Hippos, Hope and Heroes at the Royal Geographical Society
The foundation had a brilliant evening at the Royal Geographical Society in London, joining Karen Paolillo of the Turgwe Hippo Trust in Zimbabwe for a talk and the screening of Dan Richardson’s new film.
Karen’s story is a remarkable one. Born and raised in the UK, she moved to south-east Zimbabwe with her husband, Jean-Roger, in the early 1990s. When a severe drought dried up the Turgwe River and left a family of hippos facing starvation, Karen stepped in, raising funds to feed them and give them a water source. That act of compassion became a lifelong mission, and in 1994 she founded the Turgwe Hippo Trust.
More than three decades on, she is still there. Over the years she has protected the hippos through floods, land invasions and relentless poaching, while facing kidnap attempts and even being held up at gunpoint. Hearing her describe it in her own words was both fascinating and humbling. Her perseverance and grit are truly admirable, and the hippos of the Turgwe River are thriving because of her.
Dan Richardson’s film brings that story to the screen, capturing the beauty of the river and its hippos alongside the very real dangers Karen has faced to keep them safe. It was a privilege to be among the audience for the screening.
We also heard from actors Mark Bonnar and Peter Egan, a trustee of the AVM Foundation, alongside Dan himself, who shared their own stories and connections to the project. Together they ran a lively live auction on the night, raising vital funds for the Trust’s work.
One of the highlights of the evening was hearing from our founder, Tony Martin, who was invited up to the stage by Peter Egan.
Tony said, with a smile, that being called up was a bit of a surprise. He then looked back on the 25 years since he set up the Anthony Martin Charitable Foundation, which has made more than a thousand donations to charities all around the world in that time. “It’s been a wonderful time,” he said, and he thanked Peter and the other trustees there on the night, as well as Carolyn, who runs the Foundation day to day.
Karen then added her own words of thanks. She explained that when drought hit the Turgwe in 2024 and she had “absolutely no money coming in”, Peter put her in touch with the Foundation, and the Foundation stepped in to support the hippos. When funds ran short again earlier this year, it stepped in once more. It was a moving reminder of what the Foundation’s support means on the ground.
Tony finished by sharing where his love of animals began. He was born six months before the start of the Second World War and grew up on his grandfather’s farm in Essex. During the war, German bombers flew over the farm at night. One night he was blown out of bed as the windows came in and the walls came down around him. Animals were killed all across the farm. “That’s when I really appreciated animal welfare,” he said. He decided then that if he ever had the chance, he would try to make up for what had happened to those animals. More than eighty years later, the Foundation is that promise in action.
You can watch Tony’s speech in full below:
A huge thank you to Karen, Dan, Peter, Mark and everyone who made the evening such a success. To learn more about Karen’s work or to support the hippos, visit the Turgwe Hippo Trust at savethehippos.info