The Aspinall Foundation is a British charity that promotes the conservation of wildlife around the globe. Their main focus is the protection of endangered species. They are known for returning captive bread animals back into the wild.
The charity was founded by John Aspinall in 1985 and has since created protected areas of wilderness and reservoirs all around the world. They work closely with two parks, Howletts and Port Limpne, in England. These parks are specifically designed for the breeding of some of the most endangered species on the planet. Their parks “lead the way in animal care, enclosure design, enrichment and breeding success”.
Gorilla Protection Project
Damien Aspinall, current chairman of The Aspinall Foundation, travelled to Gabon to oversee their latest project. There, he and his wife Victoria witnessed the transfer of a group of young gorillas. These gorillas were being transferred from the sanctuary where they met to the Gorilla Protection Project in the Batéké Plateau National Park. So far, they have managed to introduce over 60 gorillas into the wild.
Damien decided to try and find two male gorillas who were transferred back in 2003. Djalta and Ima, from the Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent, had not been seen for the past four years.
Watch the heartwarming video where Damien introduces his wife to the gorillas and as she is accepted as one of the group despite fearing rejection. One of the gorillas, Ima, falls head over heels in love with Victoria and they share a special moment.
If you are interested in supporting The Aspinall Foundation or simply want to find out more about their work, you can visit their website here.
Alternatively, if you’re more into extreme sports, you could check out my last article here!
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