VIC REEVES LAUNCHES TOTALLY WILD MOSAIC APPEAL
The Totally Wild Mosaic Appeal has been launched by celebrity Vic Reeves this week to help the Aspinall Foundation in its quest to protect and breed rare and endangered species and return them to safe areas in their native homeland.
The mosaic appeal is an exciting and unusual fund-raising venture. Using a digital mosaic of a gorilla and its baby, complete with 2400 tiles, individuals, groups of friends, clubs and schools are being encouraged to support the charity by buying a virtual tile. An image costs £10 and the commercial sponsors can buy a border tile for £100 each. The first ten people to buy a tile will receive a complimentary ticket to visit Howletts or Port Lympne Wild Animal Park. All funds raised will help with projects to support animals such as the western lowland gorillas where, if numbers decline at the present rate, the species will be extinct by 2020.
Each tile carries its own special message or dedication randomly displayed on the website. Links can even be created to individual websites. The appeal is sponsored by Kent business recruitment company, Red Eagle, whose Managing Director, Wayne Hodgson, is passionate about the work carried out by the Aspinall Foundation and its two wild animal parks in Kent, Howletts and Port Lympne.
“Red Eagle is delighted to be involved in this project from its conception and we look forward to achieving our target of £40,000 to help the Aspinall Foundation continue its vital role as a leader in conservation and re-introduction programmes for endangered species.”
Under selected tiles there is a wide range of prizes to be won such as junior keeper for the day, a VIP tour of Port Lympne, tickets for free admission into the park for families, limited edition prints and many more. Instructions for purchasing tiles can be found by visiting www.totallywild.mosaicappeal.com ENDS
Press Information:
Tricia Corkhill 01303 234134 / 07989 858973
triciac@totallywild.net / triciac@howletts.net
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Howletts and Port Lympne Wild Animal Parks were set up by John Aspinall with the aim of protecting and breeding rare and endangered species and returning them to safe areas in their native homeland. World leaders in conservation, the parks have so far retuned to the wild, Przewalski’s horses, black rhino, Sumatran rhino, Cape buffalo, ocelots, pythons and gorillas. Objectives are to halt the extinction of rare and endangered species and to provide the most natural environment possible for the animals; to continue to be world leaders in animal husbandry and breeding and be a partner and catalyst to conservation efforts at home and overseas. The Foundation aims to increase public understanding of animals and their welfare and the issues involved in their conservation. The ultimate objective is to re-introduce the animals back to their wild habitat where possible. Western lowland gorillas will be extinct by 2020 if the number continues to decline at its present rate. The population of black rhino has reduced from around 65,000 in 1960 to less than 3,000 today. Scientists agree that at least four species of plants and animals become extinct every single hour. Over 11,000 species are threatened with extinction including 1 in 4 of the entire mammal population. Just two decades ago there were up to 2 million African elephants. Now numbers of the earth’s largest land mammal have plunged to around 350,000. Red Eagle Recruitment, established in 2004 was announced ‘Most Promising New Business’ in 2006 and ‘Business of the Year’ in 2007 at the Channel chamber of Commerce Awards. 01303 851133 Photographs should be credited to Dave Rolfe.
March 2008
