The Art of Saving the Cheetah – Celebrating International Cheetah Day in Santa Cruz, CA

The Northern California Chapter of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (NorCal CCF) is co-hosting, along with The Painted Cork Santa Cruz Studio, an International Cheetah Day fundraising event on December 2, 2018 from 12:30 – 5:00 PM. International Cheetah Day is celebrated annually on December 4th in honor of Khayam’s birthday. Khayam was the first cheetah Dr. Laurie Marker, founder of CCF, raised at Wildlife Safari in Oregon. She traveled to Namibia in 1977 with Khayam for a first-of-its-kind research project to see if a cheetah raised in captivity can be taught to hunt. Dr. Marker was successful and was able to teach Khayam how to hunt in the wild, but discovered that livestock farmers were killing large numbers of wild cheetahs; she set up CCF to help stop this decline. Now December 4th is celebrated to promote cheetah conservation all over the world.

The Art of Saving the Cheetah painting event will take place in The Painted Cork’s art studio located at 1129 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz, CA. The Painted Cork is a locally owned and family owned art studio hosting many fundraising events, private parties, art classes for children and fun paint and sip art classes for adults. A professional artist will instruct all who attend the event how to paint a beautiful cheetah face (shown below). There is no experience necessary, the artist will show you how to use the acrylic paints to create your own masterpiece.

Besides painting, the NorCal CCF chapter has arranged to have many fun items to silent auction and raffle. Included in the auction is an original painting by Dr. Laurie Marker herself (signed by her as well). She completed the painting in a small event held in her honor during her US fundraising tour because she cannot physically be at our December 2nd event. Here is the wonderful painting of her cheetah that will be at the event.

Also at the event, we will be visited by a beautiful Anatolian Shepard, the breed of livestock guarding dogs used in CCF’s Livestock Guarding Dog Program to protect livestock from predators such as the cheetah and leopard. In turn, by protecting the livestock, the guarding dogs help save the cheetah from being killed by farmers for taking livestock.

There will be a variety food and wine/beer/non-alcoholic beverages provided by the NorCal CCF Chapter so all you have to do is show up, paint, and support cheetah conservation. There are several restaurants and things to do nearby so you will also be supporting some local businesses of Santa Cruz. There is also plenty of parking in a lot behind the studio as well as free street parking along Soquel Avenue.

Doors will open at 12:30 PM and the painting begins at 2:00 PM. The time in between is for you to speak with our CCF volunteers to learn more about CCF and cheetahs, view the beautiful merchandise available from local and Namibian artisans (these make great gifts!), see and hear a short presentation from our traveling CCF veterinarian, Kathy Gervais of the SF SPCA, and bid on the many items available for auction and raffle.