Rescue Director, Nick Marx, tours the US

September 29, 2009

Originally Published by Wildlife Alliance

Wildlife Alliance's Nick Marx, who directs the Care for Rescued Wildlife program in Cambodia, traveled with Director of U.S. Operations Michael Zwirn to meet with zoo and aquarium professionals in Portland at the annual conference of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Nick presented a poster on the rehabilitation and release of leopard cats in Cambodia, but discussed our work in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation more broadly.

Over the last several years, American zoos have been making a concerted effort to support conservation of species and habitats in the developing world, including Southeast Asia. Highlights of the conference included Jane Goodall's speech about the changing relationship between humans and apes over the past half-century, meetings with the International Elephant Foundation about our elephant programs and the Gibbon Conservation Center about our primate rescue and rehabilitation work, and the chance to explore areas of mutual concern with the zoo community.

In Denver, Nick was the keynote speaker at the Downtown Aquarium’s International Tiger Day festivities. Nick spoke to a large crowd about the catastrophic decline of Asia’s wild tiger populations, and the efforts needed to save tigers in the wild. He also showcased his decades of experience working with tigers and other big cats in captivity.

Nick discussed the few success stories in wild tiger conservation, like the Amur tiger in the Russian Far East, and the challenges of ensuring that tigers in captivity support conservation, rather than the illegal trade in wildlife products. Many thanks to Landry’s for hosting this gala, and to the people of Denver whose attendance will support tiger conservation and welfare efforts in Cambodia!

Wildlife Alliance partnered with the Asian Elephant Art & Conservation Project at an evening party in Manhattan hosted by longtime supporter Wes Wang. AEACP has helped the rescued elephants under our care in Cambodia at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center through years of innovative fundraising and publicity. Lucky, Naram, and other of our rescued elephants have learned to paint, using their trunks to hold the paintbrushes, producing vivid expressionistic canvases and designs for t-shirts and even high fashion!

The painting provides the elephants with mental stimulation and a creative outlet – and the sale of the paintings, shirts, and other art raises crucial funds for elephant conservation and welfare. AEACP also partners with elephant rescue centers and programs in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. The joint event with AEACP raised more than $11,000 for elephant programs by Wildlife Alliance and other groups!

To purchase art by the rescued elephants under Wildlife Alliance’s care, please peruse the online galleries of Lucky, Naram, and the late and much-missed Sema.

During Marx's tour, Wildlife Alliance was generously hosted by supporters on the west and east coasts. Our thanks go out to the Oswalds in Portland, the Andersons in San Francisco, Audrey Kelly of FADE IN magazine and the Razis in Los Angeles, Troy Grahn and the Conservation Committee at the Downtown Aquarium in Denver, David Ferris of the Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project, and longtime supporter Wes Wang in New York City.

Many thanks!