Annual report 2013

African Lion & Environmental Research Trust Annual Report 2013

AFRICA NEEDS LIONS a responsible development approach to lion conservation

Founder’s statement I am old enough to remember the newspaper articles of the 1960's when there were 100,000 rhino on the African continent. I also remember all the proposals to tackle the issues of the subsequent decline in their numbers, but, while all being admirable, failed miserably over the next few decades. Now only a few rhino remain!

I was hearing many of the exact same solutions and methods for saving lions 40 years later when I read a newspaper article "Kruger National Park’s lions dying like flies". My family and I had started walking with lion cubs at Antelope Park in Zimbabwe. The more we walked and exposed them to the wild the more they adjusted to the bush and soon became seasoned hunters. The most exciting stage was when they did not want to return home in the evening! I believed there was a possibility of returning captive bred lions into a natural area, but more importantly their offspring, to the wild. In this way I believed we could help play a part in the conservation of the African lion - and ALERT was born!

The rest is history; the idea has transformed into action and into what I believe today is an organisation that can play a significant role in conserving Africa's lions. Not only is ALERT working on the release programme, but it is also involved in many other aspects of lion conservation; assisting the people and wildlife of this wonderful continent.

Assisted by a very special team of passionate and dedicated people who believed in the vision, we have made great strides in accomplishing what we set out to do. We are not quite there yet, but it is now only a matter of time and funding before the wonderful stage of our first full release is reached. There have been so many very special people who have contributed to ALERT’s work and I want to thank each and every one of them for their belief, passion and absolute commitment to ALERT.

Andrew Conolly Andrew Conolly was nominated to receive the prestigious Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation. Michael Crowther, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo stated. “There’s now pretty much a universal understanding in conservation circles that the Indianapolis Prize is the Nobel Prize of animal conservation. If you’re a wildlife conservationist, you want to win this thing.”

Chief Operating Officer’s statement In the midst of continuing global economic challenges, I am simply blown away by the generosity of the hundreds of individuals and organizations who have supported ALERT this past year. Thank you to everyone who donated and made possible the many amazing achievements detailed in this report.

2013, for us, has a been a case of putting the head down and forging ahead on many fronts whilst we wait for our first cubs born in release areas to be old enough to go it alone. In the middle of the year we undertook a comprehensive review of all our programs to ensure they remain relevant to our local communities, and are achieving their identified aims. Improvements were made, and I am confident that we enter 2014 with a range of projects that will continue to make a real difference to the wildlife and people of Africa. We are working hard to source the necessary funding to realize our project development priorities.

I am incredibly fortunate to work alongside so many dedicated people both within ALERT itself, as well as with our many partners, both here in Africa and elsewhere. Without the contribution of so many people we could not be where we are today. The ALERT team has grown in 2013 bringing additional skills and expertise to our work that can only enhance our effectiveness.

It remains a privilege to be part of the solution to the challenges facing this continent’s people and wildlife. Our ability to meet those challenges is only possible thanks to the generous support of the people who give of their time, their money and their skills.

David Youldon Cover photo credit: David “Baz” Jenkins Photo credit: Jonathan Gregson

in partnership with

ALERT Founder Andrew Conolly (right) and Chief Operating Officer David Youldon (left)

Our approach The African Lion and Environmental Research Trust (ALERT) is dedicated to the facilitation and promotion of sound conservation and management plans for the African lion (Panthera leo). By means of a responsible development approach we aim to realize the species’ potential to provide substantial social, cultural, ecological and economic benefits.

Unless the people of Africa want to conserve lions by benefitting from their presence, the species will continue to decline until they are all gone.

We believe the challenges facing Africa can most effectively be met by uniting community and policy makers with conservation managers, researchers and business leaders. In doing so together we can make the best decisions for Africa’s people, its environment and its wildlife whilst creating benefits for stakeholder groups that generate sustainable motivation for sound conservation management. This union ensures both present and future generations are able to enjoy the benefits of Africa’s environmental services by integrating the protection of natural processes with economic and social development in a process we term responsible development.

“Ultimately conservation is about people. If you don’t have sustainable development around these parks, then the people will have no interest in them, and the parks will not survive”.

Nelson Mandela

Our environment is shaped not just by geography and bio-physical factors, but also by socio-economic, legal and political ones.

ALERT therefore takes a holistic approach to conservation recognizing that our actions must address all these factors if our programs are to succeed. To that end our efforts are channelled through three entities: ALERT implements sound conservation and management plans for the African lion, fostering African solutions to African challenges CCWA (Conservation Centre for Wild Africa) focuses on the diversity of Africa’s wildlife in recognition of the symbiotic relationship between the lion and the delicate ecosystems on which it relies.

