PASSION FOR CONSERVATION OF ANIMALS
Kylie McQualter, our speaker tonight, illustrated what you would consider to be the very essence of a zoologist who campaigns and actively serves the needs of wildlife in the world today.
Born and raised in Melbourne, she was always obsessed with animals.. Having completed a PhD on the study of giraffe ecology in Botswana, Kylie, after undertaking a tour of the overland of Africa, was searching for a way to return there, but this time, in her capacity as a zoologist.
She delighted in the sights and sounds of Africa, the raw energy displayed there. She admired Jane Goodall for most of her life, and was selected as a care giver to orphan chimpanzees in the Jane Goodall Institute. Her description of the ability of chimps to mimic human beings was intriguing. She described the way they would pretend to play, but wanted to steal the washing from the line. After five months, those chimps were incorporated into the Nagambe Island Chimpanzee Community.
The statistics about chimpanzees do not lie. There are now between one hundred thousand and three hundred chimps remaining and they have disappeared in three countries in the world. Chimps are endangered for several reasons - bush meat trade, for body parts and the way snares are used to capture them. Over one hundred and forty human viruses, including the common cold, can kill chimpanzees. Chimps that are sold as part of the illegal trade can cost above twenty thousand dollars.
Kylie also outlined that most lions are now located primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa. Only twenty-three thousand lions have been tabulated. Changing the culture of a tribe can be challenging. The Massai now are paid to protect lions.
Kylie's very colourful , and spectacular visuals show us what a major player she has been in the world of animal conservation and protection. She gave us a thoughtful and energetic view of the methods used to save animal life. We enjoyed it.