ZSL Conservation Review 2009-2010

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Conservation Review 2009/2010

LIVING CONSERVATION The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), a charity founded in 1826, is a world-renowned centre of excellence for conservation science and applied conservation. ZSL’s mission is to promote and achieve the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. This is realised by carrying out field conservation and research in over 50 countries across the globe and through education and awareness at our two zoos, ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, inspiring people to take conservation action.

We strive to achieve our mission by:

• Conducting world-leading conservation science • Implementing effective field conservation projects globally • Providing decision-makers with the best conservation advice • Building conservation capacity and inspiring people to connect with the natural world Preface

It is a great pleasure to be introducing the first ZSL Conservation Review. Seeing a summary of the Zoological Society of London’s conservation work in one place clearly demonstrates what can be achieved when an organisation focuses on strong science and field conservation and is committed to communicating with both decision-makers and the public.

Activities in 2009 and 2010 have been extremely impressive. Our conservation scientists discovered new species of elephant shrew and coral, found new deep-sea vent ecosystems and rediscovered a subspecies of loris once feared lost to extinction. New tools were tested that greatly improved our ability to monitor endangered species and measure the effectiveness of our interventions. ZSL has played a major role in defining the status and trends of the world’s species by helping develop robust national-level biodiversity indicators. At the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change conference (UNFCCC-COP 15) in Copenhagen, ZSL presented a powerful film in collaboration with GLOBE International and Earth-Touch. The film described the status of corals and outlined the catastrophic implications of ocean acidification. At the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD-COP 10) in Nagoya, Japan, ZSL launched three major documents: Evolution Lost, the first status assessment of all vertebrates; the GLOBE Action Plan for Coral Reefs; and The World in 2050.

But perhaps most significantly, 2009 and 2010 saw the final push to create a no-take Marine Protected Area (MPA) around the waters of the Chagos Archipelago. Situated in a remote location in the middle of the Indian Ocean, Chagos represents some of the best and most diverse marine conditions remaining; its pristine waters and stunning coral reefs compare to nowhere else on the planet. Such conditions have the ability to provide valuable scientific data about the health of our oceans as whole and the effects of climate change and ocean acidification. ZSL conservationist scientists, with support from the Chagos Environment Network, worked to protect these waters, and the British government called for a public consultation. Hundreds of thousands of people from more than 200 nations responded to show their support for this initiative, and on 1 April 2010, the UK Foreign Office officially announced that more that 210,000 square miles around the Chagos Archipelago had been declared a full no-take MPA. It is the largest MPA in the world, and its creation doubled the amount of ocean under protection.

I am very proud of ZSL’s role in this historic event and congratulate all of our staff for their accomplishments.

Professor Sir Patrick Bateson FRS President, Zoological Society of London

Preface 1 ZSL’s Global Conservation Work

The Society works with local partners in over 50 countries to implement conservation interventions, test new approaches, assess their effectiveness and scale up successful initiatives. The red dots represent all the regions where ZSL is involved in research and convervation. The blue dots highlight 12 hub areas where ZSL is commited to increasing conservation activities.

2 ZSL’s Global Conservation Work ZSL’s Global Conservation Work 3 Introduction

State of the planet

2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity, and we have serious challenges that must be tackled with the utmost urgency if we are to stem the loss of animals and their habitats around the world.

ZSL continues to conduct globally significant research to quantify the extent of this crisis and set priorities for action. A recent paper in Science (Butchart et al. 2010) uses indicators to demonstrate that species and ecosystems continue to decline while threats are rapidly increasing. ZSL research with WWF indicates that the world’s vertebrates – mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish – have declined by 30 per cent over the past 35 years, and this is consistent across marine, freshwater and terrestrial systems. ZSL research conducted in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and partners demonstrates that roughly 20 per cent of the world’s vertebrates are threatened with extinction and that these patterns could be representative of biodiversity in general. In addition, an analysis conducted for the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment demonstrates that current extinction rates are roughly 1,000 times greater than extinction rates from the fossil record.