ACT (ALERT Communities Trust) promotes community action in support of conservation by empowering people to protect and restore their environment and improving livelihoods through benefit sharing and social development programs.

Our projects are further defined by their focus, which can be: Benefit Sharing, Disease & Population Health, Ecosystem Restoration, Education, Empowerment Programs, Health, Human-Wildlife Conflict, Monitoring Populations, Policy and Regulation, Protecting Habitat, Reintroduction, or Understanding Behaviour.

Ashanti & Kwali in the Ngamo Release Site

Income statement ALERT achieves its income from four sources: 1. Donations; 2. Sales, such as income from merchandise and events; 3. Commercial income from operating internship, facilitated research and guest programs; 4. Miscellaneous other sources.

Generating this income incurs some costs. Net funds available to ALERT therefore equal the income less the cost of generating it.

ALERT’s funding policy is to reduce reliance on unreliable donor funding by seeking to maximize other income sources.

It has been very difficult to raise donor funding in the current economic climate, yet, as result of our income policy, the consolidated income for ALERT UK, USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe in 2013 is the highest in the Charity’s history, thanks to the amazing support of many people across the world.

All figures given in GBP

2013

2012

2011

318,561

271,820

264,510

Gross donation income

188,473

176,897

183,395

Gross sales income

21,527

23,784

15,935

Gross commercial income

105,786

67,700

56,502

Gross other income

2,775

3,439

8,678

Total cost of income

84,141

56,467

51,834

Net funds available

234,420

215,353

212,676

Gross total income

Donation income sources Donations from partnerships

79,367

Grant foundations

45,873

Individual donors

42,826

Member / Sponsorships

10,442

Corporate donors

6,714

Gift aid

1,820

Other sources

1,431

Total

188,473

Expense statement ALERT has two costs: 1. Spending net funds available to advance projects; 2. To cover the costs of the Charity’s governance; Governance costs are necessary to ensure that the Charity is being managed according to best practice, such as having our accounts independently assessed. ALERT strives to operate efficiently and ensure such costs are minimized.

All figures given in GBP

2013

2012

2011

Net funds available

234,420

215,353

212,676

Total funds spent

206,462

196,749

169,889

Total spent on projects

182,660

177,210

150,544

23,802

19,540

19,136

Total spent on governance

Financial position All figures given in GBP

2013

2012

Fixed assets (net depreciation)

56,458

63,871

Cash & equivalents

61,422

38,393

Debtors

55,035

53,879

7,124

-

180,039

156,143

29,898

41,670

7,709

-

37,607

41,670

142,432

114,473

2013

2012

114,473

95,870

27,959

18,603

142,432

114,473

Prepayments Total Assets Creditors & Deferred Income Provisions Total Liabilities Net Assets

All figures given in GBP Funds at year start Net movement of funds Funds at year end

All figures in this report should be considered as a guide of ALERT’s financial position only. Formal accounts are submitted to the appropriate authorities in the relevant States in which ALERT is registered. Comparison with prior year figures shown in past reports is subject to errors caused by exchange rate fluctuations.

Graduation Day at the ALERT Education Centre, Gweru

We would like to thank Kings College from New Zealand, as well as all our volunteers and many others for their generous support of our ALERT Education Centres.

ALERT education centres To empower communities through education

The ALERT Education Centre (AEC) project was developed at the end of 2012 to undertake a variety of empowerment programs through classes, workshops, internships, facilitated research placements and field trips. The AEC Project aims to offer: • • • • • •

Conservation education classes; Basic life skills courses; Teaching in health and nutrition; Fully funded internship & facilitated research placements to students of African educational facilities; Vocational training in a variety of skills; Provide for the schooling costs for the most vulnerable children in society.

In 2013 4 students from Copperbelt University and Mukwela Youth Resource Centre were given two month internship placements as part of their courses, whilst 30 students, members of a conservation club at one of our local schools In Livingstone, Zambia, undertook a year-long conservation education syllabus.

In Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, over 200 children from Chamabondo Primary School have taken part in conservation education classes, using a 12 week syllabus.

In its first full year of operation, the AEC in Gweru, Zimbabwe, has provided an 8 week conservation syllabus to 296 students, and accepted 12 students from various educational establishments on 10 month long internship programs.

