Sam's conservation research in Namibia

Sam Wallace Start Date: Oct 14, 2016 - End Date: Jul 13, 2017

My Travel Story

by: Sam Wallace Start Date: Oct 14, 2016 - End Date: Jul 13, 2017
Hello and thank you for visiting my page!

My name is Sam, I'm currently studying a degree in Biology and I am fundraising for a voluntary research trip on behalf of the Namibian Wildlife Sanctuary. The aim of the trip is to analyse the ever-decreasing population of big cats in Namibia, which is due to human interaction. Namibia holds over a third of the world's cheetah population and it is estimated that 95% of the numbers found are living outside of protected areas of conservation, leaving them open to poaching and farmers viewing them as a threat to livestock. This is also applicable to all of other carnivores in the area, which include leopards and lions.

In order to stop cheetahs from falling into the endangered category, the research project focuses on observing and monitoring carnivores and other wildlife in their natural habitat, adding invaluable knowledge to research that is used to help sustain these often-threatened species for future generations. This project locates carnivores that local farmers think may be a problem to their livestock and collars and tracks them to record data on their movements and kills. This data can then be supplied to local farmers to show that they are not a threat to their livestock. This way the animals can stay in a more natural environment rather than having to relocate them to an animal sanctuary.

I am passionate about this project as I have had a lifelong obsession with the animal kingdom, and as I got older, conservation. Like many others I grew up watching David Attenborough's documentaries in awe and always dreamed of going to Africa and studying the awe-inspiring wildlife that exists there, where mammalian life was born and still inspires millions of people across the globe to go and visit. To embark on this journey would not only benefit my future career but it would mainly be fulfulling a lifelong dream of mine.

I am currently working all of the hours I can to raise funds for this trip but any little extra that you would be willing to donate would be massively appreciated! I would be enormously grateful for any input or advise from you kind people as well, as this is my first time setting up a fundmytravel page. 

Many thanks and all the best!