David Shepherd – a short profile

David Shepherd is known internationally as an artist and ambassador for wildlife.  In 1960 he became a conservationist overnight when he witnessed hundreds of animals lying dead around a poisoned waterhole in Africa.

As a small boy, David collected books on Africa, and he had one ambition only, to be a game warden.  His early career was, to quote his own words ‘a series of disasters’. After leaving school in 1949, he went to Kenya to fulfil his ambition only to be politely told that he was not wanted.  Coming home again, David was faced with two choices: ‘to drive buses or starve as an artist’.  Rejected by the Slade School of Fine Art as having ‘no talent whatsoever’, it was by good fortune that he met Robin Goodwin, a professional artist, who took him under his wing and to whom he owes so much of his success.

David started his career as an aviation artist and owes a great deal to the Royal Air Force. Although never having worn a uniform, they recognised his talent and started commissioning aviation paintings, which involved flying all over the world with them.  David freely admits that he has had some of his most exciting times with the Services, on HMS Ark Royal, going down in a submarine and, with the RAF, flying in almost every type of aircraft, from harrier jump jets to V-Bombers, and the one remaining Lancaster.

It was the Royal Air Force who flew David to Kenya in 1960 and this was a catalyst in his life.  They commissioned his very first wildlife painting and, to quote David’s own words, “I have never looked back”.

As a young artist, David was drawn into the murky depths of the engine shed and was hooked.  He captured the dying days of steam on British Railways in a number if highly atmospheric paintings, going on to purchase, amongst others, two British Railways steam locomotives on their withdrawal from service. One of them, 9F class 2-10-0 no. 92203 which he named ‘Black Prince’, is now resident on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, which David regularly visits.

Driven by a desire to ‘give something back’ to wildlife David started the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) in 1984. Recently voted by a BBC poll as one of the most effective and popular wildlife charities in Britain, we are a small UK-based charity, dedicated to the long-term conservation of critically endangered mammals in the wild and the benefit of the local people who share their environment.

DSWF is a small wildlife charity with a big impact.

We support a range of innovative and far reaching projects to protect endangered mammals, such as tigers, elephants and rhinos, throughout Africa and Asia

DSWF gives grants to individual projects in both Africa and Asia that try to combat the scourge of the illegal trade in wildlife parts, either by undercover operations, by anti-poaching patrols and monitoring work, and by encouraging local people to help save their national heritage, through education, health and outreach projects.  DSWF often works in areas where support from others is non-existent and where a little goes a very long way. It is currently funding field projects in Cambodia, Mongolia, Thailand, Myanmar, Russia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Uganda, India, Kenya and Zimbabwe, helping species such as desert-adapted black rhino; elephant; Siberian tigers, snow leopards and African painted hunting dogs.