Dr. Laurie Marker is bringing her fall tour to London in celebration of 25 years of cheetah conservation. Dr. Marker will be speaking at a public lecture this evening about the Cheetah Conservation Fund and their conservation efforts in Africa.
The fund works to educate communities in Namibia on how to protect the ever-declining cheetah population. The lecture will cover the research that has been conducted over the 25 years, looking at what is effecting the ecosystem, as well as factors that are impacting cheetah survival, as well as what Londoners can do to help.
The Cheetah Conservation Fund’s efforts are being reported as widely successful–The fund is working to provide alternative options, such as guarding dogs, to farmers in Africa, allowing them to protect their livestock, without killing the big cats. Introducing non-lethal predator control isn’t just being used in Namibia, but also globally–Including here in Canada.
Kim Atkinson, Vice Chair on the board of Cheetah Conservation Canada, says there’s a lot that Londoners can do to help the cause. Students can intern in Namibia, volunteer, or act as a working guest if they wish to gain invaluable hands-on experience. Londoners can also sponsor a guard dog, cheetah, or donate online at cheetah.org. Atkinson says that donating to the fund in memory of a lost pet is also an option.
The lecture is happening tonight at the London Central Library and tickets can bought online at cheetahconservationfund.ca
