The Aspinall Foundation

The Aspinall Foundation (formerly The John Aspinall Foundation) is a British charity (Registered Charity 326567) which works to promote wildlife conservation. It was set up by professional gambler and zoo owner John Aspinall in 1984 and runs the two zoos he set up, Port Lympne Wild Animal Park and Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent, England. It also runs a number of conservation projects overseas to protect endangered species and return captive animals back to the wild. The charity is now run by John's son, Damian Aspinall.

In addition to running the zoos, which breed rare and endangered animals, the Foundation campaigns on a range of wildlife issues, such as opposing Chinese moves to relax the rules regarding the trade in products made from tigers.[1] The twin zoos are currently home to 14 hybrid, Siberian and Sumatran tigers. The Foundation set up a project for gorillas orphaned by bush meat poachers in the Republic of Congo in the late 1980s and in 1998, set up an orphan gorilla project in the neighbouring state of Gabon.[2] It also supports the 'Project Protection des Gorilles Gabon' which is based in Franceville in Gabon and seeks to reintroduce gorillas in the Batéké Plateau National Park.[3] In 2013 the foundation launched a programme to breed Scottish wildcats, with plans to create a breeding centre on the island of Càrna, off the west coast of Scotland.[4]

In November 2019, The Aspinall Foundation rescued 11 elephants, 19 buffalo, 29 wildebeest and 4 giraffe from Blaauwbosch Private Reserve in South Africa's Eastern Cape after the SPCA were granted a warrant for the animals' removal following years of neglect. [5]

In February 2020 The Aspinall Foundation became the first organisation in the world to send captive bred cheetahs from the UK for rewilding in South Africa. Damian Aspinall personally released the two male cheetah, who were born at Port Lympne, into their new home close to Cape Town.[6]