Press Release: World Cheetah Expert to be Hosted in Vancouver

PRESS RELEASE

April 13, 2023 – Vancouver

Cheetahs are the fastest land animal on the face of the earth. Cheetahs have been an iconic animal for centuries but are now increasingly threatened by humans’ expansion into critical habitat and human-wildlife conflict. With fewer than 7500 cheetahs left in the wild, it’s an “all hands-on deck” call for action.

On Thursday, April 13th, one of the world’s most renowned cheetah experts, Dr. Laurie Marker, the founder and executive director of Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) Namibia) will be visiting Vancouver, the only Canadian city on her spring North American tour. Dr. Marker’s dedicated work to save the cheetah in the wild has spanned more than three decades, working with partners in wildlife conservation as well as leaders in the public and private sectors.

Dr. Marker will be hosted by Clive Johnson, CEO of B2Gold Corp. B2Gold, an international gold mining company headquartered in Vancouver with gold mining operations in Namibia and other countries, has a strong commitment to ensuring sustainable communities where the company operates, and has worked closely with Cheetah Conservation Fund on shared objectives of protecting wildlife and biodiversity.

In Namibia, Cheetah Conservation Fund addresses the threats to cheetahs head-on by reducing human wildlife conflict working with farmers and local communities. Livestock guarding dogs, raised by Cheetah Conservation Fund, are provided to farmers to safeguard their livestock, resulting in much lower levels of farmers killing cheetahs.

In Somaliland, Cheetah Conservation Fund is working with international partners and local communities to stop the illegal wildlife trade of cheetah cubs. CCF is providing care for more than ninety cheetahs that have been confiscated by authorities, with many of them now being transferred to a newly constructed sanctuary.

Dr. Marker has demonstrated that by working together – across all sectors – we can save this magnificent species and, in doing so, we can help save our planet’s biodiversity.

About CCF
Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is the global leader in research and conservation of cheetahs and dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild. CCF has created a set of integrated programs based on its research to address threats to the cheetah and its ecosystem. Founded in 1990, CCF is an international non-profit organization headquartered in Namibia with a field base in Somaliland. CCF will celebrate its 33rd anniversary in 2023, making it the longest running and most successful cheetah conservation organization.

For more information, please visit www.cheetah.org

About B2Gold Corp.
B2Gold is a low-cost international senior gold producer headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Founded in 2007, today, B2Gold has operating gold mines in Mali, Namibia and the Philippines and numerous exploration and development projects in various countries including Mali, Colombia, Finland and Uzbekistan. B2Gold forecasts total consolidated gold production of between 1,000,000 and 1,080,000 ounces in 2023.

Contacts:
Carolyn Farquhar
Chair, Cheetah Conservation Fund Canada
canada@cheetah.org
+1 819-271-8529

Cherry DeGeer
Director, Corporate Communications
cdegeer@b2gold.com
+1 604-681-8371
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