To date our project sites have provided intern or facilitated research placements to students of the University of Zambia (Lusaka), Copperbelt University (Kitwe), Mukwela Youth Resource Centre (Livingstone), University of Zimbabwe (Harare), National University of Science & Technology (Bulawayo), Midland’s State University (Gweru) and Chinhoyi University of Technology.

Almost US$11,000 was used to pay the costs of schooling for the most vulnerable children.

Some of the conservation stars from the AEC in Gweru

Looking forward to 2014 As well as continuing to accept fully-funded intern and research placements we have big plans for 2014: • •

Our conservation education syllabus is undergoing review in partnership with Coventry University to improve its effectiveness.

In Livingstone we are applying for accreditation, and funding, to establish a fixed AEC building that will offer a range of vocational training courses to the communities of Dambwa. These will include: hospitality, carpentry, plumbing, and in other skills to help improve the employment prospects of this rural community.

Rehabilitation & release into the wild program Creating a source of disease free lions for reintroduction into the wild The focus of the release program is of course the cubs in our two release sites at Dambwa and Ngamo; for it is they that will be released into the wild when they are old enough.

In June of this year, Rusha, in the Dambwa pride, gave birth to a litter of three cubs. Rusha has proved herself to be an exemplary mother. The litter of one male and two females, known as RS1, RS2 and RS3 have been successfully integrated into pride life and joining their elders at kills. Now six months old these youngsters have begun the weaning process.

Physiological changes in both Kela and Kwandi suggested that both lionesses were also pregnant. Whilst Kela showed denning behaviour, Kwandi did not. We believe that Kela gave birth, but lost her cubs. It seems that Kwandi might not have been pregnant.

More recently, our research team have observed Zulu mating with Kela, Kwandi, Loma and Leya, so we are confident that Rusha’s cubs will receive some playmates in 2014.

Over in the Ngamo release site, the youngest cubs are now just over two years old. AT1, KE3, KE4, AS4 and AS5 are naturally becoming independent members of the pride, and hunting is becoming a focus of their attention.

Following the lessons given by the adults of the Ngamo pride, who have shown exemplary hunting prowess since their release, the Ngamo cubs are also now showing great skill.

Publishing the results An important part of our work is to publish the justification and results of our programs. For a long time we have released this information in popular media, however publishing in academic journals is also important. To that end, four papers have been published in 2013 in conjunction with Lancaster University (UK) and the University of Regina (Canada): The long-term viability of current lion conservation strategies: A role for ex situ reintroduction. Open Science Repository Natural Resources and Conservation. Read it here.

A Framework for the Ex Situ Reintroduction of the African Lion (Panthera leo). Open Science Repository Natural Resources and Conservation. Read it here.

Attending to the ‘biological, technical, financial and sociological factors’ of lion conservation: a response to Hunter et al. Oryx, 47: pp 25-26. Read it here.

A Social Network Analysis of Social Cohesion in a Constructed Pride: Implications for Ex Situ Reintroduction of the African lion (Panthera leo). PLOS One. Read it here.

Videos Top: The Dambwa pride and cubs.

Middle: Ngamo’s super-hunter Kwali starts the chase from the right. The zebra nearly runs over KE4 before KE3 jumps on to it, swinging around to get to its throat.

Kwali arrives, followed by KE4 to assist in dragging the zebra to the ground. AS4 trots in from the back. We then cut to KE3 throttling the zebra. KE3, KE4 and AS4 were all born in the release site.

Bottom: AT1 stalks an impala in the Ngamo release site. The success of her hunt however is short-lived as the other members of the pride arrive to take their share. AT1 was the first cub born to the Ngamo pride, a group of captive bred lions, since their release.

Elephant monitoring and conflict mitigation To investigate the ecology of the local elephant population to inform decision making on human-elephant conflict issues, and to trial approaches to mitigate such conflict.

The Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park (MoT NP), in Southern Zambia and the Zambezi National Park (ZNP), in western Zimbabwe, and their surrounding environs support a significant, largely seasonal, population of elephants. Local communities suffer from cropraiding, damage to property and the risk to human life, whilst the Parks are subject to intense utilisation by the elephants during peak months (May to October). Of human-animal conflicts recorded around the MoT NP Park, 84% are attributed to elephants. The human cost of this situation is that rural communities are suffering, both economically and emotionally. In an area where families are reliant on growing food to survive, the destruction of an entire harvest can be devastating, as can the fear of being attacked.

