Jeremy Borg of Painted Wolf Wines is organising a “Pedals4Paws” fund-raising cycle ride for African Wild Dog conservation in June this year. African Wild Dog are close to extinction. We are lucky to still have some viable packs in this country, and huge efforts go into ensuring as many of these animals as possible survive.
Wire snares, rabies and other diseases caught from domestic animals in rural districts adjacent to game areas, and speeding vehicles, continue to kill far too many of these precious last survivors. The ride will start in Gonarezhou and the Save Valley Conservancy, and raise awareness and funds for established Wild Dog conservation projects. The second leg is in Mana Pools.
Scheduled between the two legs of the Pedals4Paws Ride is a Wild Dog Awareness and Fund-Raising Safari Luncheon in The Mukuvisi Woodlands on June 29, which follows on from the success of an evening fund-raiser in 2011 for Wild Dog conservation projects, and another evening event to raise funds for Mukuvisi Woodlands in 2012 which also focused on Wild Dog conservation. This will again be a pre-purchased ticket event and will without doubt be a crowd puller, so diarise the date now.
The Pedals4Paws Ride will to a large degree be privately funded by participants, with help along the way via some sponsored accommodation. Each rider will be expected to raise sponsorship money for the relevant Wild Dog conservation organisations. The goal is to bring people and money into the areas which are home to some of the very few remaining African Wild Dogs, raising the profile of these areas, highlighting their importance for wild dog conservation, and bringing some benefit to the local communities. Families and friends will support the riders.
For more, email [email protected]. A fund-raising Wild Dog focused Fun Cycle Ride and 21km Trail Run are also slated for June 30 in Mukuvisi Woodlands, to coincide with these initiatives.
Meanwhile,trainees for the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, Half Marathon and Trail Runs in Cape Town will be running their last high-profile event before their big days over Easter holidays. The Old Mutual Roger Brackley Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km and 5km races start and end at Old Georgians Sports Club on Sunday March 10, with registration strictly in advance on the preceding Friday evening 5pm to 7pm and 10am to 4pm on Saturday.
