David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

David in Trouble? 👀📸

This , we're delighted to share this incredible image from our archives of David Shepherd in Piccadilly Circus with a 'curious' police officer.

David, known as the 'man who loved giants', was a passionate advocate for elephants. His art not only embodied beauty but also ignited a global movement to protect wildlife, a legacy we proudly continue.

Over the years, our funding and efforts have been instrumental in protecting endangered species and their habitats. Since 1984, we have invested over £13 million directly into wildlife conservation. 💚

Stay tuned as we celebrate our 40th Anniversary by showcasing four decades of artivism as we deep dive into our archives.

Shop wildlife art: https://davidshepherd.org/shop/?artists-filter=david-shepherd-cbe

Banksy's wildlife art takes London by storm... 🏙️🎨

We've seen nine incredible artworks appear across the city, which has grabbed everyone's attention, but none more so than our wildlife art community!

We speak with Martin Aveling, renowned wildlife artist and this year's Wildlife Artist of the Year Environmental Artivism category winner, to hear his thoughts. 💭

'Wildlife has long been ignored by the mainstream art establishment. I have heard it being referred to as a hobbyist pursuit, and even an impure art form. I find this to be ironic since the very first human creatives were essentially all wildlife artists.

Banksy is famously anti-establishment, but he has cleverly managed to manipulate the art world into accepting his creative expression. His anonymity and mystique have played a role in this, but ultimately, for me, it is his storytelling which has made him arguably the most revered living artist.

Whatever the meaning behind his recent animal portfolio, it has undoubtedly given wildlife art a platform, and for that, we are grateful.' 🙏

Read more in our latest blog, guest-written by Martin Aveling: https://davidshepherd.org/news-events-insights/news/banksy-wildlife-art/

A Call to Protect Our Gentle Giants 💚🐘

This , we aim to raise awareness about the vulnerability of one of Earth’s most majestic creatures—the elephant. From their towering size to their incredible intelligence and complex social structures, elephants are a marvel of the natural world.

However, despite being revered across cultures, these gentle giants face significant threats that have reduced their populations by multiple millions in just two centuries. The urgency of the situation demands immediate action from all of us. 🫵

The African forest elephant’s population has plummeted by over 86% since 1989, primarily due to poaching and habitat loss. Similarly, the African savanna elephant has seen a significant decline in numbers.

Asian elephants, while not as heavily poached for ivory, are still endangered, facing threats from habitat fragmentation and conflicts with humans.

You don’t have to be a conservationist to help protect elephants. Your individual actions can make a significant difference. Here are a few ways you can contribute:

🧐Educate Yourself and Others: Understanding the challenges elephants face is the first step toward making a difference. Share this knowledge with others to raise awareness.

https://davidshepherd.org/species/elephants/

🌿Support Conservation Projects: Donate to or volunteer with organizations working to protect elephants.

https://davidshepherd.org/donate/elephants/

🐘Adopt an Elephant: Symbolically adopting an elephant is a great way to contribute to their protection.

https://davidshepherd.org/species/elephants/adopt/

🙌Advocate for Change: Use your voice to advocate for stronger laws against poaching and the ivory trade.

https://davidshepherd.org/species/elephants/trade-statement/

Find out more in our latest blog: https://davidshepherd.org/news-events-insights/news/celebrating-world-elephant-day/

One month on... 🎨✨

This time last month, we closed the doors to our Wildlife Artist of the Year exhibition.

We're over the moon with the success of , reaching a diverse selection of wildlife artists from across the globe, including 448 newcomers, which further enables us to raise awareness of wildlife conservation. 🐘

We're delighted to congratulate all our winners once again and share a few photos of artists who could attend our awards ceremony...

We'd extend our heartfelt gratitude to our category and award sponsors, both longstanding and new. Your unwavering support and generosity have made the prizes for our talented winners possible.

If you're looking for a beautiful keepsake of the exhibition, our Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024 catalogue is the perfect choice. 💚

Shop now: https://davidshepherd.org/shop/dswf-wildlife-artist-of-the-year-2024-exhibition-catalogue/

Wildlife Artist of the Year 2025 competition will be opening for entries once again in early January. We can't wait to see the incredible artwork our artists will bring to the table, and the team is already looking forward to next year with great anticipation! 🗓️

View online exhibition: https://davidshepherd.org/wildlife-art/galleries/2024-exhibition/

Looks like Banksy has started on his Wildlife Artist of the Year entry for 2025! Have you started on yours?

