<p><strong>In the last century the world's tiger population has crashed by 97% due entirely to hunting, poaching and habitat destruction.</strong> 97%, sobering isn't it..&nbsp; This Autumn I will be running&nbsp;4 half marathons in aid of 21st Century Tiger, one of the top&nbsp;seven tiger conservation agencies globally:</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><span style="color: #3366ff;">Great North Run (18th September)</span></strong> - Done 1hr 53mins 05secs<br><span style="color: #3366ff;"><strong>Great Eastern Run, Peterborough (9th October) </strong></span>- Done 1hr 51mins 00secs<span style="color: #3366ff;"><strong>&nbsp;</strong><br><strong>Bupa </strong></span><strong><span style="color: #3366ff;">Birmingham Great Run (23rd October)</span></strong> - Done 1:54:00 (Blimey it was a tough course)<br><strong><span style="color: #3366ff;">St Neots 1/2 marathon (20th November) <span style="color: #ff0000;">- Done 1:44:43 </span></span></strong><span style="color: #3366ff;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"></span></span><span style="color: #3366ff;"><span style="color: #ff0000;">no idea where that fitness came from but I was determined to do myself justice in this run.</span></span><strong><span style="color: #3366ff;"><span style="color: #ff0000;"><br></span></span></strong></p> <p>I've had the enormous privilege of seeing many of nature's most incredible and charismatic wildlife from all around the world but nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to encountering a <span style="text-decoration: underline;">wild</span> tiger.&nbsp; Incredibly, we could lose this magnificent animal to extinction within 20 years if we do not pull out all the stops to prevent such a disaster.&nbsp; <strong>However, it is not too late, we can save the tiger.</strong></p> <p><strong><br></strong></p> <p>Saving the tiger is not just about saving the world's favourite and arguably most beautiful animal.&nbsp; To save the tiger we must save its habitat of jungle, swamp and rainforest across Asia.&nbsp; These habitats support huge and complex ecosystems upon which countless species depend, including our own.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Critically, human beings depend on these same forests for clean, dependable water sources, prevention of soil erosion, development of medication and carbon sinks.&nbsp; Often the presence of tigers is the only reason that what little forest is left is protected from logging.&nbsp; If we lose the tiger we lose everything.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>On behalf of the world's few remaining wild tigers&nbsp; thanks for your support.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>21 Century Tiger is a wild tiger conservation partnership between the <a title="ZSL" href="http://www.zsl.org/">Zoological Society of London</a> and <a title="GTP" href="http://www.globaltigerpatrol.org/">Global Tiger Patrol</a> which raises funds for tiger conservation projects in the field.&nbsp; Established in 1997, it has since become one of the top&nbsp;seven tiger funding agencies globally and has contributed over&nbsp;&pound;1.6 million to over&nbsp;50 tiger projects in seven countries worldwide.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Please help 21st century tiger save the wild tigers of Asia.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving &ndash; they&rsquo;ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they&rsquo;ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it&rsquo;s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</p>