Brad Little The Phantom of the
Opera Andrew Loyd Webber Musical Theatre Musicals dyslexia cheetah conseervation
Click here for video introduction 
THE ANGEL FUND
Brad Little The Phantom of the
Opera Andrew Loyd Webber Musical Theatre Musicals dyslexia cheetah conseervation
Click here for video introduction
THE ANGEL FUND
While on tour in Cincinnati, Brad and his wife Barbara had the unique opportunity to befriend Maya, a cheetah from the Cincinnati Zoo's Cat Ambassador program run by Cathryn Hilker. Maya had been raised and had imprinted upon a tall man with dark hair. At the time of their meeting, Maya mistook Brad for her original handler and immediately responded to him. For Brad, who had never had never known the experience of being accepted by a wild animal, the reception given to him by Maya was truly a thrill.
The same magic that charmed audiences nightly, won the love and friendship of Maya. The two formed a very special bond. Brad made regular visits to the zoo for the remainder of The Phantom of the Opera's run in Cincinnati. He helped Cathryn and her staff by joining them on their trips to schools with cats from the Ambassador Program.
Brad has expressed an interest in supporting the zoo's
Angel Fund. The Angel Fund was started at the Cincinnati Zoo in memory
of a very special cheetah named Angel. Angel was raised from a cub by Cathryn,
and was the zoo's Goodwill Ambassador for 12 years. In Angel's memory a
28,000 acre farm, that serves as a cheetah preserve, was purchased and
a breeding facility for the zoo was built. Both projects received grant
from the Angel Fund. According to Hilker, "continued support for the Angel
Fund benefits both wild and captive populations of cheetah."
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Ron Bohmer, Judy McLane, Cathryn Hilker, Barbara McCulloh, Brad Little
Angels of Music IV was a tremendous success.
The event raised over $140,000 for the Angel Fund.
Click here for photos from
Angels of Music IV 
Dedication
of the CCF Centre
The 22nd of July marked an important time in the Cheetah Conservation Fund’s (CCF) history, as His Excellency Dr. Sam Nujoma, President of the Republic of Nambia and CCF’s International Patron, dedicated our new Haas Family Cheetah Research Centre and the Carl and Cathryn Hilker Education Centre.
During the past two years, CCF has been renovating its facilities. The Research Centre houses a veterinary clinic, laboratory and the main offices. A new Visitor’s Centre building includes a large meeting room, a small café and catering kitchen and a gift shop. The Education Centre provides students and visitors the opportunity to learn more about the behaviour and biology of the cheetah, and the Namibian ecosystem that supports Africa’s most endangered cat species.
The complex presents modern displays and interactive activities for visitors and school groups including an outdoors "predator preyground" which is a learning area for children of all ages. All areas focus on a landscaped courtyard with native gardens. The centre of the courtyard includes a beautiful wire frame cheetah sculpture donated by Amy Malouf, a previous Round River Conservation Studies student.
The graphics in the Education Centre bring the visitor through the history of the cheetah from pre-history to current time and show the diminished range. A phylogenetic tree shows where the cheetah, different from the other 36 cat species, first branched from its early relatives, 4 million years ago. The cheetah’s biology is highlighted. Exhibits show how the cheetah is adapted for a high-speed sprint and its specialised hunting techniques. The visitor is taken through the life cycle of the cheetah from birth to adulthood and the difficulties involved in its struggle for survival. A life size playtree has been built with an explanation of the importance of these trees in a cheetah territory. A capture cage is under the tree with graphics explaining how farmers live trap cheetahs to remove them from their lands and how detrimental this is to the species survival.
Continuing through the Centre one learns how the cheetah lives within its ecosystem with prey, and how farmers can live with cheetahs on their land through non-lethal predator control methods. In the Future Room one of these methods, the use of Anatolian Shepherds, a breed of Livestock Guarding Dogs from Turkey, is highlighted. CCF has been breeding and donating these dogs to Namibian farmers for the past six years with over 100 dogs now working on both commercial and communal farms. Other aspects of conservation are highlighted in the Future Room, bringing together the knowledge that people can make a difference in species survival. A window looking into the classroom is a symbolic view of the future, as the window shows the students view into the Future Room, where a mini laboratory is equipped with microscope and other research equipment. This area highlights the need for continued research for humans and nature to co-exist together.
Through education, we can make a difference on this earth. Today, cheetah survival is in the hands of humans, as are so many of our endangered species. It would be a human error if we did not do what we could to save as many species as we can. The cheetah is a special voice for other predator species needing help today. We can make a future for the cheetah on our earth, but this path is not easy.
The dedication of CCF’s Research and Education Centre also marks CCF’s 10-year anniversary of active in-situ cheetah conservation in Namibia. CCF has been actively changing human’s understanding and their learned negative behaviours towards predators for the past 10 years in Namibia. Namibia has the greatest potential of maintaining a habitat and prey base for the cheetah. With the assistance from "cheetah friends" throughout the world, Namibia is becoming proud of being the Cheetah Capitol of the World.
CCF is a Namibian non-profit foundation based on the farm Elandsvreugde in the Otjiwarongo area. The non-profit trust is dedicated to the long-term survival of the cheetah and its ecosystem. The Fund’s programmes include research on cheetah demographics, ecology, biology, human impacts affecting cheetah survival, non-lethal predator control methods and education.
The renovation project was sponsored by two grants
from the Haas Family Philanthropic Fund in the United States. An outright
grant was presented to CCF along with a matching grant. The matching grant
was supported by CCF donors throughout the world., and includes major grants
from Namibia. Namibian donors include the NAMDEB Social Fund, First National
Bank and several private donors. The development of the Education Center
was sponsored by a grant from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association’s
Conservation Endowment Fund and Disney’s Conservation Fund, and continuing
support from the Cincinnati Zoo’s Angel Fund. The Centre will be open daily
from 9 to 5pm.
‘CCF Vision Statement 2000’
"We see a world in which cheetahs live and flourish
in co-existence with people and the environment."
‘CCF Mission Statement 2000’
"The mission of the Cheetah Conservation Fund is to
be an internationally recognized centre of excellence in research and education
on cheetahs and their eco-systems, working with all
stakeholders to achieve best-practice in the conservation
and management of the world’s cheetahs."
Links of interest
Photo by Laurie Marker |
One of the programs that benefits from the Angel Fund is CCF, The Cheetah Conservation Fund. To learn more about CCF and the African Cheetah, please click on the photo to the left and visit their web site. |
Cincinnati
Zoo's Cat Ambassador Program
Anyone interested in contributing to the Angel
Fund can send donations to: Angel Fund c/o Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical
Gardens 3400 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45220-1399.Credit
Card Donations to Angel Fund (Visa
or Mastercard)
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