A lighting system that was originally developed to deter domestic livestock predation by lions after dark by discouraging animals from approaching kraals (fenced animal holding bomas) has also shown success in warding off elephants. The system uses flashing lights to give the impression that someone is patrolling the area with a torch. With a 100% success rate in keeping elephants away from farms in Kenya during a 10 month trial period, this system offers a potentially viable solution to the problems of crop damage and threat to human life caused by elephants. The lights also temporarily disable the animal's visual system, which, when in a dark adapted state, is operating primarily on Rod photoreceptors which don't cope well in light. The animals’ tapetum, which acts to amplify light in low-light conditions, makes this effect more dramatic.

In 2013 In partnership with the Zambia Wildlife Authority and Green Rural African Development, initial trials and experiments using the lighting systems in Livingstone, Zambia have proved encouraging. During a trial conducted in 2013 lighting units were set up in several high conflict areas and at known elephant movement corridors to those conflict areas. Whilst local farms have been raided by elephants at least three or four times during the trial, elephants approached the test plots with the lights, but did not venture closer than 120 metres.

Looking forward to 2014 We are currently fundraising to extend the initial trial of the lighting system, as well as to fund an ongoing monitoring program, on both sides of the Zambezi River.

Thanks go to Australian based Terrestrial Ecosystem Services who have donated two elephant satellite tracking collars to the project. These will be fitted in 2014.

Midlands Children’s Hope Centre To provide a safe and secure environment for orphans and vulnerable children

MCHC was founded in response to the growing number of street children living in Gweru, Zimbabwe. The centre works with orphans and vulnerable children and runs a rehabilitation shelter in Mkoba township, west of the city. Currently the shelter has 24 boys, all of whom attend the local school.

The Centre also runs a Drop-In Centre for children living on the streets, with the aim of rehabilitating them into mainstream society and education, and reunifying them with their families. A community kitchen at the Centre caters for the city’s destitute with a free meal for them each weekday. Without it, they would go hungry and many would be forced into criminal activities to survive.

The Drop-in Centre is a crucial part of the overall project for the MCHC, as all the children who now reside at the orphanage were once street children themselves. Through the dedication of staff and volunteers who work at the Centre, they are able to build a relationship of trust and hope with the children who use the service. This often encourages them to stop living on the streets.

In 2013 In 2012 land was donated by Antelope Park to build a new, larger and more secure facility. Whilst work on this has been undertaken throughout the year as funds allowed, one of the first tasks was to create income generating programs to support the costs of the Centre. To that end three chicken runs have been built, and completed in September. The children have learnt how to care for the chicks, and to assist in selling the chickens to raise funds. Vegetable gardens were next on the list, and thanks to a water system, the gardens are now well on their way to creating a sustainable food source for the children, hopefully also producing extra food that can be sold.

The new, larger orphanage building is underway. A water tank has been installed and the security fences erected. Improvements to the Drop-in Centre have been made to make the site a more welcoming, and safe environment for its visitors. Donors have also supported the school fees to ensure that the children get the education they need for their future.

Looking forward to 2014 We hope to complete the new orphanage building in 2014 and will then start fundraising to buy land on which a new drop-in centre can be built; again, with the intention of creating a more sustainable service to the vulnerable children of Gweru.

With thanks So many have contributed to this project in 2013 and we thank them all. We would like to extend our particular gratitude, on behalf of the children of the MCHC and Drop-in Centre to the following (in no particular order), who have been especially generous.

The many Antelope Park volunteers who have given of their time and money Midlands Children’s Hope Project (Norway) Reece Walsh Alan Calder-McNicoll Catherine Mcavoy Heidi Swain Our MCHC sponsors If you would like to become a sponsor click here.

Around the continent BURUNDI During 2013 discussions have been ongoing with the Burundian Ministry of Water, Environment, Land Management & Urban Planning, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Posts and Tourism, the National Institute for the Environment and the Conservation of Nature, and the Burundi National Tourism Office, to complete the Convention of Implementation. This document lays out the detail of how the agreement signed in 2012 will be undertaken. At the broadest institutional level the agreement aims to make a specific contribution to the enrichment and conservation of national biodiversity and heritage assets in the Park by restoring the habitat, reintroducing existing and extinct indigenous species, and to contribute positively to GDP through the development of ecotourism within two national parks and three natural reserves. Progress has been hampered by frequent changes in personnel, up to ministerial level, at the four Burundian institutions involved in the discussions. Nevertheless, a final draft has been created and we hope to get this signed off very soon so that we can move to the implementation phases.

