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Cat Survival Trust
Welwyn, Hertfortshire, UK.
The Cat Survival Trust was registered as a charity in 1976. Its original purpose was to promote the conservation of wild cats by breeding them in captivity and subsequently releasing them into suitable wild situations. Later it was realised that this was not the best way to go about conserving the animals; suitable wild habitat already had a population of cats and the habitat itself was disappearing with alarming rapidity. It also costs about £30,000 to release one cat into the wild and even then there is only a 15% chance that it will survive to breed.
The Trust purchased a 10,000 acre reserve in north east Argentina which conserves the entire habitat where cats live. This is not only more cost-effective but involves the conservation of all the plants, animals and fungi that make up the ecosystem on which the cats depend.
This first reserve was bought in pursuit of this new policy is in Misiones, Argentina. There are five species of cats (about 40 individuals) living there in an area of virgin forest and funds are being sought to enable the reserve to be expanded so that jaguars, which vanished from the area about 80 years ago, can be reintroduced. The reserve was, until recently managed by a charity set up for the purpose in Argentina, the Fundación Selva Misionera, or Mission Rainforest Foundation. It has now been adopted by the government of Misiones as a Provincial Park and is a partnership between the charity and the government.
 The Trust is now planning to purchase more natural habitat to create more protected areas. If our plans are successful, these new reserves will be located in seven different countries and will add substantially to the number of cat species protected on land bought by the Trust.
The Trust also acts as a rescue organisation for "unwanted" cats from zoos and other collections. It currently cares for about 40 cats at its headquarters in Hertfordshire, England, many of which are rescued animals, and the Trust desperately needs to build accomodation for more. The cats are not on public view, but Trust members and educational groups can visit by appointment.
The Cat Survival Trust is based on a twelve acre site in Hertfordshire, England, where a small band of unpaid staff manage its affairs in an overcrowded office above a shop (which sells mainly animal foodstuffs and accessories) and also care for the cats, maintain the site and buildings and do most of the construction work.
Nobody working for the Trust is paid. The shop sponsors much of the food for the cats, everything else is paid for out of the subscriptions of members and donations from generous people like you.
Sponsering a cat
An increasing part of the work of The Cat Survival Trust consists of caring for captive wild cats which have been displaced when zoos and other collections have closed or reduced their numbers of cats. Many of these cats are elderly and come to spend the final part of their lives in as comfortable and stress-free conditions as can be provided. Veterinary care is also more frequently needed by these cats than by younger animals.
You can help by sponsoring part of the cost of caring for one or more of our cats, whether young or old. You can choose to pay monthly or yearly, but for administrative reasons the minimum period of sponsorship is one year.
Sponsors receive a certificate showing that they have sponsored a cat of a particular species for a certain period, and we try to keep them informed of the cat's progress. They are also eligible to come and visit The Centre (by appointment) to see “their” cat.
www.catsurvivaltrust.org
The Cat Survival Trust,
The Centre,
Codicote Road,
Welwyn,
Herts. AL6 9TU,
England.
Phone: +44 (0)1438 716873
Fax: +44 (0)1438 717535
email: cattrust@aol.com
My pictures from Cat Survival Trust january 9th 2011:
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What do I focus on when I take pictures?
When I'm out taking pictures, it's important to me, to be able to catch that bond between animal and owner. Whether it's pictures of both or only of the animal. The animal might have that special look in their eyes, when looking at their owner.
Furthermore it's important to me, that the background is as nice as possible, as this is quite a big part of the pictures, and it helps to give a good impression overall. |
