Lion keeper to run marathon for animal conservation

Caleb Hall is training for the Lewa Safari Marathon in Kenya

A lion keeper is preparing to run a marathon across Kenya to raise money for threatened species in Africa.

Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire's lead carnivore keeper Caleb Hall, 36, will be taking on the Lewa Safari Marathon on 29 June.

He will be raising funds for animal conservation charity Tusk.

Mr Hall said: “Many of the species I’m lucky enough to work with at Longleat are at risk of disappearing forever and that’s why raising money for Tusk is so important to me, because I have such a strong passion for those animals."

'For the next generation'

He added: "I want to do as much as I can to ensure they are here for the next generation to enjoy.”

The Lewa Safari Marathon is organised by Longleat’s conservation partner Tusk, which works across Africa.

It is regarded as one of the world’s ‘must do’ marathons and is among the most challenging due to the heat and altitude of up to 1,750 ft.

Mr Hall has worked at Longleat more than 12 years and ran the London Marathon for Tusk in 2016.

He said: “I love looking after my animals, especially our lions here, but if I can do something to help their wild counterparts, that’s exactly what I want to do.

"The Lewa Marathon has always been a dream of mine because you get to run in the footsteps of wild animals."

He has been training around the Longleat estate and hopes to raise £3,000.

“While I can’t prepare for the heat or altitude in Lewa, I’ve been running many of Longleat’s hills and taking in the beautiful landscapes right on our doorstep," he said.