ETHIOPIA Agreement has been reached with the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation for ALERT to contribute to the implementation of the country’s National Lion Action Plan, focussing on the Awash lion conservation unit at first. We are currently fundraising for this project and hope implementation can commence in 2014. ALERT has entered into a joint venture with Alchemy World NGO, the corporate social responsibility arm of Gorilla Corporation to enhance the program in terms of poverty alleviation and empowerment within local communities.

MALAWI Discussions are continuing with the Malawian Department of National Parks & Wildlife to create the National Lion Action Plan for the country. Progress was put on hold during a change in directorship at the Department, and we hope to get confirmation of the final draft of the document very soon.

NAMIBIA In 2013 ALERT contributed satellite tracking collars to the Large Carnivore Research Project in northern Namibia. The collars have now been fitted, and project researcher, Nancy Barker, is collecting data. This research will provide current density estimates and distributions of the lion populations with demographical records providing the groundwork for the continued and on-going monitoring of such populations. Knowledge of relative importance of the effects of interspecific competition, anthropogenic processes in the form of human-induced mortalities, and long-term repeated exposure to wildlife diseases is needed to guide management policies that can ensure the continued survival and viability of lion populations in northern Namibia. The project is supported by the NSERC (Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada), University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and the University of California at Berkeley, USA. We are currently fundraising for additional collars.

ZIMBABWE Agreement has been reached with the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority to commence a lion monitoring study in the Matusadona National Park in the north of the country. Operations will commence in 2014.

ALERT staff contributed again this year to the Mana Pools and Hwange Game Counts.

Education matters

To increase the capacity of these schools to offer higher learning possibilities to their pupils ALERT is currently supporting 10 schools, between them serving over 4,000 children; •

Mickey Mouse Pre-school and Mkoba 4 Primary School in Gweru, Zimbabwe

•

Monde Primary, Chikamba Primary, Simakade Primary and Neluswi Primary in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

•

Natebe Community School, Twabuka Primary, Maunga Pre-school and Maunga Primary in Livingstone, Zambia.

In 2013 The refurbishment of Monde School continued with repainting of further school buildings, the installation of security systems to protect the school’s educational assets and the provision of new classroom furniture. Text books and stationary were provided, and the school fees of the most at risk children were paid.

Natebe Kids Club was launched and a new classroom built at Natebe Community School. Zambia has the 7th lowest life expectancy in the world, and just like any other sub-Saharan African country has been ravaged by HIV/AIDS with 14% of the population infected.

The result has been millions of orphans that have been left behind, many living with the disease themselves. These children have to deal with situations way beyond their years often looking after parents or younger siblings and forgoing much of a childhood themselves. The Kids Club was launched to allow children the opportunity to play in a supervised and safe area. During these sessions our teams conduct informal lessons on a wide range of conservation and health topics whilst engaging with the children in fun and memorable ways. These sessions also allow us to identify children that may be struggling in their home lives and bring that to the attention of community leaders such that additional support might be provided.

Thanks to the assistance given to teachers at Mkoba 4 Primary, where some 55 children attend each class, 18 of the students in the school’s special needs class have been able to return to mainstream classes as a result of their improvement over the past year.

Thanks to donations by the Allan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust as well as the Estelle Trust we have begun building a new structure for the Maunga Pre-school. Currently pre-school children have access to a small temporary gazebo that is largely unusable during the long rainy season and is without electricity or running water. A new custom-built classroom will ensure the school’s activities run continuously throughout the year, allowing more emphasis to be placed on the importance of pre-school learning at a time of significant physical and cognitive development. Numerous children in developing countries fail to reach their development potential which contributes to intergenerational transmission of poverty. Pre-school in the early years can reduce this problem and ensure that children arrive at school sufficiently prepared for a learning and social environment.

A teacher at Twabuka School has said, since the introduction of a reading club at the school, that students have improved performance in all classes.

With thanks So many have contributed their time and money to helping these schools provide a better education to their students. We would like to thank everyone on behalf of the teachers and students. We’d like to give special thanks to Ada Paulin and the staff at the New South Wales Land & Housing Corporation, to Mark Orme as well as to all the volunteers and interns at our project sites who have contributed so much.

If you would like to become a sponsor of these schools click here.

Healthcare

To assist staff provide the best possible healthcare to their communities ALERT is currently supporting four healthcare facilities serving a catchment of over 120,000 people: •

Mtapa Polyclinic

•

Mkoba 1 Polyclinic

•

Mkoba 4 Polyclinic

•

Senga Polyclinic

In 2013 Assisted with the first HIV/ART (antiretroviral therapy) review day, which has been created specifically for children aged 14 years and below. Previously, children and adults were reviewed together, but by separating the reviews clinics are able to provide more accurate numbers of children and adults on ART. This in turn helps to establish appropriate support groups for these children.

