Born Free Adopt Magazine - Autumn 2019 by BornFree

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AUTUMN 2019

Latest news on The Jaguar Family

THEIR STORY The Jaguar Family lives in the Yungas, a band of forest in north west Argentina. The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s southernmost jaguars, their range has shrunk by 95% and they are critically endangered in Argentina. Since 2011, Jaguars in the Fringe has worked to secure their survival â&#x20AC;&#x201C; targeting conflict through education and improved livestock practices to dissuade ranchers from killing these big cats. Born Free supports Dr Pablo Perovic as he protects jaguars in Calilegua and Baritu National Parks.

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Pablo installs a camera trap

Jaguar champion Dr Pablo Perovic is devoted to studying and protecting jaguars. To learn about their behaviour his team use camera traps – triggered by movement – to remotely photograph jaguars and their prey species. I recently received a report from Pablo with some exciting news. “After three days of walking into the Yungas, our team was ready to install some new camera traps. The first two days they had found plenty of jaguar footprints, but from the moment they entered Laguna de Pingascayo, the evidence dried out. It seemed counterintuitive, the more remote and protected the area, the more they should have seen, not less tigres (as jaguars are locally known). The rockier terrain and steep brooks reduced the substrate for footprints, but finding none was very rare indeed. “But while walking along a narrow brook with steep margins, a series of very loud noises were heard, rocks moving, sticks breaking and, at the next meander, a tapir came galloping towards the team. They jumped to the side just in time, and one of them even managed to touch the tapir. A few seconds later, a very slight scrambling sound preceded a jaguar chasing after the tapir. He suddenly stopped his run, greatly surprised to see a tapir transforming... into people! He paused for a few moments, then disappeared into the thickets.” Well done Pablo and team, what a wonderful and memorable experience! It is such a pleasure to support the important work of these intrepid scientists. As you can see, when monitoring jaguars, they often have to walk long distances, carrying equipment and

YUNGAS FOREST ARGENTINA food for several days. But, with your help, this work will now be easier and can be carried out on horseback, thanks to the recent arrival of two mares Copito and Virginia. CS New team members Copito and Virginia

MEET THE JAGUAR The largest cat in the Americas, jaguars featured in ancient Maya and Aztecs mythologies as a symbol of strength. They ambush prey, leaping into water or from a tree. Jaguars once roamed from Arizona to Patagonia’s Rio Colorado, but now occupy less than half this range. Argentine forests are cleared for soybean mono-culture and tigres – as they are locally known – are hunted in retaliation for livestock losses. Under threat from both habitat loss and persecution, with the right support their range and numbers can increase again. © E White

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ELEPHANT FAMILY Latest news on The Elephant Family

Edwina with son Ekopo and daughter Elana

THEIR STORY The world famous EB Elephant Family were stars of the BBC’s Echo of the Elephants TV series. They flourished under the leadership of matriarch Echo until her death in 2009. Today, the family has dozens of members including Echo’s sisters, daughters, granddaughters and calves. One EB sub-group is led by Edwina, Echo’s granddaughter, born in 1982. 18 ELEPHANT FAMILY | AUTUMN 2019

Our friend Cynthia Moss first met Echo and her EB Elephant Family back in August 1973. The family has changed quite a bit over the past 46 years, growing so large it has split into three sub groups, led by Ella, Edwina, and Enid. The group led by Ella usually stays in Selengei, but recently came back for a visit after a two-year absence. Edwina and Enid’s groups stay more resident in Amboseli, but disappeared in May. Rains were late and quite poor, so they probably took their families to find food in neighbouring Tanzania. Edwina then returned on 3rd July.

