The remarkable new book is launched with a virtual event and exhibition. Picture credit above: Vicki Jauron / Remembering Cheetahs
Today marks the release of Remembering Cheetahs, the latest in the Remembering Wildlife series of coffee table books, and to celebrate we hope you’ll attend the official online launch this Thursday, October 15, which promises to be a cracking event.
Introduced by Remembering Wildlife founder Margot Raggett, the evening will include talks by the Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Dr Laurie Marker, and photographers Jonathan and Angela Scott (‘The Big Cat People’) and Frans Lanting and Chris Ekstrom. How often do you get to sit in on presentations and discussions from some of the world’s leading cheetah experts, without leaving home?
The event will run from 19.15-21.30 UK time on Thursday October 15. Standard tickets are now available from just £23.00, and all proceeds go to the Remembering Wildlife fund, which has already raised more than £630,000 for conservation projects from the sale of its books: Remembering Elephants, Remembering Rhinos, Remembering Great Apes and Remembering Lions. It’s a staggering achievement.
Remembering Cheetahs is the latest in the series, featuring images from more than 70 of the world’s top wildlife photographers. Copies can still be ordered here, costing £45 plus shipping.
It is a real joy to page through Remembering Cheetahs and be struck by the quality of photographs on every spread. There are some extraordinarily rare scenes, instances of high drama captured at just the right millisecond, striking landscapes, moments of tenderness and of tension… all immortalised so perfectly by these very talented photographers. Even the simplest of portraits are strong, sharp and engaging studies. It’s a book that will be cherished.
And by the wonder of modern technology, you can now have a sneak preview by visiting a virtual exhibition of the photographs, by clicking this link. It’s a fun experience, allowing you to wander around the gallery and learn more about each image. Some are accompanied by a short audio description from the photographer. Click the information button to order a print (raising further funds for conservation). The virtual gallery is open from October 12 – 24.
The book is a timely, and valuable, reminder that cheetahs too face an uncertain future. There are only around 7,100 cheetahs left in the wild. As well as being trafficked as a pet or killed for fur or body parts, cheetahs are impacted by habitat loss and even high-density tourism. In Iran, the Asiatic cheetah is down to fewer than 50, while in India they have been extinct for 60 years.
Says Remembering Wildlife found Margot Raggett: “With only 7,100 cheetahs left in the wild, we must act now. Their plight is incredibly severe, and they need our attention more than ever.
“I’m humbled that, despite the enormous challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve still been able to produce this book. As with all the previous books, this project is only made possible by the generous donation of images by many of the world’s leading wildlife photographers, working together under the banner of ‘Wildlife Photographers United’. We’re proud to blaze the trail of what can be achieved when we all work together. But there is so much more that needs to be done.”
We hope you’ll support this remarkable project and hope you’ll enjoy this small selection of images from the book in the meantime.
