Mzuri. That’s the Swahili word for good, and it is also the motto of the Mzuri Wildlife Foundation (MZF) as the organization “exists to do the most good possible for wildlife throughout the world.” The Shepherds of Wildlife Society and Muzuri share this goal as both seek to connect people to the natural world through different media and programming. For these reasons and more, MWF is again supporting the Shepherds of Wildlife efforts with its latest film in production - “The Last Keeper.”
“Our mission for MWF mirrors what Shepherds of Wildlife is all about. We couldn’t be more proud of what they do and will continue to support their work for years to come. We are all conservationists, and it is our responsibility to support their efforts for our children’s future," commented Mzuri president Cyndi Flannigan.
Caption: Founder Tom Opre presents Killing the Shepherd to the Mzuri Wildlife Foundation in Sonoma, California in March 2023.
Previously, Mzuri has supported Shepherds’ efforts by funding the distribution of 3,500 snare bracelets for a welcome package to leaders from governments around the globe during the 19th Conference of Parties (CoP) for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Panama in late 2022. These bracelets, developed from wire snare traps used by poachers to kill animals and removed by game scouts in the Lower Luano Valley Zambia, are a direct product of the work of community women in the Soli tribe. The program also funds a microloan program which allows women to grow their businesses and support their families. “The bracelets stand as a symbol of the narrative of local communities that our first film, “Killing the Shepherd” defines, and with Mzuri’s support, Shepherds was able to expand awareness of the plight of these rural communities to a global audience,” commented Shepherds Founder Tom Opre.
The latest Mzuri support will again be used to share the story of a rural community, but this time of the rural folks living in the Scottish Highlands. A war is underway for control over land, and it is a war where wildlife biodiversity and habitat conservation may be a thing of the past. The film will feature the romance and uniqueness of rural Scottish landscapes and highlight the practices and communities pitted against those who work to change a way of life.
“Strong partnerships such as ours with Mzuri are why our organization is growing and continuing to reach global audiences with the stories of these communities. The reality is in a world with eight billion humans, if those folks who live with wildlife don’t see a benefit to being good stewards then wildlife and habitat will be gone. We are ecstatic to have Mzuri’s support again, and we look forward to finishing this project for release later this year.”
To learn more about the film or the Shepherds of Wildlife Society, please visit: www.shepherdsofwildlife.org.
To learn more about Mzuri Wildlife Foundation, please visit: https://mzuri.org/
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