It's been estimated that around 1.25 billion animals have perished across Australia to date because of the bushfires. This includes thousands of koalas and other iconic species such as kangaroos, wallabies, kookaburras, cockatoos and honeyeaters, and many thousands more injured and homeless. 

I have to do something for these Feathers, Fur or Fins friends (all of us Ozzie kids of the 80s/90s will get this Don Spencer reference that we grew up on)... so I’m going to run. 

It’s been 10 years since I ran the New York marathon and it’s going to be a challenge to do it again back in London. But here are just some of their powerful success stories and why I - with your help - am supporting the World Animal Protection and their work by running 26.2 miles this April. 

For over 50 years, World Animal Protection has helped millions of wild animals, pets and farm animals responding to over 270 disasters in over 80 different countries - including the 2019 Amazon rainforest fires where their team of vets helped rescue and treat iconic animals such as jaguars, ocelots, tapirs, sloths, river dolphins, macaws, parrots, and anacondas. World Animal Protection are now heading to Australia to protect and treat vulnerable animals who are at risk.

I've spoken to the charity about their planned Australian relief efforts which will be rolled out very shortly supporting and partnering with local charities. Any funds raised will go to greatest need, which is Australia's bushfires, but will also go to support other initiatives they are carrying out around the world - working closely with governments, the UN, corporations and other animal welfare organisations to protect animals from needless suffering.

SOME SUCCESS STORIES

JOINING FORCES FOR OCEAN CONSERVATION
Lost or discarded plastic fishing nets, ropes and lines - also known as ‘ghost gear’, kills and injures more than 100,000 whales, dolphins, seals and turtles each year. In 2015, World Animal Protection established the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), a cross-sectoral alliance committed to driving solutions to ghost gear and persuaded Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Lidl and Tesco to join the fight against ghost gear by joining the GGGI. The GGGI now has over 100 participants from the seafood industry and private sector, governments, including the United Kingdom, and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) committed to ocean conservation.

THE GRAM & WILDLIFE SELFIES
Worked with Instagram to establish the Wildlife Selfie Code 2017 to educate users about the harm caused when animals are removed from or disturbed in their natural habitats for photo opportunities. Instagram hashtags like #koalaselfie and #slothselfie, are now presented with a warning message.

ETHICAL ELEPHANT TOURISM IN THAILAND
World Animal Protection joined forces with leading travel companies to make Thailand's ChangChill elephant-friendly. Fifteen elephant camps agreed that Visitors are no longer able to ride, bathe or directly feed the elephants. Instead, they can admire the elephants expressing their natural behaviour, including from the new observation deck overlooking the venue’s valley, allowing the elephants to choose what they want to do at their own pace and in their own time.