Innovative conservation since 1903 Credit: Juan Pablo Moreiras/FFI
UPDATE OctoBer 2014 no. 24
The newsletter of Fauna & Flora International www.fauna-flora.org/update
Credit: J A Bruson/FFI
The tragic result of wildlife crime
Poaching poses a grave threat to many wildlife species, including the magnificent African elephant
Wildlife crime: can we stop this crisis? By Ros Aveling The fabled ‘big five’ – rhino, elephant, lion, leopard and buffalo – are aspirational viewing for many visitors to Africa. With a bit of luck and good local knowledge they can still be seen in several reserves, but numbers are counting down. Is it really possible that in ten years there could be no more rhinos left in the wild? Or that elephants could follow them into extinction within another decade? It certainly looks that way. 100,000 elephants were killed in Africa between 2010 and 2012, and some estimates suggest that only 250,000 remain. Even lions are now threatened and going the way of Asia’s tigers, which are facing dire threats. What on earth is happening and can it possibly be stopped? The answer is that global organised crime is happening. We may be able to reverse these trends – but only with concerted effort to reduce the demand and cut off the supply by protecting wild populations.
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That guarded optimism is based on the reaction to this crisis from many quarters. Conservation organisations are collaborating more closely than ever to come up with new and stronger initiatives to tackle the demand for endangered wildlife products and increase protection for remaining populations. Both public and private sectors are waking up to the connection between trafficking and instability, and are cooperating more and more to crack down on wildlife crime. Governments are also working together to make illegal trade more difficult and riskier. In this socially-connected world, inspirational leaders are tapping into national culture and economic pragmatism, stimulating campaigns like ‘Hands off our elephants’ in Kenya. The United for Wildlife coalition is reaching out to a broad, youthful audience, sharing conservation messages across generations with the help of high profile sporting and celebrity ambassadors. There are some indications that a youth movement in Vietnam and China (both
major consumers of wildlife products) is shifting attitudes away from the consumption of rare species and toward conservation. Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has always taken a pragmatic, precautionary but evidence-based approach to wildlife trade, recognising its value to governments, communities and landowners in retaining wildlife populations. But the evidence is now compelling that species such as rhinos and elephants could not survive the decades it would take to establish a controlled, legal trade across both producer and consumer countries. The legal sales of ivory stockpiles in recent years have stimulated greater demand, and the trade cannot be disentangled from an illegal market with corruption escalating at every stage in the supply chain. The good news, however, is the increasing level of scrutiny and effort now being focused on reducing demand. Meanwhile, FFI and partner agencies across Africa and Asia are concentrating on keeping viable wild populations of elephants and rhinos well protected – you can learn more about this important work elsewhere in Update.
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UPDATE 24 CREDIT: EVAN BOWEN-JONES/ffi
Of the 500 Sumatran tigers left in the wild, about a quarter are found in Kerinci Seblat National Park in Indonesia. Since 2000, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has been working with the national park authority and local communities to strengthen protection through forest patrols and undercover operations to combat illegal trafficking of tigers and tiger parts. However, over the last few years, our tiger teams have noticed a dramatic annual spike in the number of snares set, starting around two weeks before Ramadan begins and continuing throughout the month. FFI’s Tiger Patrol & Conservation Unit Team Leader Debbie Martyr explains, “Although Ramadan is based around fasting, it also involves feasting – especially at the end of the festival, during what the Indonesians call Hari Raya. Extra meat for this festival often comes from the forest, either through small-scale local trapping or a much more concerted effort by those wishing to make a profit.
FFI’s Tiger Patrol & Conservation Units are working hard to secure the future for these beautiful animals
money for their own needs during the holiday period,” Debbie notes.
