Elephant Bar Restaurant Helps Cheetah Conservation Fund Celebrate International Cheetah Day on December 4th

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Elephant Bar Restaurant Helps Cheetah Conservation Fund Celebrate International Cheetah Day on December 4th

NOVEMBER 16, 2012 (Alexandria, VA) – On December 4, 2012, in honor of International Cheetah Day, Elephant Bar Restaurant across the country will be celebrating by donating 20% of their total participants’ food sales to Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF), in Otjiwarongo, Namibia, the global leader in research and conservation of cheetahs.

CCF’s Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Marker, announced the first International Cheetah Day in 2011, to raise awareness about the plight of this iconic and endangered species. There are less than 10,000 cheetahs remaining in the wild today, and without intervention, they could disappear entirely from the wild in 20 years.

The date was chosen to celebrate the birth of Khayam, a cheetah raised by Marker in Oregon and brought to Namibia 35 years ago to conduct reintroduction research. With Khayam at her side in Namibia, Marker’s research on the needs and attitudes of local farmers and other stakeholders became the cornerstone of her groundbreaking and highly successful approach to conservation.

Among those efforts is CCF’s Livestock Guarding Dog Program, which has been breeding and placing Anatolian shepherds and Kangal dogs with local livestock herders since 1994. The dogs, which are trained to guard herds from predators like cheetahs, leopards, and jackals, give Namibian farmers a means to protect their livelihood without resorting to shooting or killing cheetahs. The dogs are enormously effective, and farmers that utilize CCF dogs see an 80 percent reduction in predation rates to their herds.

Dr. Laurie Marker agrees. “I sold everything I had and moved to Namibia because I realized that if I waited for someone else to save the cheetah, it might not happen. But no one person can do this alone. I’m so grateful to the Elephant Bar and its guests, whose generosity will support our programs, and ultimately, help save the cheetah.”
Diners wishing to support Cheetah Conservation Fund should dine at one of Elephant Bar’s 46 locations nationwide on Tuesday, December 4, 2012 and present the flyer to the server.

Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) is the global leader in research and conservation of cheetahs. It is a USA 501c3 with field headquarters in Namibia, Africa. CCF is dedicated to saving the cheetah in the wild.CCF’s Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Laurie Marker, an American Biologist, is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on cheetah biology, ecology and conservation and has developed CCF’s conservation strategy to save the cheetah. CCF’s long-term studies have helped understand and monitor the factors affecting the cheetah’s survival in the wild andresults are used to develop conservation policies and programs. CCF is listed as a “Four Star Charity” by Charity Navigator, which recognizes sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency.People can learn more about CCF or make a donation to the organization by visiting www.cheetah.org.

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