AMBOSELI Edwina’s independent character is one of the things we love about her, and something she passes on to her daughters. Most females stick close to their mothers, but Edwina’s daughters – Elif, Elana, Elaine and Europa – often spend time away. Edwina and her family are doing extraordinarily well. Elana was mated in January 2018 and may have a calf sometime in October. Elif turns nine this year, so we can expect her to have her first oestrus any time from now – or she might even be pregnant already. At 36, Edwina has at least 10 years to have more calves, and may continue to reproduce well into her 50s or even 60s. Ewok has been spending time with his second cousins Eleanor and Echeri on the western side of the park, before they headed back to Tanzania. He is getting big and doing well. Eleanor and Echeri aren't his closest relatives, but they have male calves of a similar age so he is getting plenty of family time, even without his mum Emily Kate, who very sadly died in 2017. EN

NATIONAL PARK KENYA INCREDIBLE ELEPHANTS Elephants are the largest of all land animals. Two species exist in Africa and one in Asia. Elephants are exploited by people both in the wild and in captivity. Born Free fights captive exploitation and the ivory trade – poachers kill elephants for their tusks to supply ruthless dealers, and numbers are plummeting throughout Africa. In August 2019, the trade in live baby elephants was banned.

It’s great to see Ewok looking so well

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MADHAVI Latest news on Madhavi the elephant

MADHAVI’S STORY Madhavi was just 18 months old when found alone in 2016. We don’t know what happened to her family, but she was far too young to survive on her own. Fortunately she was When rescued rescued by the Elephant Transit Home which cares for orphaned elephants and returns them to the wild when they are ready.

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The past few months have been one of the driest seasons on record for the Uda Walawe National Park and this has had a big impact on the adjacent Elephant Transit Home. The giant irrigation reservoir by the home has receded to a small lake, the surrounding grasslands turned yellow and the shrubs a brittle brown. During this hot dry time, your elephant Madhavi likes to cool off in the heat of the day with a quick dip in the fast receding reservoir, together with the rest of the Elephant Transit Home herd. Madhavi will then scuff up the yellowing grass for the rest of the day. Such foraging for food is an important skill for baby elephants to learn from their peers. So your orphan – now one of the seniors in the herd – is eagerly watched by a group of youngsters, keen on learning this feeding strategy. Madhavi is expert in the art of scuffing up grass with the foreleg, gathering it up into a bite-sized sphere, and shaking off the loose soil before putting it into her mouth. The younger ones, trunks outstretched, taste the fallen bits of grass, learning as they would from their mother or auntie in a herd living in the wild.

ELEPHANT TRANSIT HOME SRI LANKA ELEPHANT CONFLICT Elephants need large amounts of space, food and water to survive. There are fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants, less than a tenth of the African population. These elephants are under serious threat, mostly from impacts on their habitat from development and an expanding human population. Sri Lanka is a relatively small country with a high human population density and around 6,000 elephants. This can lead to conflict, with injury and death on both sides, as elephants can wander close to human settlements and raid crops. Born Free works to find solutions so that people and elephants can live together harmoniously.

So your elephant Madhavi has a very important role in nurturing and teaching the younger recruits on how to survive in these lean times. A vital skill to develop when faced with the challenges of living in the wild. Madhavi and the other older female elephant calves at the Elephant Transit Home are the trainers. Once timid and hesitant, your Madhavi is now a confident young female anchoring the herd. Thank you for helping make this transformation possible. It is wonderful to see and great preparation for when, one day, she is ready to be returned to the wild. MG AUTUMN 2019 | MADHAVI 21

GIRAFFE FAMILY Latest news on The Giraffe Family

THEIR STORY Niger is home to a population of West African giraffes. Facing some tough challenges, this is the rarest sub-species of giraffes in the world. Just a few hundred individuals live in an 840km2 area close to the capital city Niamey. The giraffes are well adapted to a dry climate and sparse vegetation, but habitat loss and conflict with people can be a problem.

This year, the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, together with the Niger government, Sahara Conservation Fund and a team of specialists, established a second population of giraffes in the Gadabedji Biosphere Reserve in Niger â&#x20AC;&#x201C; some 800 miles away from the Giraffe Zone. While the original population continues to prosper, the new group seems to be happily settling into its new environment. After spending the first weeks exploring the area â&#x20AC;&#x201C; including far outside the reserve, they are now mostly sticking together in the central zone of the reserve, close to a waterhole. Exciting activities have also been ongoing in the Giraffe Zone. For the second year in a row, we co-ordinated a giraffe survey. 22 GIRAFFE FAMILY | AUTUMN 2019