“This is not a religious phenomenon, or just a Muslim problem…in other areas the same thing occurs around Christmas. When there are traditional feasts, people need extra food – and hunters are more than happy to try to meet this demand and secure additional
In response to this problem, the team launched the Great Kerinci Snare Sweep – an annual competition that helps provide extra protection for Kerinci’s wildlife during a dangerous time, and rewards rangers for their effort and creativity. Credit: Ally Catterick/FFI
Credit: Ally Catterick/FFI
An adult hawksbill turtle
FFI field biologist. We also began constructing a hatchery in preparation for the hawksbill nesting season which began on 3 July.” By the end of August, 26 nesting females and 41 nests had been recorded. The eggs were moved to the secure hatchery and, on 27 August, the first hatchlings were born. Nineteen black turtle (a subspecies of the green turtle) nests have also been protected.
support hawksbill turtle recovery efforts across the entire Eastern Pacific and help ensure the long-term survival of the species.
However, by far the most exciting discovery at Aserradores has been a visit by two nesting hawksbills that had already been recorded and tagged at other project sites. The first was originally tagged in 2012 at Estero Padre Ramos (an estuary where FFI’s other hawksbill project is located) and nested there again this season; the second female was originally tagged at a site in El Salvador.
Velkiss Gadea, Turtle Conservation Programme Coordinator in Nicaragua, said, “At the beginning of this year we began preliminary work, including meetings with the community, agreements with the private owner of the area (Marina Puesta del Sol Hotel), and hiring a new
This is the first evidence that turtles nesting on estuarine beaches also nest on beaches open to the sea. This finding may have important implications for the genetics of these individuals and for the strategies necessary for their protection.
The next generation heads out to sea
Even more hope for Nicaragua’s hawksbills A new conservation project in Nicaragua’s Aserradores community offers unique opportunities for the study and conservation of the Critically Endangered hawksbill turtle. Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has partnered with the Marina Puesta del Sol hotel, the Eastern Pacific Hawksbill Initiative (ICAPO), the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARENA) and local community groups to
This year, the teams destroyed 25 active tiger snares and an additional 60 snares set for deer. By consistently removing these snares, these dedicated wildlife guardians are ensuring that this type of hunting is no longer a good investment for poachers and are playing a vital role in combating the international tiger poaching crisis.
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Credit: Rob Brett/FFI
Sweeping for tiger snares in Sumatra
UPDATE 24 Credit: Rob Brett/FFI
CREDIT: EVAN BOWEN-JONES/ffi
Credit: Rob Brett/FFI
Black rhinos are Critically Endangered
The illegal trade of rhino horn has pushed these animals to the brink of extinction
Two rhinos lost to poachers at Ol Pejeta Conservancy Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is saddened to report the loss of two rhinos – a female and her calf – at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. On 20 July 2014, in the early hours of the morning, poachers entered the conservancy and shot an adult female rhino. Wounded and terrified she fled, charging a ranger vehicle on her escape. During the incident she became separated from her calf, who tragically ran into a pride of lions and was killed. The mother later died from her injuries. This incident occurred despite Ol Pejeta Conservancy having an impressive defence force, including rangers, spotter planes and a
Digital games are no longer the domain of the bedroom-dwelling, socially awkward geek. Online computer games are everywhere, and now play a significant part in the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world. The gaming industry is growing rapidly – at a pace comparable with the rate scientists believe we are losing species globally, which at its most modest estimate is between 200 and 2,000 extinctions every year, with upper estimates putting the figure at somewhere between 10,000 and 100,000 a year. As technology improves, so do the graphics and complexities of the games we are embracing. And alongside this increasing realism, game designers are now beginning to introduce
The attack demonstrates the very real and costly threat that poaching poses for these animals. As FFI’s Paul White – who was visiting Ol Pejeta at the time of the incident – said, “In the space of only half a day I witnessed the full cost of protecting rhinos from poachers: planes, helicopters, teams of rangers and antipoaching dogs tracking the poachers and patrolling the site to deter any possible return. It is a huge-scale operation by any measure.” Despite the setback, black rhino numbers continue to grow steadily at Ol Pejeta
real world concepts to their dedicated players including, more recently, biodiversity conservation. If the success of two hugely popular games involving Fauna & Flora International (FFI) projects is anything to go by, these games might just be a hugely valuable tool in the fight against extinction.