The threats to biodiversity are intensifying with the impacts of climate change and the pressures associated with a rapidly expanding human population – estimated to increase by 2.5 billion people over the next 40 years. This century is clearly presenting society with some of the greatest challenges it has ever faced. Our ability to overcome these challenges depends on whether we are able to rapidly transition to a world where we manage the planet’s species and ecosystems in a sustainable manner. If this is not achieved, nature will find its own balance with unthinkable consequences for all species, including humans.

Mission of ZSL

ZSL’s mission is to promote and achieve the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. Achieving this mission has never been more important. Solutions to the great challenges ahead will emerge from all sectors of society, but organisations such as ZSL can make important contributions through defining the status of the world’s species and ecosystems, working with diverse communities to generate conservation solutions and catalysing both conservation action and implementation on the ground. ZSL has the unique combination of an extremely strong science base (the Institute of Zoology), a strong field conservation presence (projects in over 50 countries) and two world-leading zoos in conservation education and conservation breeding (ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo).

4 Introduction Overview of ZSL Conservation Review

This review is divided into four sections, which outline the Society’s major areas of conservation focus.

1. Defining the state of the world’s species and ecosystems

The first section outlines ZSL’s contribution to defining the status and trends of the world’s species and ecosystems. It then highlights the new discoveries that have recently been made by ZSL scientists and discusses the new tools that have been developed to help us monitor and understand the natural world. This understanding is an essential step for conservation priority setting, project implementation and determining whether interventions have been successful.

2. Reversing the decline of irreplaceable species and ecosystems

The second section focuses on the ZSL initiatives that aim to reverse the decline of species and ecosystems. At the species level, we highlight our EDGE of Existence project, which focuses on unusual and highly threatened species receiving little or no conservation attention. We present our extensive carnivore work as well as our conservation breeding initiatives, which focus on species that are highly threatened or extinct in the wild. At the ecosystem level, our approach is community-based and encompasses developing alternative livelihoods to bushmeat, restoring mangrove forests and implementing Marine Protected Areas. The majority of our conservation initiatives are based in the UK and Europe, Africa and Asia, with additional initiatives in the Americas, Oceania, the polar regions and the deep sea.

3. Identifying and addressing emerging threats to biodiversity

Section three highlights two major emerging threats to biodiversity: climate change and wildlife disease. Climate change will likely be the greatest cause of extinction this century, and innovative approaches for mitigation and adaptation are urgently needed. ZSL’s approach to climate change ranges from actions on the ground to international policy. Projects include reducing deforestation, identifying actions needed to conserve coral reefs in the face of ocean acidification and developing new models for predicting the impact of climate change on ecosystems and species.

With the largest Wildlife Health Unit in the UK, ZSL is able to tackle a broad range of disease-related issues ranging from garden bird health surveys to gorilla health monitoring to exploring treatments for a disease currently devastating amphibian populations. As the world’s species and ecosystems come under greater stress, new diseases are emerging and becoming more prevalent. Disease prevention is increasingly becoming a focal point for conservation action.

4. Convening, educating and inspiring

The final section highlights ZSL’s capacity-building work, which may represent the Society’s greatest contribution to conservation. In addition to the many PhD and Masters students at ZSL and abroad, this includes sharing conservation knowledge with conservation experts, industry leaders and policy-makers. In this section, we also outline recent scientific talks and symposia, an important convening role the Society has played since its inception in 1826.

We hope you enjoy this report, and we thank you for your support in helping ZSL achieve our important vision of a world where animals are valued and their conservation assured.

