment or client cultivation. We can also arrange guest artists or conservation speakers to make your event unique. Our gallery offers a prominent exhibition space called the ‘red wall’ that is available for artists, companies or collectives to hire. Companies are able to display company plans, architect drawings, packaging designs or run an employee art competition.
100% of donations marked for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted
ADOPTIONS
make the perfect gift
This fabulous sketch by Mandy Shepherd* forms part of DSWF’s brand new Snow Leopard Adoption launched this winter.
Exc lu ske sive with tch ado every ptio n
Adoptions make the perfect gift for someone you love and for wildlife. With each pack bursting with information about your animal and gifts including an exclusive pencil sketch print by David or Mandy Shepherd and a soft toy there is no better way to support your favourite animal in the wild.
Illustration only, pack contents may vary
At just £32 they are great value for money and for wildlife! The new snow leopard joins our tiger, moon bear, elephant, painted dog and rhino adoptions - why not collect all six! * For a fine art, double mounted version of this sketch see page 23
Adopt today - call 01483 272323 or buy online at www.davidshepherd.org
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It is now the moral responsibility of everyone to help put a stop to wildlife crime before it’s too late and we're delighted to be able to support the Foundation in this way.
Paul Crimp of Currency UK
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We have been sponsoring an evening at the Mall Galleries at DSWF’s Wildlife Artist of the Year for four years and the evening gets better and better. Our guests really enjoy the relaxed nature of the event and being able to talk to the artists during the evening, particularly the members of the Shepherd family who are so animated about their art and their subjects. We feel very strongly about supporting DSWF which continues to be such a vital charity in these difficult times for so many endangered animals.
Richard Brown, Director Business Development, Bestinvest
We’re delighted that Animal Friends sponsorship of the Young & Wild category in DSWF’s Wildlife Artist of the Year was able to give so much back; not only to two young artists at the beginning of their careers but also to the amazing wildlife that inspires so many.
Elaine Fairfax, Managing Director, Animal Friends Insurance Wildlife Matters Issue 43
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Currency UK has helped thousands of people move millions of pounds in foreign currency around the globe and established itself as a major participant in the foreign exchange market, serving both private individuals and businesses trading internationally and now they're supporting the Foundation by donating 50p from every FX trade.
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What’s On for wildlife DSWF Gallery 2013 Shalford
November 9 Cranleigh Christmas Fair
Visit the DSWF Gallery in Shalford, Surrey where you will be assured of a warm welcome. Browse one of the largest collections of David Shepherd prints, and a wide variety of work by other leading wildlife artists. The gallery is also a great place for interesting gifts and cards. We stock a fabulous range of jewellery and accessories, animal adoptions and other wildlife-inspired products and all profits from sales help to fund DSWF projects. Open Monday to Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday from 10am-4pm at 7 Kings Road, Shalford, Surrey GU4 8JU.
DSWF Gallery
Exhibitions
Join us at Cranleigh Village Hall, High Street, Cranleigh, Surrey for our annual Christmas Fair. Choose from a widerange of art from David Shepherd and supporting artists plus a real-time art demonstration with Richard Symonds.
There’ll be jewellery, cards, gifts, books, African Chef pickles and sauces, a wild cafe, adoptions and a snow leopard search! Doors open at 10am and David Shepherd will be joining us from 11am so don’t miss out on this fabulous feast of art and gifts in support of endangered wildlife. FREE admission.
November 11 Comedy Event for TigerTime GLive, Guildford 7.30pm
Fresh from his critically acclaimed tour The Brig Society and the Edinburgh Fringe, Marcus Brigstocke makes his debut on the G Live stage with guest comedy artists including Simon Evans, Joel Dommett and Zoe Lyons (and more tbc!) to raise a laugh and vital funds for the TigerTime Campaign. Tickets are £22 and available direct from G Live at www.GLive.co.uk or buy them at our Gallery in Shalford, 7 Kings Road, GU4 8JU.
1-30 November 2013 The Wild Ones - Fabulous originals, limited editions and cards from award-winning artist Tanya Lock (above) 6 January-28 February 2014 The Art of Nature by Tony Karpinksi 1-31 March 2014 Beautiful abstract wildlife paintings by Alison Ingram 1-30 April 2014 Wildlife Art by Stuart J Mallard The above exhibitions may be subject to change, so please check our website www.davidshepherd.org for up-to-date information about gallery events. If you are interested in holding an exhibition at the DSWF Gallery please email lisa.langridge@davidshepherd.org for more information.