(it is now the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa), and the conservancy’s four northern white rhinos – among the last of their kind – are well protected with security gates, armed guards, perimeter guard towers and electric fences. At a time when rhinos face greater threats than ever before, conservancies such as Ol Pejeta are playing a critical role in ensuring the future of these animals. But the protection they afford does not come cheap, and it is thanks to the support of people like you that they are able to continue their vital work. Credit: Microsoft Xbox
Can computer games help conservation?
team of anti-poaching dogs and their handlers (see Update no. 23).
Zoo Tycoon players helped raise US$10,000 for Sumatran elephant conservation
Through a community challenge, players of Microsoft’s Xbox game Zoo Tycoon were able to raise US$10,000 for Sumatran elephant conservation – a cause they themselves voted to support. Likewise, Jagex – the developers of RuneScape, which is the world’s most popular free to play online multiplayer game – recently formed a partnership with United for Wildlife
(of which FFI is a founding alliance member) to raise awareness of rhino conservation amongst its 220 million players through an ingame challenge. Players were invited to adopt a virtual rhino by answering a series of questions about African rhinos, and by the end of the promotion, gamers had answered 1.37 million questions about these charismatic, yet threatened animals.
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UPDATE 24 CREDIT: Jeremy Holden/FFI
credit: Juan Pablo Moreiras/FFI
The white-spotted Cochran frog is found in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America
Fauna & Flora International joins the Amphibian Survival Alliance It’s not easy being green – in fact, with nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species threatened with extinction, it’s never been more difficult. Fauna & Flora International has joined the Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA) – the world’s largest partnership for amphibian conservation – to support conservation actions and research addressing the global amphibian extinction crisis. Amphibian conservation is proving to be one of the most important conservation challenges of
this century, with alarming implications for the health of ecosystems globally. Amphibians are indicators of environmental change and biological health. Their permeable skin absorbs toxic chemicals, which makes them more susceptible to environmental disturbances on land and in water. Breathing through their skin means they are more directly affected by chemical changes present in our polluted world, so the health of amphibians such as frogs is thought of Mozambique’s most important wildlife areas. But a wider issue in Mozambique and all around the world is how to adequately fund conservation in the long term.
Madyo Couto
Mapping the journey to a brighter future On page 6 of this issue of Update, we discuss progress made in Chuilexi Conservancy – one
Conservation trust funds are thought to be among the more promising avenues to address this funding gap. Managed by a board of trustees, they typically involve a large sum of money that is used to achieve an agreed conservation outcome. This may focus on a particular species or protected area or may have a broader national or even international focus. Recognising the potential of this model, the Mozambique authorities have been working to establish a conservation trust called BIOFUND to finance its protected areas in the long term. Enter Madyo Couto, who studied for his MPhil in Conservation Leadership through the University of Cambridge. The university is part
Spotted reed frog in Tanzania
to be indicative of the health of the biosphere as a whole. Frogs have survived in more or less their current form for 250 million years and have a natural extinction rate of about one species every 500 years. However since 1980, up to 200 species have completely disappeared. “We are delighted to have Fauna & Flora International join the ASA. FFI’s long tradition of achieving conservation impact in the field is exactly what amphibians need now,” said Don Church, Executive Director of the Amphibian Survival Alliance. Check out www.amphibians.org to learn more. of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, of which Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is also a member. Through this relationship, FFI was able to offer Madyo both a scholarship (thanks to the Wixamtree Trust) and a work placement. Supervised by FFI’s Conservation Capacity team, Madyo’s placement saw him travel to Mozambique to help in-country partners develop a strategic plan for BIOFUND – creating a road map for what the new trust intends to accomplish in the next five years. “This is a striking example of the very real conservation impact we can have through our work with young conservationists,” said Ros Aveling, Deputy Chief Executive at FFI. “By supporting Madyo, we not only helped an emerging conservation leader hone his skills, but also enabled him to put those skills to good use, much to the benefit of his home country [Mozambique] and conservation globally.”