Professor Jonathan E M Baillie Director, Conservation Programmes

Introduction 5 ZSL Conservation Objectives

The ZSL Conservation Five-Year Workplan can be downloaded from the ZSL website (www.zsl.org/conservation). The following are a few key objectives that we aim to achieve over the next five years:

1) Defining the state of the world’s species and ecosystems

• Work with partners to define the global status and trends of all vertebrate groups and a representative sample of invertebrates

• Support more than 20 countries in the production of National Red Lists and associated web-based conservation planning tools

• Develop new patrol-based monitoring software and collaborate with others to implement the approach in more than 80 protected areas as well as areas where industry is working

2) Reversing the decline of irreplaceable species and ecosystems

• Provide the science base to support the creation of Marine Protected Areas, covering at least 300,000 square kilometres of the world’s tropical and polar seas

• Expand the EDGE of Existence programme to include birds, sharks and corals

• Work with partners to develop over 20 species action plans for a broad range of species, including comprehensive conservation strategies for tigers in four new high priority regions

• Develop the evidence base for effective livelihood alternatives to reduce human impact on forests, oceans and species in Asia and Africa

• Scale-up mangrove restoration initiatives to encompass three additional regions

• Develop major world-class conservation breeding facilities for vultures, amphibians, freshwater fish, corals and desert ungulates

3) Identifying and addressing emerging threats to biodiversity

• Test Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) projects that incorporate biodiversity values in four different forest systems

• Continue developing methods to monitor the impact of climate change on species with a focus on protected areas, oceans, deserts and polar regions

• Work to identify solutions for the chytrid crisis through supporting the IUCN Amphibian Survival Alliance and expanding ZSL’s Chytrid Research Programme

• Continue to develop great ape monitoring protocols, including health monitoring, to assist logging companies in reducing their impact on large primates over an area of 100,000 square kilometres

4) Convening, educating and inspiring

• Support and train over 100 in-country scientists to study and conserve evolutionarily distinct and threatened species that are receiving little or no conservation attention

• Work with partners to host over 30 events per year that focus on identifying conservation solutions

• Produce 1,000 journal articles and reports, making a significant contribution to the advancement of conservation

• Develop a Science to Policy and Industry Unit that helps to advise business and decision-makers on biodiversity monitoring and management for the following industries: oil palm, forestry, fisheries, mining and agriculture

6 ZSL Conservation Objectives Hazel’s forest frog © Craig Turner Contents

Section I: Defining the state of the world’s species and ecosystems 8 Defining the status of the planet 12 New discoveries 18 New tools

Section II: Reversing the decline of irreplaceable species and ecosystems 24 Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species (EDGE) 30 Carnivores 34 Getting species back into the wild 38 Ecosystem restoration for conservation and development

Section III: Identifying and addressing emerging threats to biodiversity 42 Climate change 46 Wildlife disease

Section IV: Convening, advising and inspiring the public, industry and policy-makers 50 Sharing conservation knowledge 54 Advising industry 56 Informing policy 60 Convening conservation leaders

62 Funding 64 Governance and Fellows 66 ZSL Conservation Projects 70 Collaborators

Contents 7 Defining the status of the planet

ZSL tracks the fate of species and populations in order to gauge human impact on biodiversity, produce scientifically robust indicators for global targets and develop novel analytical approaches to understanding the distribution of biodiversity and species threat. This work is amenable to national-level conservation planning and enables ZSL to guide effective response as well as measure the success of conservation interventions.

Status of the world’s vertebrates

Within the next century, the planet unique look at the evolution of fish, Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally stands to lose up to one-fifth of all amphibians, reptiles, birds and Endangered (EDGE) species to give an threatened vertebrate species. mammals from their initial divergence overview of the evolutionary history Evolution Lost: Status and Trends of to their status in the world today. the world will lose if current extinction the World’s Vertebrates compiles the Using the IUCN Red List rates continue. The recent Holocene latest information on the current global categorisations of extinction with data extinctions of the houting, Las Vegas status and trends of vertebrate species on population reduction, the book leopard frog, giant tortoise, Falkland in the context of human pressures with illustrates population declines in all wolf and the New Zealand huia are also a focus on threatened, novel and vertebrate groups. The greatest discussed from their historical status evolutionarily distinct species. The threat is witnessed by amphibians, and threats to the reasons for their book is illustrated throughout using with the IUCN Red List reporting eventual demise. ZSL’s extensive collection of zoological 41 per cent of species threatened plates and prints dating back to the with extinction. Each chapter 18th century. Evolution Lost takes a concludes with examples of

