Norfolk wildlife photographer and conservationist, Paul Goldstein, is taking on a 1,000-mile challenge to raise awareness of wild tigers by wearing a costume of one.
He has pledged to raise £50,000 for tiger conservation – with a donor promising to match the first £10,000 – adding to his total of £500,000 so far.
The money raised from this walk will be used to install solar lighting around India’s Bandhavgarh National Park to reduce unexpected encounters and to support research into investigating how climate change affects tiger habitat.
Norfolk wildlife photographer and conservationist Paul Goldstein is walking across Norfolk wearing a 9-foot tiger suit as part of a 1,000-mile challenge to raise awareness of the plight of wild tigers (Image: Submitted)
Mr Goldstein and his tiger suit are seasoned campaigners for tigers.
In 2010 he ran the London Marathon and has since completed 24 more marathons for charity. He also climbed Kilimanjaro in 2012 and completed the Everest marathon ten years later.
But his impressive charity work portfolio does not stop at conservation as he has gone on to raise money for water harvesting projects and natal clinics in Kenya.
Norfolk wildlife photographer and conservationist Paul Goldstein is walking across Norfolk wearing a 9-foot tiger suit as part of a 1,000-mile challenge to raise awareness of the plight of wild tigers (Image: Submitted)
The 63-year-old has described his 1,000-mile walk with Explores Against Extinction as his toughest challenge yet.
Currently 300 miles in, he said he is determined to keep going despite his “broken” body.
“Many would say this is utterly foolish,” he said.
“They may be right, but Bengal tigers are still endangered. Their body parts are still harvested for so-called traditional Chinese medicine.
“It’s an abomination.”
Norfolk wildlife photographer and conservationist Paul Goldstein is walking across Norfolk wearing a 9-foot tiger suit as part of a 1,000-mile challenge to raise awareness of the plight of wild tigers (Image: Submitted)
The section of his walk taking him through Norfolk is especially close to home.
Carricks Farm at Swanton Morley, near Dereham, has been in his family for 100 years, and he deliberately planned this walk to pass through the county in the hope that locals will walk beside him.
Norfolk wildlife photographer and conservationist Paul Goldstein is walking across Norfolk wearing a 9-foot tiger suit as part of a 1,000-mile challenge to raise awareness of the plight of wild tigers (Image: Submitted)
He will pass through Burnham Market, Sheringham, Brundall, and Southwold this week, before continuing with the challenge.