Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance (ALTA) and 21^st Century Tiger have joined forces!

The WildCats Conservation Alliance (their new name) will support wild tiger and Amur leopard conservation, and to continue as a partnership between ZSL and Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation in Regent’s Park, London.

The wish was to streamline administration, resources and roles under one roof, or initiative.  The WildCats Conservation Alliance hopes it can therefore work more effectively, raising awareness and funds for conservation projects for all subspecies of tigers and the Amur Leopards.

WildCats Conservation Alliance supports conservation projects dedicated to making a long term difference to wild tigers and Amur leopards.  The projects it funds are run by conservation NGOs which are internationally respected, such as FFI, WCS, the Phoenix Fund, IFAW, EIA and Freeland.   Projects are monitored and reviewed to ensure both best practice and effective outcomes.

The themes of the projects have included anti-poaching, education and community outreach, as well as wildlife-trade and research in China, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Russia.

Visit their website here to find out how you can help and get involved.

I had an email from WWF Australia today.

There are 67 Javan Rhinos left in the world and they are fast running out of food.

The reason is that the aggressive Arenga palm is growing uncontrollably in vital rhino habitat in Java's Ujung Kulon National Park, the only habitat in the world where this rhino still exist.   The Arenga palm is blocking out the sun, so the smaller plants the Javan rhinos need to feed are dying. 

As a result, the rhinos are desperate and hungry.  They are moving further afield and having to compete with other animals for any food they can find. 

Click here to help the Javan rhino

The good news is that there is a solution.  

WWF-Indonesia’s team is working with the local community to hack the Arenga palm down and rehabilitate the area - they are planting grasses so that the rhinos can eat.  But this is expensive, and the team is fighting to compete against the palm which grows very quickly.

So WWF Australia are asking for donations to help carry out the following key tasks to help the rhinos:

• Clear the Arenga palm from 190 hectares of rhino habitat as an immediate priority;
• Rehabilitate the area by planting the grasses that rhinos eat;
• Continue to monitor and protect rhino habitat with community forest patrols.

You can go to WWF Australia here and make a donation to help them with their work to help the Javan rhino. 

There’s a lot of worldwide interest in the forthcoming marriage of Prince Harry to American actress Meghan Markle.

Could she encourage him to give up the horrible tradition the Royals have of killing wild animals?

Prince Harry and some of his friends reportedly killed 15 wild boar recently on a hunting trip in Germany. 

Sign this petition to ask the Royal Family to STOP participating in blood sports.

On Boxing Day, however, Prince Harry chose not to take part in the shoot with the rest of his family.  Apparently, Meghan had asked him not to do it. Could it be that she is trying to persuade him to change his ways and stop such actions?

Care2.com member Alexandra has started a petition asking The Royal Family to stop participating in bloodsports.

At the time of writing, the petition already has over 67,000 supporters – click here to add your support to it and to ask the Royal Family to stop participating in blood sports.