Determining trends in vertebrate abundance 17.7% In the Living Planet Report, produced the ability to predict future changes in in collaboration with WWF and the the health of species and ecosystems 62.1% 2.9% Global Footprint Network, the Living and to take proactive measures. In the

4.9% Planet Index demonstrates that wild context of the Convention on Biological species and natural ecosystems are Diversity’s (CBD) 2010 target to reduce 7.9% under pressure across all biomes and biodiversity loss, datasets are still far

4.6% regions of the world. Over the past from being a complete resource in 35 years, vertebrate populations tropical countries. show an overall decline of nearly 30 per cent, and tropical species exhibit To address the tropical biodiversity data CR EN VU NT LC DD much greater rates of decline than gap and improve overall understanding The percentage of threatened vertebrate their temperate counterparts. of species decline, it is essential to species according to their IUCN Red List continue developing new methods category. These findings also unveil a deeper and tools; fill existing gaps on key issue that must be addressed: regions, habitats and taxa; invest in Image adapted from Evolution Lost. tropical areas suffer from a lack of local institutions and formulate a global baseline information for local and biodiversity observation system, regional biodiversity conservation. systematically designed across This barrier weakens the efficacy of regions and taxa. conservation initiatives and with it,

8 Defining the status of the planet EvolutionEvolution LostLost StatusStatus and & Trends Trends of of the the World’s World’s VertebratesVertebrates

Jonathan E. M. Baillie, Janine Griffiths, Samuel T. Turvey, Jonathan Loh and Ben Collen Jonathan E. M. Baillie, Janine Griffiths, Samuel T. Turvey, Jonathan Loh and Ben Collen

The front cover of Evolution Lost: Status and Trends of the World’s Vertebrates © ZSL

Defining the status of the planet 9 Defining the status of the planet

Broadening the coverage of biodiversity indicators

The number of described species lags face and determining the reasons is a long way behind the estimated global one of the key actions needed for total species richness; describing proactive conservation. As a first step, biodiversity remains a significant increased coverage of baseline data for challenge and defining its status larger all major taxonomic groups is required. still. The conservation status of less than 2.5 per cent of the world’s ZSL and partners have seen the described biodiversity is currently delivery of the first assessments of known, which clearly limits current the sampled approach to Red Listing understanding of the impact of for dragonflies and damselflies, tropical humans on biodiversity. One of the freshwater crabs and reptiles. These major challenges for the IUCN Red initial studies of the world’s lesser List is assessing the larger groups that known species indicate that threat represent the majority of the world’s levels may be similar or even greater biodiversity. Within these groups, a than the well known vertebrate groups. comprehensive survey of extinction Rather than differences between risk is not feasible, but the need for vertebrates and invertebrates, the a broader view of the status of assessments suggest that key biodiversity remains urgent. It has differences exist between system and become increasingly clear that taxa habitat, regardless of whether or not differ in the relative level of threat they the species is a vertebrate.

Dragonflies are one of the taxa recently assessed using the sampled approach to Red Listing © Sophie Persey

10 Defining the status of the planet Two King penguins at Hound Bay, South Georgia © Tom Hart

Defining the status of the planet 11 New discoveries

ZSL conservation scientists often work in remote and understudied areas where they make new discoveries that both help to raise the profile of biodiversity and to increase understanding of threatened species and ecosystems. Using the knowledge gained from these discoveries, ZSL is better able to understand biodiversity and form more comprehensive conservation strategies.

