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Vancouver, BC, Canada – The first ever painting of a Cross River gorilla, Africa’s most endangered primate, will be unveiled to the public for the first time on 19 October 2008, at the Mountain View Conservation and Breeding Centre, in Langley, BC, Canada.
The author of this unique portrait is Canadian artist Daniel Taylor,
who travelled along with his wife Ginette to the jungle of
south-western Cameroon’s Lebialem Highlands, to learn more about this
critically endangered species – with only 250 to 300 individuals left
in the wild.
 Cross River Gorilla, by Daniel Taylor
In 2007, an Artists for Conservation (AFC) Flag Expedition was
organized through a partnership with the African Conservation
Foundation (ACF), whose overall goal is to change the use of natural
resources to one in which the needs of human development in the region
are reconciled with biodiversity conservation.
Besides the unveiling of the painting the event at the Mountain View
Conservation and Breeding Centre will feature a short film about this
unique expedition, a silent auction (including an African Safari) &
more!
Prints of the Cross River gorilla painting will cost $250 each and
will be for sale on site or through the Art for Africa website
(www.art-for-africa.net), with 80 per cent of the proceeds going
towards the efforts to save the Cross River gorilla and its habitat.
A multifaceted conservation project
The money raised with the prints sales will be used to create protected
areas for the Cross River gorilla and help the local communities set up
alternative income generating activities by providing microcredit to
villagers.
Hunters and former poachers will be paid to use their thorough
knowledge of the area to become field workers, eco-tourism guides and
rangers. The community will be encouraged to breed cane rats and
porcupines for food, thus reducing the demand for bush meat.
“Tree planting, ecotourism and cultivating plants for medicine,
nutrition and fuel are also part of the strategy to reconcile local
community needs and great apes conservation”, said Arend de Haas,
Conservation Director of the African Conservation Foundation.
Environmental education is a pivotal aspect of the whole project and it
is directed both towards children – who will be part of the solution in
the immediate future – and towards other community members. As a
result, local fons (kings), chiefs and government officials show a
great interest in making a positive change.
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About Cross River Gorillas
The Cross River Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli)
is one of the four gorilla subspecies. It differs from other gorillas
due to the size of its head, its red crest and smaller thumbs. The name
derives from the Cross River that rises in several branches in the
highlands of Western Cameroon. The remoteness of this inaccessible
biodiversity hotspot has ensured the survival of small isolated
populations, with fewer than 300 Cross River gorillas left. The IUCN
classifies this species as Critically Endangered.
Recent studies show most of the Cross River gorillas live in 11
separate locations along the Nigeria-Cameroon border, each at least 10
kilometres apart, and that the individuals are extremely elusive.
According to estimates, if nothing is done to protect these unique
primates they may get extinct within the next 10 to 15 years.
About the African Conservation Foundation
The African Conservation Foundation (ACF) is working towards the
protection and conservation of Africa's endangered wildlife and their
habitats. ACF’s mission is to conduct and support conservation projects
with the aim of strengthening their capacity, building partnerships and
promoting effective communication and co-ordination of conservation
efforts.
The African Conservation Foundation is a registered NGO in Tanzania,
Kenya and Cameroon. It is also a UK Registered Charity (No. 1120705).
About Daniel Taylor
Daniel Taylor is a self-taught artist, internationally renowned for his
expressive portraits and wildlife paintings in oil and acrylic. His
work has been displayed in countries such as Australia, Canada,
England, Japan and the USA, where a permanent exhibition of his art is
on display at the JFK Center for Performing Arts, in Washington DC.
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Daniel Taylor has spent
most of his professional life using art to promote causes, having
donated proceedings of his work to the Leukemia and Diabetes Societies
and, most recently, to the African Conservation Foundation.
More information can be found at the following websites:
www.art-for-africa.net
www.africanconservation.org
For interviews, please contact:
Arend de Haas, Email:
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