Sketch for Survival is the idea of The Real Africa Trust, and the charity has been inundated with donations of art created for its touring exhibition which has already visited Norwich and London. Next week the exhibition moves on to Bath.

Among the works is a sketch of a rhino by actor and presenter Stephen Fry, a landscape painting by Dame Judi Dench, and a drawing of an elephant by Fearne Cotton. Other well known names to have sent in work include survival expert Ray Mears, television presenter Liz Bonnin, and explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes. Their works will be shown alongside an array of art sent in by international wildlife artists, “We've been overwhelmed by the response from the art community and now have artwork from celebrated artists across more than a dozen countries,” said Sara White, from The Real Africa Trust.

We are also incredibly thankful to have the support of so many celebrities, from Dame Judi Dench who donated a watercolour, to actor Stephen Fry, international cricketer Kevin Pietersen and many explorers, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Colonel John Blashford-Snell and Levison Wood among them. All have generously put pen, paint or pencil to paper this summer to help us raise awareness about species extinction.”

The trust initially asked people to spend just 15 minutes on their art.

Sara said: “15 was chosen as a significant number. In recent years elephants have been killed for their ivory at a rate as high as one every 15 minutes. That's 100 a day. Of the five species of rhino, three are critically endangered including the African Black Rhino. Lion too face a battle for survival, disappearing from at least 12 African countries. We wanted to highlight these shocking statistics.”

All the artwork is part of an online auction which is open until Sunday 15 October. Profits from the auction will be donated to organisations pivotal in the battle to save iconic species including The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, known around the world for its work with orphaned elephants, and Animals saving Animals, a small organisation which trains and deploys dogs to anti-poaching units across Africa to help safeguard rhino and elephant.

Sketch for Survival is part of a wider wildlife conservation campaign called Explorers Against Extinction. A gala event, featuring all of the artwork will take place at the Royal Geographical Society London on Thursday 12 October with Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Colonel John Blashford-Snell and special guests. Tickets £20-£100 from Ticket Source. 

For more information please visit explorersagainstextinction.co.uk