These surveys give important data on giraffe movements during the hot dry period and help us understand their social structure. We photograph and identify each and every giraffe, particularly newborns, to build their individual identification database. This is always a job! This year, we observed 249 giraffes in 13 days. Many new, never seen before giraffe were spotted, half of which were babies. This is fantastic! To date, 2019 has been full of exciting and positive news and in Niger we are making important steps towards a brighter future for the conservation of the last West African giraffes. A big thanks to all supporters and in particular you, the Born Free adopters, for helping us making this happen! EN

KOURE PLATEAU AND NORTH DALLOL NIGER

EXTRAORDINARY ANIMALS The giraffes’ giant size helps them reach leaves on top of trees, too high for smaller animals. Giraffes might seem fragile, but they are strong and fast. A well-placed kick could shatter the skull of a predatory lion. Giraffes are under pressure, both in captivity where they are exploited in zoos and circuses, and in the wild. Wild giraffes have been extensively hunted for their meat, but today their main threat is loss of suitable habitat. At a recent international wildlife meeting, giraffes were granted greater protection from international trade. Images © GCF/SCF

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TIMTOM Latest news on Timtom the orangutan

TIMTOMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STORY Timtom was just a baby when taken from her mother and illegally kept as a pet. Infant orangutans would naturally stay with their mothers for up to eight years, so you can imagine how distressing this would have been. Fortunately Timtom was rescued by our colleagues at the Orangutan Foundation and now lives at Camp JL in Borneo. Here she is receiving expert care and is gradually being prepared for life back in the wild where she belongs. 24 TIMTOM | AUTUMN 2019

CAMP JL RELEASE CAMP When you see little Timtom rolling in the leaves and sand, playing in her old rubber tyre swing, and chasing her orangutan friends through the lush green trees of Indonesian Borneo, you might never guess that she had a traumatic start to life. Who could imagine that this young orangutan was just nine months old when she was ripped from her mother and kept illegally as a pet? Fortunately, thanks to our friends at the Orangutan Foundation, Timtom is now safe – and flourishing. Your adoption helps fund her care while she and other young orangutans take part in a soft release programme. She is healthy and well cared for and, slowly but surely, learning the skills she needs to survive in the wild. She can now forage and find wild-growing uber fruit – important steps towards independence! Timtom may be growing and maturing, but she’s still as fun and mischievous as ever. Her favourite game is to climb part way up a tree and then drop to the ground when the assistant’s back is turned, rolling around in the leaves and sand. She loves water and knows that this a quick way to get a bath in the river. She also enjoys holding the assistant’s hand as they walk back to her enclosure after playtime. We’re excited to report that Shifa, a six-yearold orphan orangutan, was successfully released into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve in June. This beautiful reserve will also one day be Timtom’s home. Some 600 orangutans live here, and amazingly, half of them were rescued and released,

LAMANDAU WILDLIFE RESERVE INDONESIA BORNEO re-establishing a large and healthy wildlife population. This means that your adoption not only helps Timtom, but also supports the conservation of the critically endangered Bornean orangutan species. EN

Timtom’s carers keep a watchful eye

MEET THE FAMILY Asia’s only great ape, orangutans were once distributed widely across south east Asia, but today are confined to Borneo and Sumatra. In tropical rainforests, they spend 90% of their lives high in the canopy. Mainly eating fruit, they play a vital role in seed dispersal and are semi-solitary, with females and offspring having the closest bonds. All three species – the Sumatran, Bornean and Tapanuli – are critically endangered, under threat from deforestation, poaching and the pet trade. Born Free works to protect wild populations and fight captive exploitation. Images © Orangutan Foundation

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MUGARUKA & CHIMANUKA Latest news on Mugaruka & Chimanuka the gorillas

THEIR STORIES Mugaruka and Chimanuka are a pair of rare eastern lowland gorillas, living in the mountain rainforests of a vast 6,000km2 park, in eastern DRC. Both are massive, powerful adult males, known as silverbacks. Mugaruka lost a hand in a poacher’s snare and – unable to defend a family – mostly lives alone. Chimanuka lives together with his large family, a harem of females and their offspring. Since 2000, Born Free has supported a team of brave rangers who risk their lives to protect these gorillas from poachers. 26 MUGARUKA & CHIMANUKA | AUTUMN 2019

