Big Cat Keeper, Pete Thompson will be running in the 20th Marathon Des Sables, 'The Toughest Footrace on Earth', to raise money for the John Aspinall Foundation.

About the MdS

Competitors will cover 158 miles of Saharan Desert terrain over 7 days, which is the equivalent of five and a half regular marathons, and if that isn't tough enough, the runners will also be carrying all their own food, clothes, medical kit, sleeping bags etc. in their rucksacks!

About Pete

Pete cares for many species of carnivore at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, Kent, including the rare Barbary lions. These impressive animals could once be found throughout North Africa from Morocco to Egypt but hunting, development and destruction of habitat led to a decline in numbers over the centuries and the last one in the wild was shot in the 1920's.

Port Lympne is home to 12 Barbary lions, including Samira, who was hand raised by Pete due to an injury to her right foreleg, sustained when she was just four days old, which has resulted in nerve damage and has left her with a permanent limp.

Pete is aiming to raise £10,000 on behalf of The John Aspinall Foundation to help fund the Barbary lion breeding project here at Port Lympne. The Foundation is hoping to return some lions to Morocco and a reintroduction programme is underway.

Contact details:

E mail: office@thewildlink.org