Society Of Feline Artists

In remembrance of what would have been the much loved
late SOFA member Pollyanna Pickering’s 78th birthday, the Born Free
Foundation are honouring her by naming a rescued cheetah cub in her
memory.

Pollyanna was word renowned for her paintings of endangered species
sketched from life during expeditions which took her to some of the most
remote and inhospitable parts of the world. She acted as a Patron of The
Born Free Foundation for many years, and was always delighted when her
artwork could help to raise funds for a cause so close to her heart.
Born Free has rescued two cheetah cubs from the illegal wildlife trade and
given them a lifetime home at Ensessa Kotteh, its wildlife sanctuary in
Ethiopia. The male and female cubs, are thought to be siblings. They were
seized by the Somali State authorities in Ethiopia, at about three months old,
having most likely been taken from the wild to meet the demands of the pet
trade in the Middle East.

Both cubs were undernourished and walking with a slight limp, but after a few
weeks of care are starting to show signs of recovery. For the moment, they
are continuing to be closely monitored and are receiving veterinary care to
help improve their condition.

Virginia McKenna, actress and founder of Born Free said “Pollyanna first
came into our lives 30 years ago. She travelled to India to do a painting of five
tigers we had rescued from a travelling circus. We were, from the start, bound
by our love and admiration for animals. And it was through her extraordinary
talent as a wildlife artist, her loyalty to our charity and our deepening
friendship, that our relationship never ended. Her name will live on through
Pollyanna, the beautiful little cheetah, and in our hearts.”

Pollyanna’s daughter Anna-Louise who continues as President of the
Pollyanna Pickering Foundation told us “There could be no more wonderful
and fitting tribute to Pollyanna. She was passionate about conservation and
the animals which she painted and always had a special love for cheetahs.
Our Foundation will fund the care of little Pollyanna cheetah in her new home,
and we are proud to be able to give this beautiful cat the opportunity of a safe
and happy life in the beautiful surroundings of Born Free’s sanctuary after
such a sad and traumatic beginning”.

You can find out more about Pollyanna cheetah at
www.pollyannapickering.co.uk/foundation