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2014
November 22-24 Living Heritage Event at Sandringham
Join us for some unusual and wonderful Christmas ideas and gifts at Sandringham Park with a special guest appearance from David Shepherd on Saturday 23 November. Admission: adults £6, seniors £5.50, children £2. Further information from www.craft-show.co.uk
November 26 - December 6 Emily Lamb Art
The Rountree Tryon Galleries, 7 Bury Street, London SW1Y 6AL Fabulous new work from Emily Lamb. Monday - Saturday 10-6pm Private preview 6-8pm Tuesday 26th A percentage of sales will be donated to DSWF.
December 7 Steam Day at our Gallery in Shalford A fabulous day for steam enthusiasts as the Clan Line and David Shepherd visit Shalford. Browse and buy from a wide selection of steam images plus gifts and cards and meet David at the Gallery. Keep an eye on our website for exact timings.
DSWF’s 30th anniversary year
There will be a host of exciting events to mark our 30 years of wildlife conservation. Save the date and visit our website for updates throughout the year!
March 27 Suni’s Story at the University of Surrey with SKY TV vet Luke Gamble, Manager of the Elephant Orphanage Project, Rachael Murton and Dan Guerrera. Ticket prices and timings to come.
May 20-21
Exhibition, dinner and auction in Guernsey with David Shepherd - more info to come.
June 1-7 A Week of Wildlife Art at the Mall Galleries, London
Join us for a fabulous week of art to browse and buy including the finalists of the 2014 Wildlife Artist of the Year. Private preview and prize-giving Monday June 2, 5.30-9pm.
October 10 Black-tie Anniversary Dinner at the Dorchester, London
Save the date for an amazing dinner with champagne, fine wines and top class entertainment at London’s premier five star hotel. What could be better than a night at the Dorchester knowing that you are helping endangered wildlife!
For full event details see our website at: www.davidshepherd.org
100% of donations for specific projects in the field go in full, with no administration costs deducted
TigerTime
gifts that save the tiger Silversurfers, proud to be supporting the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
ENJOY Silversurfers.com bursting with news, views, features, games and social forums for over 50s.
T-Shirts - Wallets - Bags - Sweatshirts Wristbands - Hats
Shop at www.tigertime.info Tigertime is a campaign of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
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www.silversurfers.com
Painted Dog Conservation Safari 7–18 June 2014 with
for all your design and printed material requirements
STEVE LEONARD, Patron PDC
Dr GREG RASMUSSEN,
For all enquiries call 01784 430533 or visit www.kingsleyprint.co.uk
Director of Research PDC
PETER BLINSTON, Managing Director PDC
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YOU CAN: CHARGE CAMERAS IPADS IPHONES MOBILE & SMARTPHONES GPS E-READERS AND MORE
This is power without boundaries. When your batteries fade or you find yourself way off-grid, the award winning powermonkey extreme gives your devices the power to keep on going. With Powertraveller, you can at www.powertraveller.com iPad, iPhone and iPod are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries
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Exclusive joint-venture safari helping the survival of African Wild Dogs Collate denning and pup data in Mana Pools with Dr Greg Rasmussen Observe Steve Leonard commence the vaccination programme in Hwange Visit PDC’s rehabilitation and educational facilities in Hwange with Peter Blinston Experience Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe’s fantastic wildlife
6 -10 guests £8,495/US$13,200 per person including PDC donation
+44(0)1825 714310
safari@spencerscotttravel.co.uk www.spencerscotttravel.com www.painteddog.org Organised on behalf of Painted Dog Conservation by Spencer Scott Travel Services. CAA ATOL 3471
Wildlife Matters Issue 43
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Detail of image courtesy of Radka Kirby
Call for entries 2014: www.davidshepherd.org
Enter the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s annual ART COMPETITION - help save wildlife
Enter the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation’s annual ART COMPETITION - help save wildlife
Wildlife Artist of the Year 2014 Seven categories to suit all artistic styles and mediums Endangered Wildlife, Wildlife in 3D, Wildlife in Action, Wild Life, Wildlife in Monochrome, Silver Artist and Young & Wild Expert judges include David Shepherd, fellow artists, conservationists and art critics.
Entry from now until January 2014
For full details and rules please see www.davidshepherd.org or call 01483 272323 Exhibition June 2-7, Mall Galleries London. Private preview and prize-giving Monday 2 June 5.30-9pm
WIN £10 ,000
Detail of image courtesy of Ivana Prokopovic
Fishing Eagle courtesy of Davina Bosanquet
Ente r Tod ay!