Doris has her day!

The campaign, launched in September 2001 aimed to raise awareness about the conservation needs and programmes in the Atlantic Rainforest, with particular emphasis placed on the lion tamarins, a small primate found in Brazil.

Money was raised at Whipsnade through the tireless efforts of Doris the jackdaw who during the summer months collected donations from audience volunteers at the daily bird demonstrations. Now following those months of hard graft, she has put her feet up and is having a well-earned rest in the comfy surroundings of her aviary.

Over 90 EAZA zoos registered for the EAZA campaign raising to date £93,791, with The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), of which Whipsnade is a part, achieving the accolade of being one of the top fundraisers with £19,000 raised. The funds raised will go towards the Lion Tamarin of Brazil Fund which will use the money to 'adopt a field assistant' and sponsor 'corridors' of land to link fragments of forest holding populations of golden lion tamarins.

The Rainforest is currently ranked in the top five of the world's 25 most threatened areas, with only 7.5% of its former range remaining. This area of Brazil is home to five of the world's 25 most endangered primates including all the lion tamarins.

Chris West, Zoological Director of ZSL said, "We've exceeded all our expectations and our visitors have shown great generosity and willing throughout the campaign. It really has been a phenomenal success of which we should all be proud. The money raised was a prime opportunity for us all to support in-situ conservation work. We look forward to taking part in next years campaign which is for tigers."

During August, Whipsnade also hosted a Rainforest Roadshow where visitors could learn about the exciting rainforest environment, bringing it to life by using extraordinary genuine artefacts, live invertebrates and personal experiences. The show also focused on the lifestyle and culture of tribal people, environmental issues, and our impact on the tropical rainforests.

Maria Iolita Bampi, General Co-ordinator for Fauna for the Brazilian Environment Agency (IBAMA) passed on "the sincere gratefulness of the Brazilian Government to EAZA zoos for the significant contribution to the conservation of lion tamarins".

Notes to editors:

• There are four species of lion tamarins; the golden lion tamarin, the golden headed lion tamarin, the black lion tamarin and the black faced lion tamarin

• In the wild lion tamarins are only found in the Atlantic rainforests, Brazil where they are listed by CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species) as endangered due to habitat destruction from logging and the creation of plantations and cattle ranches. They are currently part of an ongoing conservation programme that includes captive breeding, education programmes within Brazil and field studies into the species ecology and behaviour

• Currently all lion tamarins held in EAZA zoos are the property of the Brazilian government

• Rainforests are the most biological diverse ecosystems on the planet, and it is thought that millions of species remain undiscovered. Their main threats include habitat destruction and fragmentation due to logging, agriculture, urbanisation and industrialisation. The hunting/wildlife trade and the collection of flora from the forest

• Founded in 1826, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is an international scientific, conservation and educational charity: our key role is the conservation of animals and their habitats. ZSL runs London Zoo and Whipsnade Wild Animal Park, carries out scientific research in the Institute of Zoology and is actively involved in field conservation in other countries worldwide.

For further information please contact the ZSL Press Office
Leana Rochman, Press Officer
Tel: 020 7449 6361 / out of office mobile: 07889 043843
E-mail: leana.rochman@zsl.org
Website: www.whipsnade.co.uk