The Aspinall Foundation

The Aspinall Foundation (formerly The John Aspinall Foundation) is a British charity (Registered Charity 326567) which works to promote wildlife conservation. It was set up by professional gambler and zoo owner John Aspinall in 1984 and runs the two zoos he set up, Port Lympne Reserve and Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent, England. It also supports a number of conservation projects overseas to protect endangered species. The charity is now run by John's son, Damian Aspinall.

In addition to running the zoos, which breed rare and endangered animals, the Foundation campaigns on a range of wildlife issues, such as opposing Chinese moves to relax the rules regarding the trade in products made from tigers.^[1] The twin zoos are currently home to 14 Indian, Siberian and Sumatran tigers. The Foundation set up a project for gorillas orphaned by bush meat poachers in the Republic of Congo in the late 1980s and in 1998, set up an orphan gorilla project in the neighbouring state of Gabon.^[2] It also supports the 'Project Protection des Gorilles Gabon' which is based in Franceville in Gabon and seeks to reintroduce gorillas in the Plateau Bateke National Park.^[3] In 2013 the foundation launched a programme to breed Scottish wildcats, with plans to create a breeding centre on the island of Càrna, off the west coast of Scotland.^[4]

References

External links

• The Aspinall Foundation website
• The Aspinall Foundation, Registered Charity no. 326567 at the Charity Commission

• BBC Article on the Gabon Gorilla sanctuary
• BBC Article on the foundation's work in Congo
• Daily Mail article