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UPDATE 24
Fauna & Flora International’s (FFI) work with Asian elephants focuses primarily on two regions: Aceh on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, and the Cardamom Mountains of Cambodia. The Sumatran elephant has lost almost 70% of suitable habitat in just 25 years – a single generation. With fewer than 3,000 individuals left in the wild, the 745,000 hectare Ulu Masen ecosystem in Aceh has been designated as an Asian elephant priority landscape because of its high number of elephants. In Cambodia, approximately half of the country’s estimated 400-600 Asian elephants inhabit the Cardamom Mountains, one of only 20 sites in the world offering suitable habitat large enough to sustain viable elephant populations. While approaches to conservation vary depending on local needs, the problems are largely the same. In both Cambodia and Indonesia, the loss and fragmentation of elephant habitat (as natural areas are converted for human use, including agriculture, mining and hydropower operations) remains the greatest threat to these forest giants. With their natural habitat disappearing, elephants increasingly come into conflict with
credit: Juan Pablo Moreiras/FFI
CREDIT: Jeremy Holden/FFI
Saving elephants from humans, and humans from elephants people, gaining a reputation as crop raiders and dangerous pests. A great many elephants have been captured or killed as a direct result of crop-raiding. Poaching, although currently not a major threat to this species, also remains an underlying problem as all elephants carry a commercial value (as demonstrated by the species’ plight in Vietnam). In Aceh, FFI and partners have established two Conservation Response Units (CRUs) to support communities experiencing high levels of humanelephant conflict. The CRUs consist of rescued elephants and their handlers, government forest rangers and community rangers, many of whom are ex-combatants, or re-trained illegal loggers and poachers. Between 2009 and 2013, the CRUs responded quickly to 603 incidents of human-elephant conflict, which benefited an estimated 2,500 households through prevented crop loss. The CRUs also work to tackle wider conservation issues, with regular elephant patrols monitoring illegal logging, sending a clear message that these forests are being guarded. In Cambodia meanwhile, the Cambodian Elephant Conservation Group (CECG) – which
The Sumatran elephant is Critically Endangered
was established by FFI in partnership with the Forestry Administration and the Ministry of Environment – has three main approaches to elephant conservation: outreach and education, human-elephant conflict mitigation, and research. In the last year, the CECG has responded to 63 cases of conflict, provided training and equipped people with ‘noisemakers’ to deter elephants from entering human settlements, built watchtowers, provided seedlings of unpalatable crops, and provided fuel for torches. The CECG is now investigating other methods for mitigation, and plans to work with local farmers to build biological bee fences to protect crops. Elephants, believe it or not, are afraid of bees. CREDIT: Jeremy Holden/FFI
The shrinking habitat of the Asian elephant has led to conflict as these large animals come into contact with people more and more frequently
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UPDATE 24 Credit: Zafer Kizilkaya
Women play a major role in Gökova Bay’s fisheries, yet they are not often involved in making management decisions Credit: Zafer Kizilkaya
A louder voice for fisherwomen in Turkey To help address this, AKD gathered together 72 fisherwomen from six different towns for a training seminar where they learned about the project and were able to provide their thoughts on new no-fishing zones proposed for Gökova Bay.
Gökova Bay on Turkey’s south-west coast is a stunning area that is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot. Fishing is an extremely important livelihood there, and alongside their male counterparts are around 160 fisherwomen.
Around 160 women fish Gökova’s waters
Despite the major role these women play in Gökova’s fisheries, they are not often involved in making decisions about their management – an area of real concern for Fauna & Flora International (FFI) and local partner Akdeniz Koruma Derneği (AKD) as we work with local communities to manage the area more sustainably.
