Hi, I’m Mike Matthews, a volunteer down at WHF.  When I first heard about ZSL’s STREAK FOR TIGERS my initial thoughts were “why on earth would anyone want to do that!”  But the longer I thought about it, the more I started to think about what a fantastic idea this was and how easy it is to do.  So I started asking around to see if others would do it, only to find that everyone, except Andy that is, said “NO WAY”!!!!  It took me quite a few weeks to finally pluck up the courage to register myself, but I’m glad I did.

 

I’ve loved tigers and other animals, all my life.  From my earliest memory I can remember playing with my toy animals but it was my tiger that I loved the most.  I spent most of my childhood wanting to be a zoo keeper and kept pestering my parents to take me to the zoo in the school holidays.  But as I grew older I regretfully let this passion lay dormant in me for the first 40 years of my life.  Then in 2008 I stumbled across WHF and my life changed forever.  Not only was I able to fulfil my childhood dream of working up close with tigers and other big cats but my mind opened up to conservation and just how endangered some of these big cats really are. And that has made me determined to do something about it.

 

Hi I'm Andy, I don't know why I'm doing it probably because I'm nuts and up for the challenge. I have just attempted the London - Edinburgh bike ride and got to Richmond NY's (267 miles) not happy on not finishing due to injury. I am going for it again just before the streak. I am aiming to complete the L-E ride over 25th-26th July. I have so far raised £4,200 for Laila's enclosure. Doing the streak will hopefully help raise more much needed funds for completing the project.  I feel more nervous about doing the streak than doing the ride twice!!

 

It’s estimated that all big cats could be extinct in the wild within the next 18 years if their current decline continues.  And we just can’t sit back and watch that happen. 

 

WHF is working so hard to protect big (and small) cats, not just on its site in Kent but worldwide too.  They have already successfully bred Amur Leopards, Amur Tigers & Sumatran Tigers, some of the rarest cats in the world, but they also desperately want to breed the rare and elusive Snow Leopard.  Their resident female, Laila, lost her mate Ranschan last year and some of the money that Andy & I raise will go towards improving her enclosure, which as soon as a new male arrives, will hopefully lead to the patter of tiny paws.

 

Sumatran Tigers are one of the rarest tigers with just 300 remaining in the wild and STREAK FOR TIGERS is all about raising awareness of their plight. We know that many people will think we are crazy for running around naked in just a pair of tiger ears.  In fact those who know us well would most likely say that we are very quiet and shy people, and probably two of the last people you would expect to do a streak in public.  So this is well outside of our comfort zones.  But if the money we raise for doing this goes to save just 1 tiger from a poachers snare or bullet, then it’s worth every moment of embarrassment and humiliation that we will possibly have to endure.  So please donate as much money as you can, not just for us, but for the tigers, ZSL and for Laila and the other big cats of WHF and the world.

 

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