3 Peaks Challenge for the Red Pandas and Komodo Dragons

On the 19th September a team made up of members from the zookeeping and gardeners sections at Colchester Zoo will be taking part in the 3 Peaks Challenge. This challenge involves climbing the highest mountain in Scotland, then England and finally Wales. Why are we doing this you ask? Well it's all in the name of two amazing charities co-funded by Colchester Zoo's charity, Action for the Wild.

The first of these two charities is the Red Panda Network; a charity dedicated to the conservation of red pandas in the wild. This charity plays a vital role in protecting the remaining forests in the red pandas natural habitat in Nepal, including helping to revive degraded forests. They have also selected members from the local community to become national forest guardians to protect the red pandas against poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking.

The other charity is the Komodo Survival Programme. This charity manages the Wae Wuul Nature Reserve on the island of Flores in Indonesia. The project is committed to community awareness, patrolling and law enforcement in order to protect the Komodo dragons. The charity also involves the local community with the protection and conservation of the Komodo dragons; therefore providing income to these communities within Flores.

Both charities are doing an incredible job and this is why my team and I are raising money to help support them in their work. These species are both unique and important in their own right; and with red panda populations now classed as endangered, (red panda populations have decreased by 50% in the last 20 years) and komodo dragon populations classed as vulnerable (there is estimated to be only 350 breeding female komodo dragons left in the wild!) it is more important than ever to help these species!

So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you for your donations, the support is greatly appreciated. The challenge the team are taking on will be tough, but absolutely worth it to help these animals in the wild!