Situated within Niassa, Chuilexi Conservancy contains some of the greatest densities of wildlife in the reserve. With the support of Fondation Segré, Wildcat Foundation, Arcadia (via Halcyon Land & Sea), and Fauna & Flora International, the conservancy is taking action to reduce poaching and develop conservation infrastructure in the conservancy. Now in its second year, excellent progress has already been made, with key staff recruited, trained and deployed, and the construction of a new scout outpost has commenced. Early
Credit: J A Bruson/FFI
Covering an area the size of Denmark, Niassa National Reserve in Mozambique is the third largest reserve in Africa. As one of the continent’s last great wildernesses, it provides a critical refuge for many threatened species including 70% of Mozambique’s elephants, and has been identified as one of the five most important areas for lions and wild dogs in Africa.
Credit: Joe Heffernan/FFI
Changing tack to tackle poaching in Mozambique
According to Zafer Kizilkaya, President of AKD, “It was such a sincere group and they very much appreciated our efforts to help them. One of the key messages they took away was the importance of joining the fishing cooperative so that they can make their views heard.”
Elephants are a tempting target for poachers
indications were that these efforts were paying off, with analysis of reported elephant carcasses showing a decline in both the number and spread of poaching incidents within the conservancy. These early successes also saw an influx of elephants as they fled to the comparative safety of Chuilexi; however this has proven to be too tempting for poachers, and elephant losses are on the rise again. Recognising this threat, the conservancy and its partners have had to adapt their plans to tackle the surge in poaching, and with the right resources they are confident they can turn the trend around again.
The stunning landscape of Niassa
The situation in Chuilexi serves as a reminder of the complexity of the poaching threat in Africa and around the world, and shows just how smart and flexible we need to be to deal with it successfully in the long term.
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UPDATE 24 Credit: Juan Pablo Moreiras/FFI
A lasting legacy We are excited and grateful to announce that Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has benefited from a substantial gift to us in the Will of someone who cared passionately about protecting the natural world. Miss Helen Mackaness sadly passed away in 2010, but not before hearing FFI vice-president Sir David Attenborough on BBC Radio 4 talking about the plight of orang-utans and FFI’s efforts to protect them. She was so moved that she contacted us immediately to discuss leaving FFI a gift in her Will. After our CEO and even Sir David himself contacted her with our gratitude, she generously left us a property in central Oxford. This gift is making untold difference to our work, helping to protect many threatened species and habitats. Gifts in Wills are an important source of support for FFI, providing us with the funding we need to ensure a brighter future for our planet and for future generations.
The legacy left by Helen Mackaness will help FFI ensure a brighter future for the wildlife she cared so passionately about
Princess Laurentien also hosted a second major event during her tour in Sydney, Australia, where she addressed our Conservation Circle there on the little-known problem of marine microplastic pollution and what FFI is doing to help protect the world’s oceans.
Fauna & Flora International (FFI) President, HRH Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands has been working on sustainability and environmental issues for many years and recently undertook a tour of Asia, where (along with several other events) she helped to launch the FFI Singapore Conservation Circle. Held at the Singapore Botanic Gardens in May, the aim of the event was to highlight FFI’s Sumatran tiger work to an audience of individuals with a passion for conservation, including leaders in the fields of business, science, conservation and media.
Alongside the Conservation Circle events, her tour also featured several successful media events that have helped to promote our work. Demonstrating our growing presence in Asia amongst the corporate world, Princess Laurentien was recently invited to represent FFI at the Global Green Economic Forum (GGEF) on 3 September 2014. Held in Singapore, the forum gathered together leaders from around the world to share insights and inspire real solutions that empower a ‘green economy’ for a sustainable future. GGEF is an
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invitation-only event with around 300 business leaders, environmental experts, academics and policy makers in attendance. Princess Laurentien addressed the conference via video link, while FFI’s Global Development Executive Nick Bubb also made a short speech. Several of FFI’s corporate partners also attended. Credit: Chris Loades/FFI
Credit: J A Bruson/FFI
Princess Laurentien launches Singapore Conservation Circle
HRH Princess Laurentien in Sydney
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