PSA: If you were pissed about Cecil the Lion
Aug 19, 2015 12:22:05 GMT -5
Post by NariaDreaming on Aug 19, 2015 12:22:05 GMT -5
The park where Cecil the lion lived in Zimbabwe is facing a life-threatening water shortage due to extreme drought in the dry season this year. I follow the Friends of Hwange Trust, a nonprofit that maintains the water supply for the animals in the park. They have an urgent need for funding. The organization is based in Great Britain, and there's a paypal donation on the donate page.
tl;dr version: Animals will die without water. The new solar panels are not enough to power the well pumps 24/7 and they're having to rely on diesel generator to pump water 24/7. Each generator uses 44 gallons of diesel a day, and they will be running until the rainy season in mid-November.
You can donate here: friendsofhwange.com/donations/
I've copied this from their facebook:
"WE ARE URGENTLY APPEALING FOR DONATIONS OF CASH OR DIESEL, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, TO KEEP THE WATER PUMPS IN HWANGE NATIONAL PARK RUNNING SO AS TO AVERT DISASTER IN 2015.
Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s largest National Park, and is home to more than 100 animal species, over 400 bird species and countless smaller creatures, as well as many grass, tree and plant species. It is an arid wilderness the lack of permanent surface water makes the land unsuitable for human settlement.
In the early days, wildlife was scarce and it became obvious that water was the key to the Park’s future. Under the guidance of Ted Davison and subsequent wardens, with tireless work and dedication, boreholes were sunk, windmills erected and pumps installed to provide water during the dry season. Wildlife and game concentrations blossomed to make HNP the beautiful place it is today. But the responsibility lies with us to ensure that this wildlife haven is protected.
Friends of Hwange Trust (FOH) was established in 2005 in response to the severe drought affecting HNP at that time which resulted in many animals perishing due to lack of food and water. The National Parks and Wildlife Authority no longer had the resources necessary to pump sufficient water to the pans and this situation has not changed to date.
Every animal, bird, insect or plant in a complete ecosystem exists in harmony. Each living creature plays its part in the whole picture. For decades, the heartbeat of HNP has been echoed by the beat of Lister engines that pump water to the pans in the dry season.
The rains this year were patchy and erratic, and the park is very dry. Although we have recently installed 7 new solar systems around the Main Camp area, these alone cannot pump sufficient water to meet the demand. We need to run diesel engines to pump water at a further 10 pans 24/7, each of which uses 200 litres (44 gallons) of diesel every nine days. We need to continue pumping until the rains arrive in mid-November.
We were fortunate enough to see the regal magnificence of Cecil the Lion many times, and we deplore his recent killing in the strongest possible terms. But we would like to stress that FOH does not focus on individual animals or individual species. We support the welfare of all the species in HNP, and we guarantee that every dollar donated directly benefits the animals. It is due to much loyal support that we are able to count our efforts to preserve the pulsating life in this amazing wilderness a success to date. This year is a crisis year, and we need help."
tl;dr version: Animals will die without water. The new solar panels are not enough to power the well pumps 24/7 and they're having to rely on diesel generator to pump water 24/7. Each generator uses 44 gallons of diesel a day, and they will be running until the rainy season in mid-November.
You can donate here: friendsofhwange.com/donations/
I've copied this from their facebook:
"WE ARE URGENTLY APPEALING FOR DONATIONS OF CASH OR DIESEL, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, TO KEEP THE WATER PUMPS IN HWANGE NATIONAL PARK RUNNING SO AS TO AVERT DISASTER IN 2015.
Hwange National Park is Zimbabwe’s largest National Park, and is home to more than 100 animal species, over 400 bird species and countless smaller creatures, as well as many grass, tree and plant species. It is an arid wilderness the lack of permanent surface water makes the land unsuitable for human settlement.
In the early days, wildlife was scarce and it became obvious that water was the key to the Park’s future. Under the guidance of Ted Davison and subsequent wardens, with tireless work and dedication, boreholes were sunk, windmills erected and pumps installed to provide water during the dry season. Wildlife and game concentrations blossomed to make HNP the beautiful place it is today. But the responsibility lies with us to ensure that this wildlife haven is protected.
Friends of Hwange Trust (FOH) was established in 2005 in response to the severe drought affecting HNP at that time which resulted in many animals perishing due to lack of food and water. The National Parks and Wildlife Authority no longer had the resources necessary to pump sufficient water to the pans and this situation has not changed to date.
Every animal, bird, insect or plant in a complete ecosystem exists in harmony. Each living creature plays its part in the whole picture. For decades, the heartbeat of HNP has been echoed by the beat of Lister engines that pump water to the pans in the dry season.
The rains this year were patchy and erratic, and the park is very dry. Although we have recently installed 7 new solar systems around the Main Camp area, these alone cannot pump sufficient water to meet the demand. We need to run diesel engines to pump water at a further 10 pans 24/7, each of which uses 200 litres (44 gallons) of diesel every nine days. We need to continue pumping until the rains arrive in mid-November.
We were fortunate enough to see the regal magnificence of Cecil the Lion many times, and we deplore his recent killing in the strongest possible terms. But we would like to stress that FOH does not focus on individual animals or individual species. We support the welfare of all the species in HNP, and we guarantee that every dollar donated directly benefits the animals. It is due to much loyal support that we are able to count our efforts to preserve the pulsating life in this amazing wilderness a success to date. This year is a crisis year, and we need help."