Rediscovering the Horton Plains slender loris

As part of the ongoing red slender loris montane forest with short limbs and project in Sri Lanka, the research team long dense fur. Confirmation of its has rediscovered the virtually unknown continued existence raises familiar Horton Plains slender loris. Originally concerns over its taxonomic documented in 1937, it had only been distinctiveness and apparent low encountered four times in the past abundance in a highly fragmented 72 years. The Horton Plains slender and diminishing habitat. loris is evidently extremely rare and was found only after more than 200 An ongoing research, conservation hours of nocturnal transect surveys in and management programme will the known habitat. incorporate the findings to ensure that adequate effort is focused on The rediscovery and capture by the describing the extent of occupancy team – working under ZSL’s EDGE of the Horton Plains slender loris so of Existence programme – resulted that necessary recommendations for in the first detailed physical threat-reducing management may examination of this subspecies, which be delivered. clearly demonstrates adaptations to

The rare Horton Plains slender loris, showing montane adaptations of short limbs and dense fur © C Mahanayakage

12 New discoveries Camera trap images of the elusive elephant shrew in the Boni Forest © ZSL/KWS

A potential new species of elephant shrew

When a Kenyan student received an studied Boni and Dodori Forests. The distinguishing features. KWS, ZSL EDGE Fellowship to study the expedition discovered that the Boni and partners are continuing to record golden-rumped elephant shrew, she Forest is indeed home to a species the forest’s rich biodiversity and to had little idea that she would discover of elephant shrew, but brief glimpses determine conclusively if this is a new a mysterious mammal potentially suggested it might be different enough species. The findings of the study new to science. The endangered in appearance to be classified as a new highlight the conservation importance, golden-rumped elephant shrew is one species. A joint ZSL/Kenya Wildlife but poor state of current knowledge of only four species of elephant shrew Service (KWS) expedition, undertaken of these forests: the area is highly surviving today and is endemic to the as part of a wider biodiversity survey, threatened by rapid ongoing highly fragmented coastal forests of corroborated the initial suspicions development and urgently needs an eastern Kenya. The project began in when scientists observed the new effective conservation strategy. the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and then elephant shrew first-hand and moved further north to the lesser documented a number of

Persistence of biodiversity in conflict zones

ZSL has been working in the access to areas of the park for several Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) months, camera trap surveys captured since 2001 to restore the integrity of some superb new images of okapi, Virunga National Park following alongside a host of other species, prolonged conflict in the region. The including chimpanzee, galago, honey park is home to the okapi, an elusive badger, aardvark, bongo, duikers, rainforest giraffid that is threatened by giant hog and elephant shrew, habitat loss and hunting for its meat demonstrating that Virunga’s unique and skin. In 2008, a joint ZSL/Institut forest biodiversity is still persisting Congolese pour la Conservation de la despite the conflict. Nature (ICCN) team obtained the first camera trap pictures of okapi in the Okapi are particularly special for ZSL. wild, and in 2009, the US Fish and The species was first described at a Wildlife Service funded ZSL to build meeting of the Society in 1901, and it capacity for wildlife monitoring and remains a much-loved species at ZSL management. ZSL trained ICCN London Zoo. It is therefore fitting that rangers in camera trapping, ZSL has now obtained funding from reconnaissance surveys and the UK’s Darwin Initiative to expand community-based conservation, and its work with a new three-year project, (Top) Rangers set up camera traps in Virunga supported surveys and patrols. Despite bringing together 13 partners to National Park © Thierry Lusenge a difficult security situation preventing conserve the okapi across its range. (Bottom) Camera trap image of a wild okapi © ZSL / ICCN

