"Both the Foreign Office and his sponsors strongly advised him to abandon the trip, but John’s gentle demeanour disguises a gritty determination"
disguises a gritty determination and he refused to accept defeat. Not only had the wild camels survived these devastating tests, they live in an area where humans cannot; temperatures drop to -40C in winter and the water has a higher salt content than even the sea. In 2013, after years of DNA tests at the Veterinary University of Vienna, the wild camel was finally recognised as a separate species. It is the 8th most critically endangered mammal on the planet, with only 1000 animals existing in the deserts of China and Mongolia. John had already co-founded The Wild Camel Protection Foundation (WCPF) in 1997 with Kathryn Rae (Dr Jane Goodall is life-long patron) and he persuaded the Chinese government to establish the Lop Nur Wild Camel Nature Reserve. It measures 155,000 square kilometres (about the size of Bulgaria), making it one of the largest nature reserves in the world. John remains the only international consultant for the reserve and his achievements have been recognised by governments across the world. In 2004 WCPF established a breeding programme in the Mongolian reserve which buffers Lop Nur. These two reserves benefit many other endangered animals, including the black tailed gazelle, the Gobi bear and the snow leopard. Other than two Chinese zoos, WCPF holds the only captive wild camels, and has successfully bred and released eight camels into the wild. Recently back from the latest release, John will be visiting Sherborne to share the story of his extraordinary 1500-mile adventure, ‘Across the Sahara’, undertaken to raise awareness for the wild camel. John Hare ‘Across the Sahara’ ‘Digby Memorial Hall, Wednesday 7th November. Tickets £8 in advance from The Abbey Shop and Marsh and Son (Cheap Street), or £10 on the door. All proceeds to WCPF. The price includes pre-talk drinks and home-made nibbles. Doors open at 6pm. Talk begins 7.30pm. Further information 01963 220202 sherbornetimes.co.uk | 27