Around 130 children attended the clinic for the review day, where they received health talks on HIV and ART, as well as counselling sessions.

Project staff additionally assisted with the National Deworming and Bilharzia program.

Thanks to generous donations we were able to provide a baby heart rate monitor, medicines and medical consumables, blood pressure machines, walkers, bathroom scales and stationary, as well as undertaking some re-painting work to maintain buildings.

With thanks Many people have generously contributed to these programs, however we would like to make special mention of Dr Esther von Rohr as well as the many interns and volunteers who have assisted at the clinics and given of their time and money.

If you would like to support these clinics please click here.

Lion conflict mitigation To reduce lion predation incidence on community livestock

As lions frequently roam into human settlement areas at night to prey on enclosed livestock, the design of bomas (animal enclosures) is a key aspect to preventing attacks. However, it has been proven that lions can penetrate a vast variety of boma wall types and are able to scale often inadequately built structures.

An innovative solution to this problem has come from a Kenyan directly impacted by conflict with lions. In 2010, an 11 year-old Kenyan boy, Richard Turere from Kitengela, created his own method of protecting his family’s boma from lion attacks at night.

Rather than strengthening the boma walls, Richard used a handful of torches, a second-hand car battery and a small solar panel to create a flashing light system around the boma perimeter. Knowing that lions are naturally wary of people, he designed the lights to flash in sequence, giving the impression that someone was patrolling the enclosure with a torch. In the two years since installing this system, Richard and his family have reported no further lion attacks.

In 2012, Kenyan-born Sandy Simpson created a modified version of the lighting system and began to install it within those communities most threatened by lion attacks. To date, Sandy has successfully installed 34 units around Kenya, with all communities so far reporting no further lion attacks. It is hoped the system can be used continent-wide to successfully reduce lion attacks on bomas and therefore improve community tolerance of predators.

One hugely important aspect of these lighting systems is that of cost. NGO's requesting funds for predator proof bomas, being used most commonly in East Africa, are asking for up to $2000 per boma per household. We estimate that to install such bomas in medium and high conflict zones in Tanzania alone would cost around $2 billion. For these bomas to be installed throughout the continent is clearly not financially viable. This lighting system is a tiny fraction of the cost, and through further development and trials such as this we hope that this cost will be further reduced, including to being affordable for the community members themselves so as to reduce the reliance on donor funding to meet the conflict challenges facing the African people.

In 2013 Three trial Installations of the lighting systems on bomas in the high conflict zone of the Hwange Communal Lands and at the Africa Centre for Holistic Management, in western Zimbabwe were undertaken to begin to assess their impact within this habitat and with this lion population. The systems have, so far, been 100% effective.

Looking forward to 2014 We are currently seeking funding to extend the trials to more impacted communities.

Anti-poaching ALERT, through our partners, undertake anti-poaching patrols in both the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia, as well as in the Zambezi National Park in Zimbabwe. ALERT is also proud to financially support the Victoria Falls Anti-Poaching Unit and, more recently, the Bumi Hills Anti-Poaching Unit.

In 2013 funding of nearly USD 12,000 was provided to Anti-Poaching Units, in addition to manpower to undertake snare sweeps.

If you would like to support anti-poaching scouts click here.

Community agriculture

To enhance nutrition and generate income generating opportunities for vulnerable communities ALERT is currently supporting three community gardens.

Chinotimba Garden Project is operated by communities affected by HIV and AIDS close to Victoria Falls town. Dako Garden is located in the Monde rural community where unemployment is high, as is the impact of HIV/AIDS on households. Ntabengwe Garden is mostly operated by women impacted by HIV/AIDS in the Ntabengwe village. Project members here have to carry water on their heads 1km to the garden which negatively impacts their ability to tend to the garden most effectively.

The gardens grow a variety of vegetables for personal consumption, whilst excess is sold to the community, as well as to shops in the local town, to generate revenue for these communities.

In 2013 ALERT assisted in sourcing new distribution networks for the sale of excess produce, as well as improved matching of foodstuffs grown to customer needs. Existing but broken irrigation systems at Dako Garden were repaired and made functional again. Toilets were also installed at Dako Garden so that working on the garden no longer needs to be interrupted by the call of nature. A water tank was installed at Chinotimba Garden.

