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From the 8th - 18th October 2016, I will be spending 3 days canoeing the Lower Zambezi river, and then a further 3 days volunteering on a Big Cat project run by the ALERT charity. This is a challenge organised by Cats Protection. 

This will be a big personal challenge for me, whilst being an amazing experience too. We will canoe between 12-28 km per day for 3 full days, and camp on the banks of the river, or on small islands. As we paddle downstream we may see elephants and hippos and possibly a crocodile or two!

We will then spend a further 3 days at the lion conservation project, where the activities will vary according to the most urgent need at the time. This is likely to involve a snare sweep, meat preparation, cub feeding and enclosure cleaning. We will also design and prepare a lesson for the local children to educate them on the benefits of conservation in accordance with the Zambian Wildlife Authority approved syllabus. 

According to the IUCN lion populations have declined 43% in the last 21 years (1993-2004), with less than 20,000 remaining.

The challenge will raise at least £50,000 for local volunteer branches, adoption and re-homing centres and Cats Protection as a whole.
🦁 I am fundraising for the Bracknell & Wokingham branch. They will receive at least £1,950 + gift aid.
🦁 A portion of the funds raised will also go to the ALERT lion conservation charity. 
🦁 Your hard earned pennies are not paying for me to have a lovely trip. I have paid for this.

Cats Protection helps around 200,00 cats and kittens every year through their network of over 250 volunteer run branches, 29 adoption centres and 2 homing centres. That equated to about 500 cats PER DAY in 2013. Unfortunately not all branches have the capacity to raise funds and awareness. Funds raised from challenges like this enable branches to plan to do more and gain more volunteers as their profile increases.

More information on both charities can be found at:
http://www.cats.org.uk
http://lionalert.org/

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