He might look like a late entrant to Moretonhampstead Carnival, but this is no fancy dress parade for Paul Goldstein.

With a nine-foot model tiger strapped to his back, the wildlife conservationist is due to walk into Moretonhampstead today (Thursday, September 3) as part of a 1,000-mile trek across England for the endangered tigers of India and Bhutan.

He’s already hiked 500 miles from Anglesey to Southend in July, carrying the 13kg tiger all the way. He began the second stage, Southend to Land’s End, on August 20, and his route takes him from Exmouth to Moreton today, arriving this evening.

He’ll continue his hike on Saturday, walking to Tavistock. He’s due to reach Liskeard on Sunday and finish at Land’s End on Saturday, September 12.

Wildlife conservation campaigner Paul Goldstein with his model tiger
Paul Goldstein on an earlier stage of his walk (Photo: 2 Legs for 4)

His 1000-mile hike will raise money for two frontline conservation projects: one in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh in India, which has one of the world’s highest densities of Bengal tigers, and the other in the mountains of Bhutan.

Goldstein, now aged 63, has spent more than three decades working as a wildlife guide, photographer and conservation advocate, and has raised more than £600,000 for conservation projects worldwide.

He and his model tiger have already completed 50 marathons and several other extreme endurance challengers, including the Everest Marathon and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

But he said this 42-day walk has posed the toughest challenge yet: battling his way along the Dorset coastline through last weekend’s wind and rain.

He said: “In the 16 years that this suit has run, trekked, stumbled and staggered over the trails of the UK, Tanzania and Nepal, it has never had a day such as this.

“Bank holiday weather did what it is dialled into doing, battering the chalk cliffs and coves of Dorset.

“At one stage it was one step forward and eight sideways – a whole day of crabbing, slaloming and tacking.”

He added that the stormy weather damaged his tiger, but he was able to repair it with gaffer tape and a zip tie.

Tigers in the. Bandhavgarh reserve, India
Tigers in the. Bandhavgarh reserve, India (Photo: Paul Goldstein)

His ‘2 Legs for 4’ challenge is supported by the UK conservation charity Explorers Against Extinction and aims to raise £50,000 for the two conservation projects.

One will help fund solar lighting for village communities and forest camps around the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, helping to reduce conflict between people and tigers.

The other is based in the Paro-Thimphu river basin of western Bhutan, where the landscape supports a remarkable diversity of wildlife including tigers and snow leopards, but is being transformed by climate change. The project will create a photographic record of the mammals living in that ecosystem, so that they can be monitored and protected.

Paul is inviting donations to his fundraising via the Explorers Against Extinction website.

He said: "Many would say this is utterly foolish. They may be right.

“But Bengal tigers are still endangered. Their body parts are still harvested for so-called traditional Chinese medicine. That's an abomination.

“You don't need to have seen a tiger in the wild to feel angry about that... but it helps. This summer, you can do something about it."