We’d like to send a special thank you to Shelley Tomkins, Cathy McGarvey and Sarah Jones for their generous donations to the project.

Lappet-Faced Vultures

Vulture population monitoring

To contribute to nationwide surveys of vulture populations by collecting data in and around the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park Vultures play an important ecological role by rapidly consuming the remains of dead animals; preventing these carcasses from acting as host to various diseases that may spread to wildlife and livestock. Vultures are also important in ecosystem nutrient cycling, and in leading other scavenging mammals and birds to carcasses.

This group of avian scavengers evoke strong emotions with belief systems ranging from them having divine powers to being ugly and disease riddled. They have often been persecuted causing significant declines across Africa.

A variety of vulture species are recorded as being present in areas around the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park including: •

Palm-nut Vulture (Gypohierax angolensis) – Status: least concern, local status: rare / vagrant

•

Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) – Status: endangered, local status: rare / vagrant

•

Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) – Status: least concern, local status: resident / very common

•

White-Backed Vulture (Gyps africanus) – Status: near threatened, local status: resident / very common

•

Lappet-Faced Vulture (Aegypius tracheliotos) - Status: vulnerable, local status: resident / common

•

White-Headed Vulture (Aegypius occipitalis) - Status: vulnerable, local status: resident / common

Data from this study is being provided monthly to members of the Zambian Ornithological Society to be combined with nationwide data.

Zambezi and Victoria Falls National Parks A variety of programs are underway in these national parks in partnership with the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority including: •

Invasive species removal and biological monitoring

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Vegetation mapping

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Entomological survey

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Biodiversity assessment

•

Large predator assessment

In 2013 •

120 man/hours were directed towards the removal of invasive alien plant species in the Victoria Falls National Park.

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Approximately 50% of the Zambezi National Park has been surveyed to date for large predators. Hyena, lion, cheetah and leopard have all been confirmed as present through transect surveys. Whilst no evidence has been found of African Wild Dog, they have been observed elsewhere within the Park, but have yet to observed on transects. Hyena are the dominant predator species whilst few signs of cheetah have been observed. Both hyena and cheetah observations have been made in areas lacking signs of other large predators, whilst lion and leopard signs have been discovered together in several areas.

•

24 fixed plots for the entomological survey have been established in 4 heterogeneous habitat types that are found within the Zambezi National Park. Setting of traps and plots within these habitats has already been done for the cool-dry season and the same process was replicated throughout the hot-dry (August to November) and the hot-wet (December to March) seasons. The information will be used in ascertaining levels of disturbances in these habitats and potentially showing a clearer picture of differences that arise due to seasonal variations.

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ALERT have embarked on a process to create a vegetation map for Zambezi National Park and Matetsi units 6 and 7, following an exercise which was done in Matetsi units 1-5. This is the first attempt aimed at producing a remote sensing based vegetation map, simplified enough to be used by personnel in the field. For this exercise, satellite data is used from Landsat TM 5 images, with a spatial resolution of 30m. Pre-processing of this image includes Geo-referencing and calibration to correct for atmospheric conditions at the time of acquisition. An unsupervised classification of the image was undertaken to classify 4 colour classes, representing broad vegetation cover types, using the K means classification algorithm. 6 replicates of each colour class have been selected for sampling purposes, with a total of 24 sampling points. At each point (and adjusting for edge effects from any nearby road), a modified step point method over 100 metres with 1m intervals was undertaken. At each point grass, shrub and tree layer are recorded and photos taken. Photos are used to verify vegetation classes obtained from analysis of the data collected. The data points are being used to train non probabilistic classifiers in a remote sensing environment. Algorithms used are the support vector machine and the neural network and since data collection did not follow a random sampling scheme, non-probabilistic classifiers were used. A testing dataset is used to test the accuracy of the classification output and these data points are collected at the time of sampling. The kappa statistic is used to test agreement. A consultant, from Lupane State University will be producing two finalised maps of cover and dominant species.

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Just over 1000km of transects were undertaken to collect data on mammal numbers as part of the biodiversity assessment of the Zambezi National Park.

Forest management: Dambwa

To reverse the large scale deforestation; to work towards more sustainable management practices; to create habitat for wildlife Zambia has seen rampant deforestation in the past decades and recent reports from the Food & Agriculture Organization suggest the country now suffers the second highest deforestation per capita in the world, with Livingstone being one of the worst affected areas. Zambia’s Forestry Department puts the rate of deforestation in the Livingstone area at 5% annually and believes this now has a bearing on local temperature and rainfall levels, as well as through increased soil erosion.

