A TRIP up Africa’s highest mountain next month to raise funds for conservation work to save wildlife species awaits a Whitchurch animal science expert.

Tullis Matson, from Stallion AI near Whitchurch, is also a trustee for and founder of Nature SAFE, a charity biobank that preserves endangered species.

On Saturday, September 14, he and three others – including fellow trustee Tony Noble – Tullis will start a six-day ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for the charity’s work.

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But, and of equal importance to Tullis, they will get to make a start on conservation work for endangered species in Kenya.

“We had our weekly catch-up with our tour guide and we’ll have 20-odd Sherpas to help us get up there,” he said.

“The altitude sickness is the one thing that everyone is worried about.

“We’ve all being doing lots of training for it but there are lots of health hazards that come from it and we’re all trying to prepare for that.

“One climber is Verity Smith, who is a blind horse rider – she’s an amazing lady and one of our ambassadors.

“She is just incredible and that gives us extra motivation to get up there and do this.

“Verity went blind when she was seven and her last sight was when she was in Kenya so this is going to be very emotional for her.

“The other bit of work we’re doing out there is in Kenya where we are going to see the last two white rhinos on the planet.

“That’s going to an emotional rollercoaster.

“We hope to facilitate one of the first living bio-banks out there so we’re hoping to meet with authorities and see how we can help make that happen.

“There’s a very rare animal called the Bongo – an antelope – and there’s only 70 left in the wild and we hopefully will do what we can do to help there too.

“It’s not just about climbing a mountain but it’s about making animals safe in Africa.”

Tullis added that the reasons motivating the climb are hugely important to him.

He added: “I’ve always wanted to climb this mountain – it nearly happened in lockdown – and to do it with the conservation work is everything that we’ve strived for.

“It will make a difference to the planet we live on – Africa and certainly Kenya is one of the most richly diverse areas and for us to capture those genetics will be incredible.

“It will help many of those species from going extinct.

“Any help that people can give is a bonus.

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“We have corporate sponsors onboard to, such as AC Jackson, which is local, and we’re hoping to raise £70,000 through that and the Just Giving, though that is more personal.

“We’ve raised around £35,000 so far and we’d like a minimum of £50,000 but ideally £70,000 – this can save around 15 species.”

Anyone wishing to donate to the trip can do so at www.justgiving.com/page/tullis-matson-1720609617431