Cecil the Lion: Brent Stapelkamp at Hemingway Gallery
5-8pm Wednesday April 13th 2016 Catered by David Burke at Bloomingdales
RSVP Required: HemingwaySafaris@gmail.com/ (212) 838-3650 Hemingway African Gallery Manhattan Art and Antique Center 1050 2nd Ave. @55th St. New York, NY 10022
Cecil’s killing was one of the most publicized events in history. This event is a unique opportunity to hear from Brent Stepelkamp, the researcher who collared Cecil and broke the news about the famous lion’s death at the hands of Walter Palmer.
Brent Stapelkamp is a 38 year old Zimbabwean born lion conservationist. He has spent the last decade working on the Hwange Lion research project in Zimbabwe. He and his ten Long Shields team track, dart, collar, and observe the lions in a effort to keep the prides inside the park and away from the local tribal cattle and the hunter’s guns. Brent is fully aware of the potential that hunting can play in the conservation of Africa’s wildlife if it is conducted in a ethical way with all the fees paid back into conservation. Brent has witnessed first-hand the detrimental effects of hunting on lions. He believes that this species is too rare and sensitive to hunting for that to continue. There is a grand challenge now that falls on our shoulders collectively if we are to save lions and Africa’s wildlife and Brent is ready, willing and very able to play his part in that. The hunting industry needs an overhaul if it is to survive in this new social media age. A new level of standards needs to be set and the responsibility for the upkeep of those standards will fall on the hunting clients. If “you” demand them as the clients, the operators will follow.
Come and listen to Brent’s exciting tails about working on the front-lines of conservation. He will also outline his work up until now including the methods and equipment he uses in his lion work in Hwange. Then join him in a discourse about where we can take lion conservation from here……
Special thank you to
David Burke at Bloomingdales for their catering donation!