First an ibex, then two elephants and now three monkeys - Banksy is using wildlife to challenge some tough conversations. 🎨✨

We know that's nothing new for our community of artists. What are your thoughts?

Big cats need our help, and you are a crucial part of this mission. 🫵

They’re in BIG trouble. The challenges they face are huge, and for some, the threat of extinction is ever-nearer.

🐅 There could be fewer tigers in the wild than are currently kept in captivity in Texas, let alone the whole of the USA. Two subspecies of tiger (the Malayan and the Indochinese) are on the brink of extinction, with estimates of just 250 of each left in the wild.

🦁 In just two decades, African lion populations have plummeted by 43%. On average, 600 lions are killed by people a year. As with tigers, two lion subspecies—the Cape and Barbary—are already nothing but a memory.

🐾 Snow leopards face many challenges, including climate change and illegal wildlife trade. It is estimated that 20% of snow leopards killed by humans are killed for their fur alone.

Our Big Cat Appeal ends on August 10 (International Lion Day). Your donation, no matter how big or small, can make a significant difference. Donate now and help these precious big cats survive for future generations. 🧡

Donate at: https://bit.ly/big_cat_appeal

is creeping up on us... 🦁

To celebrate this special day, we’re thrilled to offer you, for just ONE WEEK, three stunning Lion prints with a 20% discount each...

‘Lion Sketch’ (Fine art print on paper in a limited edition of 850)

£220
20% off discount price: £176

Buy now: https://davidshepherd.org/shop/lion-sketch/

‘Young Africa’ (Fine art print in a limited edition of 850)

£195
20% off discount price: £156

Buy now: https://davidshepherd.org/shop/young-africa/

‘Wildlife Sketch Lion’ (Mounted print on paper in an open edition)

£14
20% off discount price: £11

Buy now: https://davidshepherd.org/shop/wildlife-sketch-lion/

Join the celebration and add an iconic David Shepherd artwork to your collection at home whilst supporting lion conservation.

Lion Sketch | David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Fine art print on paper in a limited edition of 850. IMPORTANT SHIPPING INFORMATION Shipping to a UK address is included in the purchase price of this artwork. International shipping is not included. For international delivery, a DSWF member of staff will contact you after your purchase to arrange a...

Gold for our DSWF pack 💪🥇

🐘 Weightlifting goes to Elephants, their trunks have over 40,000 muscles, enabling them to lift over 500kg with ease. Yet they can still pick up a grain of rice with delicate precision too.

🙉 Chimps would be a natural in the artistic gymnastics. With powerful forearms and prehensile feet, they’d easily make swinging through the air and jumping over obstacles into an artform.

🐾 Painted dogs are practically unbeatable when it comes to athletics. These highly coordinated pack predators are built to go the distance with unrivaled stamina, so whether in a sprint to the finish or going long distance.

🐅 Diving goes to tigers, unlike most cats (big and small), tigers love water and have even been known to dive into pools with glee during hot weather.

The wait is over, it’s time to make magic…✨
We’re thrilled to announce tickets are now available for our highly anticipated Wildlife Ball at the iconic Dorchester Hotel!

2024 is a special year for DSWF – marking our 40th anniversary. So, more than ever, we’ll be celebrating the crowning achievements of four decades in conservation. 🐾

You can expect inspirational stories from our partners in-the-field and heartwarming memories of our greatest moments, all alongside the finest dining in London and stellar entertainment.

Individual tickets are £245, and a table of 12 can be reserved for £2,500.

We’d like to thank The Dorchester Collection for their incredible long-term support of this event and DSWF as an organisation. ❤️

The Wildlife Ball is the highlight of our event year for a reason and sells out fast – so don’t delay, book today to avoid disappointment & let the magic begin!

Book now at https://davidshepherd.org/events/wildlife-ball-2024/ -tickets

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via [email protected] or by calling 01483 272 323.

Happy 💚🐾

Rangers are a vital cog in our mission to protect engaged species across Africa and Asia. Our support of rangers is spread from the Himalayas to the D**g Phayanyen-Khao Yai Forest Complex in Thailand.

