Chris JenkinsViews:
I recently had the opportunity to communicate with one of the most dedicated reptile conservationists I have ever encountered and I wanted to share his story with you. Zach Whitman is studying Conservation Medicine at Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and plans to use his degree to further reptile conservation. In addition to his studies, Zach also runs a reptile breeding operation called Slithering Creations.
However, this fall Zach was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma and was forced to take time away from school to be with his family and fight this disease. While undergoing treatment, he has not been able to maintain his reptile breeding operation and has sold many of his animals. Using a portion of the proceeds from these sales, he made a generous donation to our reptile conservation efforts here at The Orianne Society so that we could continue to work towards our mutual conservation goals.
The fact that Zach continued to think about how he could further reptile conservation during such personal adversity humbles me and has breathed new inspiration into our staff to continue our mission. We are proud to have the opportunity to know Zach and look forward to working with him in the future.
Chris Jenkins, CEO
The Orianne Society
