Wildlife Heritage Foundation
02nd December 2008
Talking to customers on the markets, I found out about the Wildlife Heritage Foundation. I noticed that everybody was very enthusiastic about this big cat conservation organisation. As the cats at this organisation are in captivity, I did not want to go there at first, but curiosity won. And what is more, I was impressed by the work Mark, his staff and volunteers are doing there.
The Wildlife Heritage Foundation is a specialist conservation charity based in Kent, near Ashford. They are specialising in big cats such as leopards, tigers, lions, and many other species. At this stage, there are 26 cats, including rare species like Sumatran tigers and Amur leopards.
The three key aims of the foundation are
- To run a breeding centre of excellence
- To work with zoo and NGO partners to protect carnivore species and the environment, in which they live
- To educate members and visitors on the issues surrounding the protection and preservation of the species
The foundation is generally not open to the public, but you can get involved by
- Adopting a WHF Animal (£50 per year)
- Join a Wild Enigma Photo Safari (£110 for the day)
- Join the Big Cat Encounter (£185 for a tour with the professionals, who look after the big cats)
- Becoming a ranger for a day (£265/320 at weekends - minimum of a 5 hour day)
For more details on any of these events please see the Wildlife Heritage Foundation web page:
www.whf.org.uk
Alternatively, you could become a volunteer and help the professionals in all sorts of tasks around the reserve, including feeding the cats.
I went to see the foundation first for a day of one of their Wild Enigma Photo Safaris. This was a great experience. While safety is always paramount and you will be outside the enclosure, you will be able to get shots on their photo safaris, or now also my photography courses there, that do not reveal that the cats are in an enclosure as you can see below:
Pepo, male cheetah at WHF
--- Amur Leopard cub ------ Valentina, female puma --- Indy, female Hybrid tiger, - Bawa, Sumatran tiger cub
After my first experience with the Wildlife Heritage Foundation, I have changed my view on staying away from taking photos of animals in captivity. However, you still won't find me focusing on taking photos in zoos. Photos, I will take of animals in captivity, will solely be to support efforts to protect endangered species and to raise funds for conservation work, related to the subjects of my photos.
In this sense, sales of the photos, I took at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation, will provide 20% of donations to the foundation.
Please watch this space, as I will continue to issue more details about my efforts to support the Wildlife Heritage Foundation as news bulletins here. I hope to link my efforts to support them with the ones to support the Cape leopard project of the Landmark Foundation, and maybe other big cat conservation projects. It would be great to make a difference in the conservation of my favourite animal species, the big cats.
The Wildlife Heritage Foundation is a specialist conservation charity based in Kent, near Ashford. They are specialising in big cats such as leopards, tigers, lions, and many other species. At this stage, there are 26 cats, including rare species like Sumatran tigers and Amur leopards.
The three key aims of the foundation are
- To run a breeding centre of excellence
- To work with zoo and NGO partners to protect carnivore species and the environment, in which they live
- To educate members and visitors on the issues surrounding the protection and preservation of the species
The foundation is generally not open to the public, but you can get involved by
- Adopting a WHF Animal (£50 per year)
- Join a Wild Enigma Photo Safari (£110 for the day)
- Join the Big Cat Encounter (£185 for a tour with the professionals, who look after the big cats)
- Becoming a ranger for a day (£265/320 at weekends - minimum of a 5 hour day)
For more details on any of these events please see the Wildlife Heritage Foundation web page:
www.whf.org.uk
Alternatively, you could become a volunteer and help the professionals in all sorts of tasks around the reserve, including feeding the cats.
I went to see the foundation first for a day of one of their Wild Enigma Photo Safaris. This was a great experience. While safety is always paramount and you will be outside the enclosure, you will be able to get shots on their photo safaris, or now also my photography courses there, that do not reveal that the cats are in an enclosure as you can see below:
Pepo, male cheetah at WHF
--- Amur Leopard cub ------ Valentina, female puma --- Indy, female Hybrid tiger, - Bawa, Sumatran tiger cub
After my first experience with the Wildlife Heritage Foundation, I have changed my view on staying away from taking photos of animals in captivity. However, you still won't find me focusing on taking photos in zoos. Photos, I will take of animals in captivity, will solely be to support efforts to protect endangered species and to raise funds for conservation work, related to the subjects of my photos.
In this sense, sales of the photos, I took at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation, will provide 20% of donations to the foundation.
Please watch this space, as I will continue to issue more details about my efforts to support the Wildlife Heritage Foundation as news bulletins here. I hope to link my efforts to support them with the ones to support the Cape leopard project of the Landmark Foundation, and maybe other big cat conservation projects. It would be great to make a difference in the conservation of my favourite animal species, the big cats.