Earlier this year, we were thrilled to be able to boost ranger funding for our project partners in Thailand, specifically funding a dedicated VHF radio system for D**g Yai WS. 🌍

Rangers provide unwavering operational, training and welfare support, but whilst doing so, they can put their lives at risk. Five months ago, two rangers on patrol were attacked by a gaur (the largest of all the world's wild cattle), and one was quite seriously injured.

Unfortunately, due to the size of the area, it took about four hours for a ranger to run to an area where he could get a phone signal and then another four hours before help could reach them. This new funding for the VHF radio system, potentially lifesaving equipment in a situation like that, will significantly reduce such response times, ensuring quicker and more effective assistance.

'I know how demoralised the rangers are by these situations, so I am 100% certain they will be overjoyed that soon they will no longer be alone while on patrol'. - Tim Redford, Freeland Foundation

Your support can make a significant difference in the lives of these brave individuals. 🌿

Find out more at https://davidshepherd.org/conservation/fighting-wildlife-crime/wildlife-rangers/

Wild tiger numbers have dropped by 96% in less than a century. 🐅

Despite our enduring fascination with tigers, they are in trouble like most big cat species. Hunting, poaching, both the illegal and legal wildlife trade, as well as habitat loss, climate change, and human-wildlife conflict continue to claim the lives of tigers daily.

Tigers are no longer hunted as big game animals in their native Asia, ‘canned’ hunting operations. However, the poaching of tigers for Traditional Asian Medicine and status symbols continues.

Since the 1970s, demand for tiger products has soared, with international criminal gangs and syndicates creating a black-market trade feeding a larger illegal industry worth as much as $23 billion.

With your help, we can equip rangers and support more patrols, fund demand reduction campaigns, and safeguard a securer future for tigers. Your donation, no matter how small, can make a significant difference in our efforts to protect these majestic creatures. Donate now: https://davidshepherd.org/donate/big-cat-appeal/

This summer, join us in our mission to save the tigers. 🙌

Find out more at https://davidshepherd.org/news-events-insights/news/international-tiger-day-a-big-cat-in-big-trouble/

Happy 🎊🐅

To celebrate this special day, we’re thrilled to offer you, for just ONE WEEK, three gorgeous Tiger prints with a 20% discount each...

Perfect as a gift for the big cat lover in your life or a treat for yourself, these prints are exquisite examples of David Shepherd’s art and love for this iconic species.

Tiger conservation needs your help more than ever, given the startling fact that wild tiger population numbers have dropped by 96% in less than a century. By purchasing a piece of art today, you can help support frontline conservation projects in India and Thailand. 🙏

‘When I Grow Up Tiger’ (Fine art print on paper in an open edition)
£15
20% off discount price: £12

Buy now: https://davidshepherd.org/shop/when-i-grow-up-i-want-to-be-a-tiger/

‘Study for Tiger Fire’ (Mounted fine art print on paper in a limited edition of 400)
£50
20% off discount price: £40

Buy now: https://davidshepherd.org/shop/study-for-tiger-fire/

‘Teenage Tiger’ (Fine art print on paper in a limited edition of 1500)
£195
20% off discount price: £156

Buy now: https://davidshepherd.org/shop/teenage-tiger/

Did you know? In the past 7 days alone, a staggering 2,100 pangolins have been trafficked from their natural habitat into consumer markets.

This alarming number is the reason why we’re shedding light on the treatment of pangolins in our latest campaign. These unique creatures, with their keratin scales and solitary, nocturnal habits, are facing a serious threat from poachers.

At DSWF, we are working hard to protect pangolins through our programmes in Kenya and Vietnam, helping return pangolins to the wild after they have been taken by poachers.

With your donations, we will continue to support:
💚 Demand reduction campaigns around the worldwide consumption and use of pangolin scales, meat, and parts
💚 Public awareness campaigns to ensure myths around the medicinal benefits of pangolin products are discredited
💚 Anti-poaching and anti-trafficking operations to ensure criminal groups are apprehended in Africa and Asia
💚 Training workshops in Africa to ensure the correct law enforcement, legal and prosecution processes are in place around pangolin poaching and trafficking
💚 Educational materials and school workshops on the importance of pangolin protection and the implications and risks associated with pangolin poaching

Join us in raising awareness and supporting the pangolins by making a donation at https://davidshepherd.org/conservation/fighting-wildlife-crime/through-their-eyes-pangolins/

Don't miss your chance to join our herd for the London Marathon 2025 and run for a roaring cause! 🦁✨

Your participation and fundraising will help orphan elephants on their journey back to the wild, fund investigations to end illegal trade in tiger parts, protect lions and painted dogs from poachers, and much more!

