Richard David Shepherd CBE FRSA FGRA (25 April 1931 – 19 September 2017)[1] was a British artist and one of the world's most outspoken conservationists.

[5] As a child he lived in Totteridge, north London and he won a children's painting competition in a magazine called Nursery World when he was eight years old.

Upon leaving school he travelled to Kenya with the hope of becoming a game warden, but was rejected as having "no talent whatsoever".

"[2] Shepherd became interested in conservation during an early expedition into the African bush, where he discovered a poisoned water hole with 255 dead zebra.

In addition to making him wealthy, Shepherd's paintings raised large sums for charity through auctions.

"[10] He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours list for services to charity and wildlife conservation.

He bought both 9F Black Prince 92203 and Class 4MT No.75029 The Green Knight direct from British Railways, where he had connections from painting various scenes for them.

[19] Shepherd's parents gave him a Victorian cottage, with more than 1 acre (0.4 ha) of land, in Frensham, Surrey, next to their own house, to encourage him to get engaged to his future wife Avril.