by Mary Wykstra

On 12 September I flew to Portland where I was hosted by Ann Warner. Ann was my host through the 21st. I attended the Carnivore TAG on the13th, presented a summary of ACK and CaLL at the Cheetah SSP on the 14th, and set up a poster presentation to promote CaLL. A poster presentation session on the16th gave AZA members and conference attendees the chance to ask questions about CaLL. The CaLL poster was awarded the honor as “Best Poster Content-Case Study/Descriptive.”

On the Oregon Zoo day visit I was taken by Ann to visit the showcase 2009 exhibit “Predators of the Serengeti” where ACK and its actions in Kenya are featured at the new cheetah exhibit. The exhibit highlights the initiation of Kenya cheetah conservation activities from the Cheetah Conservation Fund and supports on the ground research, education and community actions which are ongoing under the ACK programme. The cheetah exhibit has a Land Rover which visitors can sit in. The front of the vehicle is inside the cheetah enclosure and has a heated roof to encourage the cheetahs to come close to the visitor. While in real life, ACK discourages visitors from allowing such wild cheetah encounters, the exhibit gives the visitor a chance to feel the thrill of an up close encounter with the cheetah. On the 17th, the zoo took me to a recording studio where we made a voice clip which will play when people sit in the Land Rover to further portray the message of cheetah conservation in Kenya.

At the end of the predator experience, the visitors will be given the chance to donate to the projects featured in the Predators of the Serengeti. These donations will assist with the ongoing programmes in Kenya.
I gave a lunch staff presentation and sold crafts. The Oregon Zoo veterinary department hosted my visit and assisted with some small items for cheetah immobilizations. So... visit the Oregon Zoo, check out the exhibit and help us by makiong a donation.

You can make direct donations through Project Sufvival by visiting www.cathaven.com/shop