New discoveries 13 New discoveries

New deep-sea vent ecosystems

Chemosynthetic ecosystems were independently of the sun’s energy. At the start of 2010, ZSL led a cruise discovered in 1977 when scientists Hydrothermal vents have now become as part of a research consortium on located high temperature hydrothermal important model systems to study the RRS James Cook to the Southern vents at the Galapagos Rift. The vents evolution and dispersal in the Ocean to explore the East Scotia Ridge were surrounded by giant tube worms, deep sea. However, exploration of and South Sandwich Islands for new mussels and other organisms seen vents has concentrated on those hydrothermal vent ecosystems. A nowhere else in the sea. The located in low to mid-latitudes leaving remotely operated vehicle, Isis, was discovery was highly significant as it a major knowledge gap in what may used to explore the ridge at depths of was evidence that life could occur exist in polar seas. up to 2,600 metres. At these depths the team discovered, mapped and sampled new high temperature hydrothermal vent ecosystems in three locations. These vents were unique, hosting animals that had never before been documented by scientists. The project will continue in January 2011 with a further cruise to the Antarctic Peninsula in collaboration with the universities of Southampton, Newcastle and Bristol and the British Antarctic Survey.

The remotely operated vehicle Isis is launched in snow to explore the depths of the Southern Ocean during James Cook Cruise JC42, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council

14 New discoveries One of the six new species of coral © Michelle Taylor

New species of coral

Fisheries have moved into the deep which is being used increasingly as an indentified. This work has resulted in sea over the last 30 to 40 years, and alternative to trawling. the revision of the classification of an bottom fishing using trawls, longlines ecologically important group of corals: and other gear takes place at depths in In collaboration with fisheries the primnoids, especially the genus excess of 2,000 metres. Deep-sea fish managers, ZSL scientists are Thouarella. It has also led to the species are very slow growing and live currently studying the bycatch of discovery of six new species, many to ages greater than 100 years, deep-sea longline fisheries for of which are extremely beautiful. resulting in a high level of vulnerability Patagonian toothfish in South Georgia. The work has enhanced current to overfishing. Bottom fisheries The bycatch comprises many corals understanding of the biodiversity deploying trawls have been found to that are extremely difficult to identify of marine ecosystems in the have a devastating impact on fragile because their classification is poorly Sub-Antarctic and the evolution of seabed communities, such as understood. However, by using a primnoid genera. cold-water coral reefs. However, much combination of molecular methods and less is known about the impacts of careful analyses of the shape of the other fishing methods on deep-sea corals, especially their polyps and ecosystems, especially longlining, sclerites, the corals are now being

New discoveries 15 New discoveries

Exploring new areas of incredible biodiversity

Despite its pristine appearance, the tapir. One hundred and eighty-seven government recently outlawed Rewa Head in Guyana had never been bird species were identified, small-scale gold mining after explored scientifically to assess its including ten endemics and the rare intervention from Amerindian conservation significance. When a ZSL and charismatic harpy and crested communities, the area constitutes a scientist travelled there to collect DNA eagles. The team also saw evidence of logging concession that may be from the giant otter, he and his team the yellow-footed tortoise, Goliath developed unless Guyana is given seized the opportunity to record the bird-eating spiders and found five alternative financing incentives. The fauna along 60 river miles using green anacondas over 15 feet long. Rewa Head thus presents a perfect camera traps, mist-nets and drift In total, 50 per cent of Guyana’s test case for implementing carbon surveys. threatened species were observed. projects, and protecting it addresses several key international issues. Results revealed an incredible The results of this brief survey showed wealth of biodiversity. In total, the area to be incredibly biologically thirty-three mammal species were rich and an important region for recorded, including all eight of threatened lowland rainforest and Guyana’s monkey species, four of riparian fauna. However, the Rewa the five felid species, bush dog, giant Head is in a precarious state as it is armadillo, giant anteater and Brazilian currently unprotected. While the

Ryol Merriman, Niall McCann, Robert Pickles and Fernando Li with a green anaconda in Guyana © Ashley Holland

16 New discoveries Finding the remaining desert cheetahs

The Saharan cheetah is a critically endangered subspecies of cheetah that has attracted little international interest, possibly because it remains only in remote regions of the Saharan desert and the Sahel in Northwest Africa. Rarely seen, the total population is believed to be less than 250 individuals.

