EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Amazing things can still happen

PANDRILLUS COUNTRY DIRECTOR’S EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | GUILLAUME LE FLOHIC

Dear Friends and Supporters,

2019 marked a major turn in our efforts to protect wildlife in Cameroon. Although our primary goal remains the welfare of the rescued animals at the Limbe Wildlife Centre, we are proud of our progress developing a wider conservation strategy to increase our local andnational impact.

We were honoured to receive the prestigious 2019 Clark R. Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Award at the Conference of the Parties to the CITES in Geneva, Switzerland. This award was in recognition of our consistentdedication to the welfare of rescued animals. We also hosted our partners, community members, school children and government officials to celebrate LWC’s 25th anniversary working withCameroon’sMinistry of Forestry and Wildlife to rescue and protect Cameroon’s important wildlife heritage. In addition to our substantial daily operations caring for over 500 rescued animals, we focused on four additional priorities throughout 2019: education; rescue, rehabilitation and release ‘3R’; applied science; and community engagement. Education: We proudly inaugurated the #ProtectWildlife Campaign on Endangered Species Day, which became the common thread of our Nature Club, School outreach and Batoke Family Nature Club throughout 2019. We designed this new intergenerational programme to educate, engage and inspire communitiesto protect their wildlife heritage.

Wildlife Rehab & Release: The LWC has become the leading national rescue and rehabilitation centre for endangered African grey parrotswith 380 individuals in our care throughout 2019. We completed a brand-newrehabilitationfacility to better rehabilitate the birds in our care for wild release and developed comprehensive standard operating procedures for other rescues to replicate. In 2020, we will further strengthen our support to the national rehabilitation and release programme and continue our role as conservation leader of this emblematic species. We continue to strive towards full rehabilitation and release of every rescued individual in our care, however,it requires significantfinancial, technical and scientific resources to do so.

Applied Science: In 2019, Our Research and Monitoring Unit conducted several field trips in National Parks to further plan the semi-wild release of Drills and Western lowland gorillas under our care. Additionally, we started four research projects in2019 ranging from behavioural to haematological studies on wildlife rehabilitation, enclosure enrichment, social integration and medical procedures. We will continue to implement evidence-based practices to continuously evolve and improve our rescue, rehabilitation and release efforts.

Support to Communities: Beyond wildlife protection, we play an important socioeconomic role in our community providing conservation education and important alternative livelihood programmes. In 2019, our support to the community-based green economy increased by 10 per cent, for almost €18,000 in incomes paid directly to women farmers and ex-hunters. By alleviating poverty, empowering women, and conducting educational programmes, we can curtail further encroachment into Mount Cameroon National Park, and provide sustainable alternativesto hunting and the wildlife trade.

Visibility: Our most significant achievements of the year were covered widely by national and international media, continuing to increase our visibility as a leading wildlife rescue in the world. Expanding our public profile and media visibility is an essential piece of our efforts to further in-situ projects that increase in our efficacy on nature conservation by addressing the root causes of the mass species extinction in Cameroon.

Finance: In 2019, our funding increased by 52% (+97% in 5 years), due to a combination of stricter financial controls and improved fundraising strategies. Our target is to reach halfa million euros per year in reliable funding by 2021 to successfully implement all our broader conservation, release, education and alternative livelihood objects. To date in 2020, COVID-19 has posed a significant challenge both to the health, safety and

welfare of our staff and animals, and also to our overall financial health as we rely upon significant income from our volunteer programme, which is currently at a full stop. We are grateful for the continuous support of so many donors now more than ever to help us weather this difficult period.

I am happy to share with you our full 2019 report. Sincere thank you to all our loyal individual donors (+33% this year), trusting institutional donors, dedicated experts and committed volunteers. I also cannot thank enough the entire LWC staff for their unfailing dedication to our daily operations, constant efforts to advance our practices, and without whom we would not be able to achieve any of our great work. On behalf of the Limbe Wildlife Centre, we thank you sincerely for your unfailing support. With very best wishes,

Guillaume LE FLOHIC Country Director Pandrillus Foundation