“We are committed to educating people of all ages by creating awareness of the world around them and promoting the importance of conservation to sustain local and global wildlife and their habitats for future generations of all species”
To further our belief in supporting global sustainability, Liberty’s is now a corporate sponsor of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. We have also recently sponsored Raja, a Komodo dragon from ZSL London Zoo. These newfound partnerships have enabled us to contribute towards the valuable conservation work of these organisations. Everyone can assist in conservation and Liberty’s wholeheartedly encourages you to view the web pages of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, ZSL London Zoo and other similar organisations to find out ways in which you can help to sustain our wildlife.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust:
http://www.hwt.org.uk
ZSL London Zoo:
http://www.zsl.org
Conservation In Practise
The Southern Ground Hornbill ( Bucorvus cafer )
The Southern Ground Hornbill is widely distributed across southern Africa. However, due to a significant loss of habitat and heavy persecution, this bird is now classified as ‘Vulnerable’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN, 2010). “David and Goliath” are two male Hornbills owned by Liberty’s Centre; both of which are on breeding loan to Chessington World of Adventures and Le Zoo d ‘ Amnéville, France. The birds have been successfully paired and it is hoped that their future offspring will supplement the invaluable breed and release scheme attached to this species. For more information on the conservation of the Southern Ground Hornbill please visit the Mabula Ground Hornbill Conservation Project web pages:
http://www.mabulagroundhornbillconservationproject.org.za/index.html
Red Kite (Milvus milvus)
The Red Kite is listed as ‘Near Threatened’ by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Birdlife International, 2009), due to a generalised pattern of decline in the southern parts of its global range. Furthermore, ‘In the 1980s the Red Kite was one of only three globally threatened species in the UK’ (RSPB, 2010). However, as a result of the progressive creation of breed and release sites across the UK during the past 30 years, this species has demonstrated a dramatic expansion to its national range.
‘Trinity’ a well-loved female Red Kite, owned by Liberty’s Centre is now part of a breeding programme at Huxley’s Bird of Prey Centre and Gardens , located in Horsham, East Sussex.
The Red Kite has been ‘subject to the longest continuous conservation project in the world’ (RSPB, 2010). It is hoped that the actions of our Centre and other similar organisations can witness the down listing of this species’ conservation status in the future.