Through joining our team, you will get a personalised DSWF branded running vest, support throughout your training and fundraising and a team to motivate and share the experience.

Applications close on August 2nd, so apply for your spot now! Every step you take helps protect endangered wildlife across Africa and Asia. 🏃

Apply now: https://davidshepherd.org/events/london-marathon-2025/

If you have any questions, please reach out to [email protected]

Happy ✨

We’re still reeling from the excitement of our Wildlife Artist of the Year exhibition at the start of this month!

None of this competition would have been possible without the support of our artists, sponsors and brilliant team at the Galleries. It was especially exciting to host the Creation Station supported by Derwent Art and our unique art workshops hosted by Lindy Cullen, Tom Middleton Artwork and Zoe Fitchet Wildlife Artist. 🎨

We are over the moon to have reached such a vast number of wildlife artists from across the globe, receiving an astonishing 1,301 entries. Of the 801 artists who entered, 448 were newcomers, which further enables us to raise awareness of wildlife conservation.

With so many entries, competition is tough and fierce, and an incredibly high standard is always set. Please don’t be disheartened if you didn’t make it as a finalist this year. Many of our artist friends have been on a journey with us for many years, committing their art and supporting species-saving work with every entry.

Keep going! Next year’s competition opens for entries in January 2025. ‼️

View online exhibition: https://davidshepherd.org/wildlife-art/galleries/2024-exhibition/

Own an original artwork from a talented Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024 finalist before it's too late! ⏰

We invited all finalists from this year's exhibition to make a unique, postcard-sized 'Mini Master'. Below are just a few of the beautiful pieces left to purchase.

All at a fixed price of £60, with 100% of the sale going to protect endangered wildlife, these Mini Masters have been incredibly popular, as many of these artists have long waiting lists for their highly sought-after work. 🎨✨

Browse Mini Masters: https://davidshepherd.org/wildlife-art/galleries/2024-exhibition/mini-masters/

If you're looking for a beautiful keepsake of the exhibition, our Wildlife Artist of the Year 2024 catalogue is the perfect choice. Priced at just £10, this stunning catalogue is an affordable way to support wildlife conservation. 💚

Shop now: https://davidshepherd.org/shop/dswf-wildlife-artist-of-the-year-2024-exhibition-catalogue/

Our brave colleague and wildlife warrior, Tom Hicks, is nearing the end of his expedition…

‘We gave it a good bash, breaking 6,100m during a time of severe weather. As it stands less than 10 people have summited the 7,134m peak this year with thigh-deep snow, 40+ mph winds, avalanches and crevasses thwarting most teams summit pushes - including mine.

Sadly, due to these circumstances, we found ourselves with no window of opportunity to attempt a summit safely.’

We’re hugely proud of Tom and his incredible effort up Ibn Sina! The weather in the mountains always has the final say and this time was no different.

Snow leopards could lose up to 30% of their Himalayan habitat to climate change and human encroachment in the next decade. ‼️

Tragically, as mining and logging operations increase, for the first time ever – road deaths are now featured prominently in snow leopard fatalities.

As well as this snow leopards are once again being hunted for their fur, to supply a growing new market in the Middle East.

These incredible animals support our ecosystem and are an integral part of the animal kingdom, but the demise of habitat, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching for medicinal purposes mean they risk not being part of our landscape for much longer. 🐾

The threats facing our big cats are undeniable, and they are growing at a rapid pace, so make a significant difference today and DONATE to our Big Cat Appeal: https://davidshepherd.org/donate/big-cat-appeal/

Drumroll, please... 👥🏆

The 2024 People's Choice Award Winner is with 'Ethereal Stalker' 🎨

This year, we received a whopping 6,363 votes. The team at DSWF has been working hard to collate all your votes and is delighted to announce the 2024 winners of the People's Choice Award.

We're delighted to reveal the top 10 artworks for the People's Choice Award in their very own gallery on our website.

View People’s Choice gallery: https://davidshepherd.org/wildlife-art/galleries/2024-exhibition/peoples-choice/

If you submitted a vote for the People's Choice Award, thank you. By voting, you were automatically entered into a prize draw to win one of our premium adoption packs. The winner will soon be contacted, so stay tuned for more details. � �