Deforestation and consequent climate change, even at a local level, can result in alterations to ecosystems through a loss of biodiversity and increased incidence of drought and flood, with negative impacts on food security. The principle causes of this deforestation are tree cutting to produce charcoal for domestic heating and cooking (wood & charcoal providing around 70% of Zambia’s energy requirements) and poor soil management leading to land degradation that ultimately cannot sustain plant communities.

ALERT is working with the Dambwa Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC), comprising communities close to the Forest and the Zambian Forestry Department, to regenerate the Forest and create revenue generating potential from the sustainable use of forest resources. Payments are also made to the JMFC towards this goal that have been generated by the commercial elements of the African Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Program that is operated by our local partner, Lion Encounter. A large portion of the Forest has been leased from the Zambian government for this program.

In 2013 The second Trees for Zambia event took place in July 2013. Many thousands more trees were planted around Livingstone including 1,000 in the Dambwa Forest.

Over ZMW 212,000 (approximately USD 43,000) was provided to the Dambwa Joint Forest Management Committee as part of the benefit sharing scheme.

The Woodspring Trust has generously donated GBP 8,660 to provide every household in all villages around the Dambwa Forest with a low carbon cook-stove. The introduction of cook-stoves, in partnership with co2balance, will significantly reduce the rate of deforestation and protect the habitat for wildlife. These cook-stoves will also cut down on carbon dioxide-related health issues from using open fires in closed spaces. The first stoves have now been produced, and over the coming year every household will receive one, as well as training in their use and maintenance, as well how to make the stoves themselves so they can produce them for sale to other communities.

World Lion Day

To draw much needed attention to the lion’s plight and promote and share the work and needs of those working to save him.

The 10th August 2013 marked the first World Lion Day. This campaign was created to inspire unity across the world in celebrating together the world’s most iconic species, but more importantly to encourage all to stand up and recognize the plight of the lion in Africa and India. Whilst the campaign was devised and driven by ALERT, we sought to create an independent campaign of any one organization and bring together all organizations and individuals working towards the species’ conservation, to raise awareness of their work and generate funding for them.

Launched in May, the campaign began to circulate quickly as word spread about the day and the conservation message it carried. Through a dedicated website and social media the campaign drew the public’s attention to 25 organisations working across Africa and India Conservation awareness and fundraising events were held worldwide. A staggering ±1 million people were reached via Facebook, the campaign was one of the most tweeted about hash-­tags on Twitter, ±24,000 website visits were counted with the highest volumes from the USA, UK, South Africa and Australia.

What has been most humbling was the fantastic efforts of those organisations already working endlessly to save the species. Many of you took time whilst in the field or in the office to share the day with colleagues, friends, supporters, visitors and communities.

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Mara Naboisho Lion Project Lion Guardians Ruaha Carnivore Project African Parks Uganda Conservation Foundation Desert Lion Conservation Project Northern Namibia Carnivore Research Project Ewaso Lions Projecto Leões da Gorongosa – Gorongosa Lion Project Lion of Gir Foundation Niassa Carnivore Project African Lion & Environmental Research Trust LionAid Rebuilding the Pride Africat Foundation, Namibia Caprivi Carnivore Project Conservation Lower Zambezi Walking For Lions International Fund for Animal Welfare Carnivore Conservation Malawi Bumi Hills Anti Poaching Unit Tashinga Initiative Victoria Falls Anti Poaching Unit Animal Defenders International Global White Lion Protection Trust

We thank you ALL for making this campaign during its first year such an unexpected success and for demonstrating the unity needed to save the King of Beasts.

HEAD OFFICE African Lion & Environmental Research Trust Melrose Farm 1134 Nakatindi Road PO Box 60701 Livingstone Zambia E: info@lionalert.org W: www.lionalert.org

REGISTERED OFFICES African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (UK) 39 St. James’s Place London SW1A 1NS United Kingdom UK Charity Commission Number 1120572 African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (USA) c/o William D Evers 1725 Clay Street STE 100 San Francisco CA 94109-8805 501 (c)3 status with EIN: 45-3782687 Public charity status: 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (Zambia) c/o 3/J/297A Leopards Hill Road P.O. Box 32322 Lusaka Zambia Zambia Charity Registration Number ORS/102/35/3583 African Lion & Environmental Research Trust (Zimbabwe) Shop 8, Bata Building Livingstone Way Victoria Falls Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Protocol No 68 – MA82/2008