A brave member of staff from West Midland Safari Park is going above and beyond to fundraise for the conservation of threatened rhinos.
Senior Education Officer and Associate Lecturer, Cathy Dittrich, will be swapping the classroom in Bewdley, for the sights of London, as she partakes in the Vitality Big Half (London half-marathon) on 10 March, on behalf of Save the Rhino International (SRI).
To make this incredible challenge even more difficult, Cathy has only just started running again recently after a six-month hiatus, she has never run this distance before and she will be completing the whole 13 miles with a broken hand!
However, she insists that she could not turn down the opportunity to combine her hobby by helping the plight of one of her favourite animals.
Cathy said, “My passion for rhinos and running both started in 2010 – a life-changing year for me, as I was made redundant, quit smoking and enrolled on a level 3 Animal Care course. On a field trip to South Africa in 2011, I encountered wild rhinos on safari and met a baby rhino in a rehab centre. I was blown away by the majestic presence of these creatures and was shocked and saddened to learn that this very same year, a subspecies of the Javan rhino was declared extinct, in addition to the western black rhino.
“As I continued my studies with an Animal and Biological Sciences degree, I revisited South Africa and developed an aspiration to become a Zoo Education Officer. I wanted to share what I had learned and enthuse others about the amazing animals of this planet, in the hope that I could inspire people to care about and increase conservation efforts for animals in need.”
She continued, “Fast forward to the present and I’m now coming up to my fourth year at the Safari Park, but sadly the plight of the rhino continues. I’m hoping that this physical challenge will help fundraise for a very worthy charity, whilst raising awareness about these magnificent animals!”
Cathy and her colleagues are lucky enough to see rhinos almost every day, from their classroom windows, as the Park has a ‘crash’ of eight southern white rhinos and three Indian rhinos. This includes ‘Granville’ – the latest baby born in 2018 and a success for the Park in their contribution to the European Endangered Species Breeding Programme (EEP).
The EEP aims to safeguard the future of a species vulnerable to the continued threat of poaching and habitat loss. At the last count, just over 20,000 wild southern white rhinos remained in South Africa, with 769 killed in 2018. Furthermore, three out of the five species of rhino are classed as ‘Critically Endangered.’
Cathy has set up a fundraising page so people can easily make donations to support her challenge. To make a donation, please visit: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/cathy-dittrich-hwm-TBH-2019-16753.
All the funds raised from Cathy’s half-marathon run will go directly to SRI, which will support the fight against poaching and habitat loss across 25 field programmes in 12 countries. To find out more, visit www.savetherhino.org.
The rhinos can be seen in four-mile Safari Drive-through, which is included in the standard admission charge of £24.00 for adults, £19.00 for children aged 3-15 and £22.00 for concessions. Admission includes a Free Return Ticket. Adventure Theme Park rides are charged extra.