In earlier surveys, ZSL scientists identified a potentially important site for these rare Saharan cheetahs in A camera trap capture an image of an elusive desert cheetah in Algeria the Parc Nationale de l’Ahaggar, which © ZSL/Farid Belbachir led to the launch of an in-depth study with Algerian partners, the Office du Parc National de l’Ahaggar (OPNA). has demonstrated conclusive and ZSL was able to use the photos to Researchers have used remote camera evidence of the Saharan cheetah identify at least four different cheetahs. traps to gather evidence of this elusive across a 2,000-square kilometre area This exciting find established the park’s species and are continuing to work of stony desert. Cheetahs have been importance as a last refuge for these with local Tuareg communities to photographed on sixteen different fascinating desert cats. understand their relationship with the occasions at seven different sites. cheetah and its prey. The study has They can be individually identified by generated some exciting results and spot patterns unique to each individual,

Identifying new Saharan conservation hotspots

In partnership with the Sahara year in neighbouring Tunisia. This Conservation Fund, the United Nations provided a genuine trans-border Convention on Migratory Species element to efforts to protect this (CMS) and the Smithsonian Institute, endangered dune specialist, which is ZSL has played a key role in increasingly affected by exploration and identifying remaining Saharan development by the oil industry. conservation hotspots over the past five years. ZSL has assisted with A similar problem is emerging around protected area development and an the last-known viable addax array of conservation management, population in Niger, where routine The desert survey team in Tunisia © ZSL training and research activities in six monitoring supported by ZSL has different Saharan countries. In 2009, produced excellent insight into ecology ZSL researchers were involved in and ongoing impacts on this elusive the first formal gazelle survey of the and critically endangered species. The Algerian Erg Oriental, which information is contributing directly to confirmed the continuity and extent nationally supported plans to institute of the slender-horned gazelle formal protection of critical addax populations surveyed in the previous habitats.

Two male addax in Niger © Tim Wacher

New discoveries 17 Developing new conservation tools

Working with a number of different partners, ZSL researchers develop innovative and more efficient conservation tools. They find new ways of creating, implementing and analysing conservation activities worldwide for a variety of different species and habitats, enabling ZSL to remain at the forefront of conservation science and practice.

Indicator Bats

The Indicator Bats Programme (iBats), The 1st International Indicator Bats researchers are also developing an a partnership project between ZSL Global Monitoring Workshop was application for the iPhone to simplify and the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), held in Savadisla, Tordaszentlaszlo, the existing equipment in collaboration aims to develop national bat Romania, from 15-18 May 2009. with Birkbeck College, University of monitoring programmes across the During the following field season, London. Other project components globe in order to generate long-term volunteers collected data from 192 include developing the ability to data on biodiversity indicator species driven transects throughout the region automatically extract and identify calls to assess the impact of national covering 20,740 kilometres and from long recording sequences and development and global change. involving over 220 local volunteers. a major overhaul of the iBats web Since its inception in 2006, the project portal (www.ibats.org.uk). has been a huge success, and NERC-funded researchers have begun subsequent funding from the Darwin studying species-habitat associations Initiative has enabled the work to be using the data generated by the iBats expanded from Romania and Bulgaria survey within Eastern Europe. With into Ukraine, Russia and Hungary. funding from the Leverhulme Trust,

Screenshots from the iBats iPhone application

18 Developing new conservation tools Developing new conservation tools

Wild tigers in India will benefit from the M-STrIPES programme © Michael J Vickers www.tigersintheforest.com

