Student Aims To Save Apes On Movie-making African Expedition

A student filmmaker is going to Africa to help save endangered baboons by making educational movies for the internet.
Cheryl Wagstaff, who is studying for a degree in Documentary Film and Television at the University of Wales, Newport, will be going to Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa to work for the charity The Great Primate Handshake.
Cheryl, 21, who comes from St Neots in Cambridgeshire, said: "Through the charity I discovered that 25% of primate species are close to extinction. It seemed to me to be a very worthy cause and I wanted to give something back. I do things like recycling but I wanted to be more green.
"On this trip, I'll be filming various primates to raise awareness about them becoming extinct. The baboons in particular are in danger - the locals see them as a pest because they are moving into towns looking for food as deforestation destroys their natural habitat and they are being killed. The films I make will hopefully educate people about the possible extinction of the baboons and explain why they should not harm them."
Cheryl chose to work with the Great Primate Handshake because it aims to help raise awareness of African primate sanctuaries and conservation programmes by harnessing the latest communications and multimedia technologies to broadcast their work to a local and global audience via the internet.
She said: "I'll be working with teams in a fully equipped mobile workshop touring conservation areas and making films for the charity's website. It will be very challenging shooting and editing films in one day. but the course at Newport's University has prepared me for it as that's among the tasks we are set.
"I think I'll gain valuable experience doing this project and it will probably change me, make me more independent - and hopefully I'll make new friends as well. It will also improve my filmmaking skills. Up to now, my films have been about people, so it will be a big departure making films about baboons!"
Cheryl has so far raised £500, but needs another £1,000 to be able to take part in the project. Anyone who would like to help her reach her target can email her on: [email protected] for details about the project, can visit: www.primatehandshake.org.
Further details of filmmaking and all other courses at the University of Wales, Newport are available by contacting: 01633 432432 or visiting: www.newport.ac.uk.
(KMcA/BMcc)