Mugaruka

Your adopted gorilla Mugaruka is now 32 years old – the oldest silverback of all the families followed at Kahuzi-Biega National Park. He likes to keep to himself and often roams outside the park, but sadly this year his range was disrupted. Indigenous communities destroyed a large area of forest for charcoal production, including some of Mugaruka’s preferred habitat. The team are working hard to encourage local people to help protect the forests and gorillas and, surprisingly, Mugaruka appears to be rather unbothered. He continues to move freely into fields and tea plantations adjacent to the national park, sometimes even crossing paths with plantation workers and neighbouring communities who thankfully seem to tolerate the presence of your silverback. The monitoring and veterinary teams are keeping a close eye on Mugaruka, and to date he is healthy and doing well. Chimanuka, who leads the biggest habituated family in the park, did not react as coolly and calmly to the recent habitat loss. Much of his core range was destroyed, forcing him and his family to change their usual range and take refuge in a new area that is much farther away and more difficult for the monitoring team to access. Despite the challenges, he and his family – which now totals over 20 individuals including females, their offspring and young blackback males – are all healthy and adapting well to their new area. The monitoring teams continue to follow him regularly and with special attention, and they plan to reinforce camps in his new range in order to improve his protection. EN

KAHUZI-BIEGA NATIONAL PARK DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

One of Chimanuka’s females recently had a baby

MEET THE GORILLA One of our closest relatives, the gorilla is the biggest of the great apes. They live in close-knit family groups. Sadly, they are under terrible threat – their forest homes are destroyed by logging companies, which opens up habitats to poachers. Gorillas are killed for meat or tourist curios and their infants sold as pets. Today, less than 3,800 eastern lowland gorillas remain, a 77% loss since 1994. AUTUMN 2019 | MUGARUKA & CHIMANUKA 27

CHINOISE & EVE Latest news on Chinoise & Eve the chimps

THEIR STORIES When Chinoise was a few weeks old, her mother was killed by poachers and she was sold as a pet to a Chinese restaurant in Douala, Cameroon, in 2013. Luckily, the baby chimp was rescued by Limbe Wildlife Centre, supported by Born Free since 2004, who also care for Eve. One of the older animals, Eve, is part of a community of rescued chimps, and was rescued in 2005. 28 CHINOISE & EVE | AUTUMN 2019

Chinoise is in great health and good spirits! With the rainy season underway, your adopted chimpanzee has been enjoying the cooler weather. On the occasional hot sunny day, we often find her playing in her water pool with companion Ghaa â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the gentle older chimp. Every day Chinoise receives a healthy and diverse diet â&#x20AC;&#x201C; she just loves her food. She is also adept at reaching special treats hidden in the bottom of enrichment bottles, using skill and determination to win her treats.

LIMBE WILDLIFE CENTRE CAMEROON best life possible, including a nutritious diet, quality veterinary care and an enriching social life and environment. All the 43 chimps in the care of Limbe had a traumatic past, but you provide these incredible animals with a much brighter future. MB Chinoise plays with water

Soon the team will health check the 11 individuals in the mainland group of chimps, after which we will begin to introduce Chinoise to this new family. Great ape introductions are often long and complex but, with the skills learnt in the nursery from Ghaa, we are confident Chinoise will find her place. It is important she is introduced to a family. Life in the nursery might be stress-free, but chimps live in large groups in the wild. We try to replicate natural conditions for this highly intelligent and sociable species as much as possible. With your support, we are busy building new structural enrichment for the mainland group, which will be ready for Chinoise to enjoy when she joins them. Meanwhile, older chimp Eve is a thriving in the island group and, although easy-going, also has a cheeky side. When her carers call her to come inside at the end of the day, sometimes she deliberately runs in the opposite direction! Thank you for caring for these fascinating creatures. You help provide Chinoise with the

CHIMPS UNDER THREAT Chimpanzees are our closest relatives and share about 99% of DNA with humans. They are extremely intelligent, feel complex emotions and live together in close-knit family communities, with a defined hierarchy. Like all great apes, chimps are perceptive, inventive and able to assess and learn from situations. They solve complex problems, pass information from one generation to the next, and make useful tools for foraging. AUTUMN 2019 | CHINOISE & EVE 29

SARA & AFRIKA