Independent commercial waste management and recycling firm DCW has donated £5,000 to Dartmoor Zoological Society in support of the charity’s efforts to bring Amur Leopards to Devon.
The funds will go towards building a modern, state-of-the-art enclosure for the critically endangered Amur Leopard, ensuring that the world’s most vulnerable big cat species can thrive and breed.
Dartmoor Zoological Society is currently fundraising for the new enclosure with a total of £30,000 needed to complete the development. It will be located between the wolves and the lion enclosure at the popular Zoo in Sparkwell, Plymouth.
The Zoo’s existing quarry enclosure will be transformed into the new accommodation which will reflect the Amur Leopard’s natural environment in the Amur region of Russia and China. It will feature platforms, new planting, walkways, and a viewing area for visitors. One Amur Leopard will be introduced at Dartmoor Zoo and will be part of a breeding programme so there will be the potential for more in the future. An off-show, private enclosure for the leopard will be available for breeding purposes.
DCW has been supporting Dartmoor Zoological Society for several years. Managing Director of DCW, Simon Almond, has been on the Zoo’s Board of Trustees since 2014, bringing a wealth of commercial expertise to the charity. DCW’s annual Recycle & Raise campaign, which sees members of the public donate empty plastic confectionary tubs for recycling, has raised over £5,700 for the Zoo since 2019 with this year’s campaign now live.
Simon Almond commented: “As a Zero to Landfill recycling company we are all about protecting the environment at DCW but we also have a strong interest in the natural world too. Personally, I have always had an interest in protecting vital habitats and endangered wildlife. Unfortunately, climate change and the destruction of the planet is largely down to human activity so I believe that it is our duty to give back as much as we can to the wildlife that is suffering as the consequence of human behaviour.
“When we heard that Dartmoor Zoo were fundraising for a new Amur Leopard enclosure, we were only too keen to help. It will be wonderful to bring these beautiful creatures to Dartmoor, not only for vital conservation work, but to also educate and inform visitors about Amur Leopards and the threats they face across the world.”
Coral Jonas, Chief Operating Officer at Dartmoor Zoological Society, commented: “We’d like to thank DCW for their fantastic donation. These funds significantly contribute to our overall target of £30,000 to build the enclosure which our Amur Leopard will soon be able to call home. We are grateful for DCW’s continued support and look forward to being part of the international breeding programme to help conserve the Amur Leopard.”
The Amur Leopard is critically endangered with approximately 90 remaining in the wild in the Amur region of Russia and China. They are in danger of becoming extinct as their numbers have rapidly declined due to poaching, habitat loss and deforestation.
To find out more about Dartmoor Zoological Society, visit www.dartmoorzoo.org.uk.