I am Jack Sherman, an 18 year old high school senior from Boston, MA who is dedicated to wildlife conservation, particularly, lions. I work as an education volunteer at the Franklin Park Zoo. I spend most of time educating guests about our zoo's African lions, named Dinari and Kamaia.What many people do not know is that lions are a species under grave threat. Their populations have dwindled by over 90% in the past 40 years, from as many as 250,000 in 1975 to no more than 25,000 today. They have been exterminated from more than 4/5 of their historical range, and now only exist in a few dozen scattered areas in sub-Saharan Africa and an extremely isolated pocket of India. Recently, the death of one of Africa's most beloved lions, Cecil, has sparked international outrage. In the past year, I made contact with a South African expatriate named Brian Gaisford who is known for his conservation work in Africa with lions, elephants and rhinos, among others. Through my friends at the Hemingway African Gallery in New York I was offered an amazing opportunity to assist the Long Shields Lion Guardians who were protecting Cecil and his pride. Brian invited me to attend the Cecil Charity Safari for the Lion Guardians, for a trip to Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, leaving January 10, 2016 and returning to the U.S. on January 24, 2016.The safari will take us into Cecil's pride range to meet the native Lion Guardians. We are going to check the welfare of Cecil's cubs and mates from his former pride. We are also looking at the possibility of recovering the radio collar that Cecil was wearing at the time of his death. I will personally bring dufflebag donations full of children's and adult's clothes to the 2 local villages near the park. Some of the highlights of the trip include the Limpopo River, the Matobo District, Hwange National Park, Camp Sinamatella and Victoria Falls.I anticipate the total cost to be as follows: $862 for RT airfare from New York JFK to Johannesburg; $3500 for the safari charter, meals and accommodations; $215 for a round trip train ride from Boston to New York, and $423 for guide tips and miscellaneous expenses.This trip is something I could never dreamed would be possible at the age of 18. Yes, Cecil's death was a tragedy, but it does not have be in vain. After advocating for conservation for more than 40 years, Mr. Gaisford told me that it is the youth who must carry on his mission. With collective financial help, I am prepared to embark on this journey. All I ask is your assistance. Thank you for your interest in this mission.
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