Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

ANGELA CHIDGEY is a painter living and working in Italy with a passion for colour.

Painting trips to Africa for the past 25 years have inspired a wonderment and respect for the Elephant.

Her last Exhibition in London entitled ‘ Elephants and Hills’ raised £15,000 to fit elephant satellite collars in Kenya for Born Free.

Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, located in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, is home to one of the most famous families of elephants in the world – the EB elephants.  Cynthia Moss began research on the EB’s and other elephants in Amboseli in 1973.  Today, the Amboseli Elephant Research Project (AERP) is the longest running study of wild elephants anywhere in Africa.  Research from the project has provided valuable insights into the behaviour and intelligence of African elephants. 

The land surrounding Amboseli National Park belongs to the Maasai people, who have for generations lived in harmony with wildlife and have traditionally been intolerant of other people coming onto their land to kill animals.  In recent years, however, as available habitat for elephants has decreased and human populations increased, incidents of human-elephant conflict have become more frequent. 

Conflict can result in the death of cattle, sheep or goats, which are extremely important to the Maasai families and historically would lead to revenge attacks on elephants.  In order to prevent elephants being killed when they leave the National Park, the Amboseli Elephant Research Project has developed a successful scheme called an Elephant Consolation Scheme, which reimburses Maasai for the loss of an animal due to conflict with elephants.

Future money raised will help Born Free support the work of the Amboseli Elephant Research Project, where you will find special members of the EB elephant family – Emily Kate and Esprit.

For further details of Angela’s work please visit, http://www.angelachidgey.com

Artist's Statement

'As a professional ‘listed’ artist my work has taken me to many areas of interesting and diverse work. From making fibre optic steel structures to designing bridge parapets and commissions of portraits of famous people.

I have decided to use my talents now in raising money for the endangered species of our world.

I love all animals especially the big cats. My ‘Ghost Tiger’ bronze, the first of a series, is to raise awareness as well as money for their plight.

I also have done paintings ‘Dream of The Tiger’ and ‘Dream of the Dolphins’, for which I will be selling prints for to help raise money for their cause.

My work has been bought by Rachel Hunter, Bernie Ecclestone and Sharon Osbourne.'

Deborah Peters

Deborah Peters is an oil painter who paints wildlife.  Deborah wants to help wildlife and has started a series of Big Cats for Born Free.  Please visit her website and should you buy any artwork a contribution will be sent to Born Free.

http://www.deborahpetersart.com/collections/21230