(IWT press release)

Internationally renowned Cheetah Conservationist visits Waterford

The Waterford Branch of the IWT was delighted to host a visit by Dr Laurie Marker, founder and executive director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), recently.

Dr. Marker spoke about her work in the race to save the cheetah, the worlds fastest land animal from extinction, to a very keen audience -- young and not so young.

The CCF, centred in Namibia, came into being to prevent the extinction of this unique large cat. Situated in the heart of the African bush country, CCF may be the cheetah's last chance for survival as a species in the wild. CCF has links with Fota Wildlife Park in Cork, which was featured last year in Irish Wildlife magazine.

Dr. Marker shared her groundbreaking work toward creating a world where animals and man can live together in harmony. Dr. Marker, with her Cheetah ambassador, has become familiar figures on television and in the print media internationally as she strives to communicate that time for the cheetah is running out.

Dr. Marker has been working with Cheetahs for over thirty years, and is considered one of the worlds leading experts on this species. Her presentation featured pictures taken in the African heartland, as well as a short CCF video and gave a front row view of this important work to save this beautiful cat from total extinction.

CCF was founded in 1990 by Dr. Marker. CCF is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and education on cheetahs and their eco-systems, working with all stakeholders to achieve best practice in the conservation and management of the world's cheetahs. As Namibia has the largest and healthiest population of cheetahs left in the world, CCF's International, state of the art, Research and Education Centre is based in Namibia, near Otjiwarongo (www.cheetah.org).

This presentation was the second hosted by the Waterford Branch, which is active in conserving Irish wildlife and habitats in the area. We feel that this type of event attracts a new audience, who then become aware of the importance of our own indigenous flora and fauna. We hope to continue links with CCF, and perhaps add another Irish venue for Dr. Marker's next visit.