Zoological Society of East Anglia donate over £22,000 to new charity partner, Tusk

Zoological Society of East Anglia donate over £22,000 to new charity partner, Tusk

The Zoological Society of East Anglia (ZSEA), which runs Banham Zoological Gardens in Norfolk and Africa Alive Zoological Reserve in Suffolk, is delighted to be further contributing to their exciting partnership with Tusk.

A cheque presentation which took place on Wednesday 30 March saw the regional charity donating a further £22,000 after ZSEA committed 100% of the ticket sales from their Christmas Experience to be donated to Tusk – a charity with over 30 years’ experience in initiating and funding wildlife conservation programmes across Africa.

The latest donation comes after the initial launch of the partnership which took place In September 2021 when ZSEA donated £10,000 to the Uganda Conservation Foundation and £5,000 towards the Pan African Conservation Education Programme.

The new partnership ignites ZSEA’s keen involvement in conservation projects aimed at ‘keeping Africa Alive’. The generous donation will be used to support vital conservation and education projects, including:

• helping to build a new marine ranger station to help tackle poaching at Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, in partnership with the Uganda  Conservation Foundation;
• providing teaching materials to Africa under Tusk’s Pan African Conservation Education (PACE) project;
• helping to train new ranger cadets in the Malilangwe Reserve, Zimbabwe; and
• funding Children’s Bush Camps on the edge of Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, in partnership with Painted Dog Conservation.

The cheque presentation took place on Wednesday 30 March at Africa Alive Zoological Reserve, during which Claudia Roberts, CEO at Zoological Society of East Anglia, presented a cheque for £22,324.59 to Anna Hunt, Tusk’s Philanthropy Manager.

Claudia Roberts, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with such an impactful organisation and are thankful to everyone who purchased a ticket to our Christmas Experience which helped raise this incredible amount for Tusk.

“At ZSEA, our vision is to accelerate the preservation of wild and native species for a sustainable future, but we cannot achieve this alone. Through our strong natural synergy with Tusk, we can support and protect endangered animals and communities across the globe.

“This is just the first step in our new partnership with Tusk and we are looking forward to working more closely with them to make a real difference to our environment.”

Tusk is a highly efficient and effective force in African wildlife conservation through their understanding that the interests of both people and wildlife are inextricably inter-twined. The charity has been highly supported by the involvement of HRH The Duke of Cambridge, who became Royal Patron in 2005.

Dan Bucknell, Executive Director at Tusk, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with ZSEA in such a meaningful way. Well-run zoos can play a big role in igniting people’s love for wildlife, and when that’s coupled with raising awareness of the threats facing that wildlife and generating significant funds to help protect it, that role becomes all the more important.

“Funds raised through Africa Alive Zoological Reserve will support a number of Tusk’s project partners on the frontline of conservation, saving the animals cared for by ZSEA, and working together to keep Africa Alive.”

To find out more about Tusk and some of the incredible projects they are involved with, visit: www.tusk.org

For more information on ZSEA and their commitment to conservation, visit: www.zsea.org