New software for patrol-based monitoring

Law enforcement and wildlife ecological insights obtained through monitoring systems are indispensable wildlife and habitat assessment tools for conservation. The KIFARU protocols in protected areas. The patrol-based wildlife monitoring system performs statistical system, developed by ZSL and partner computations of occupancy, precision organisations, is being used and sample size, and assesses trends extensively in Kenya and Nepal for over appropriate time and spatial rhino monitoring, law enforcement scales for a range of targeted species, and metapopulation management. human impacts, illegal activities and Through the implementation of the law enforcement investments. An example of an illegal activity map system and field-based training It produces reports and maps generated using the KIFARU system programmes, significant synthesising information on illegal © ZSL/WCS improvements have been achieved activities, wildlife crime, protection in monitoring effort, quality and efforts and ecological status to guide management effectiveness as well as management decisions. increasing communication between field and management staff. The The system is currently in its pilot upgraded system includes a new phase and, if implemented as ecological monitoring module and is designed, will reduce the response now being implemented in India as time to detrimental events like M-STrIPES by the National Tiger poaching or habitat degradation, Conservation Authority, Wildlife helping keep the pulse of India’s Institute of India and ZSL. M-STrIPES Tiger Reserves. uses a holistic approach by integrating

Developing new conservation tools 19 Developing new conservation tools

Penguin Futures

To meet the challenges facing With the help of these volunteers, means of disease screening. penguins and to educate the public, the project is able to monitor an ZSL has created Penguin Futures. area the size of Europe with data Additionally, in collaboration with This new programme focuses on from only a handful of research bases. Oxford University, ZSL is writing developing monitoring techniques to computer programmes to recognise answer questions about the impact of After each summer penguins moult adult penguins and their chicks from climate change and fisheries, two of their feathers. Researchers use an photographs, and it is hoped that a the biggest threats to penguin adapted DNA fingerprinting technique combination of fixed cameras and populations. Because the techniques to identify where the birds came from volunteer photos can be used to are non-invasive and non-technical, and, over time, analyse their response monitor the health of individual the work can be undertaken by to climate change. Blood spots in the colonies. volunteers on cruise ships. feathers also provide a non-invasive

National Red List website

Accurate extinction risk assessment and information on the status and trends of biodiversity at the national level has become increasingly important to both science and policy. National Red Lists enable nations to readily determine the conservation status of species, identify those under greatest threat, raise awareness of threatened species and develop effective conservation policies and action plans.

Many countries throughout the world have developed National Red Lists, but this information is often inaccessible. As conservation efforts are hindered by the limited availability of such information, ZSL seeks to document all existing national species assessments and conservation action The home page of the National Red List website (www.nationalredlist.org) plans through the National Red List website and database. The National capacity-building website is the first of identifying taxonomic and Red List website (www.nationalredlist. central source of national-level geographic gaps in biodiversity data org) provides a focal point for the global biodiversity data and features an and highlighting those regions in need conservation community to share online forum, library, educational tools of national-level assessments. species information, with the aim of and over 67,000 species accounts from increasing the effectiveness of 44 countries and regions to date. This conservation planning. This new initiative is also providing a means

20 Developing new conservation tools Chinstrap penguin and chick, South Georgia © Tom Hart

Developing new conservation tools 21 Developing new conservation tools

Using satellite images to assess protected area effectiveness

ZSL has recently commenced work on have been recognised as the most affect protected areas because such the Normalised Difference Vegetation important core ‘units’ for in-situ data are traditionally collected at small Index (NDVI), a novel method of using conservation. Considering their spatial and temporal scales and vary in satellite data to describe the significance, baseline assessments their type and reliability. Satellite ecosystem functioning of protected and monitoring are essential for imagery has the potential to areas and their response to evaluating the effectiveness of revolutionise the ability to track environmental change. This management practices. Moreover, changes in protected areas throughout important project will help provide global environmental changes might the world, as satellite data can provide the first global picture of protected derail conservation efforts, further valuable information regarding area effectiveness in terms of highlighting the importance of land-use change and variation in conserving the world’s major improving the ability to assess and primary productivity. Crucially, analysis ecosystems. Protected areas are monitor these areas. Field data are of satellite-based indices can provide dedicated to the protection and generally difficult to use for assessing the information needed to differentiate maintenance of biological diversity and how environmental changes might areas that are successfully conserving habitat from those that require urgent attention.

Protected areas, such as the Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh, could benefit from the NDVI © Sundarbans Tiger Project

22 Developing new conservation tools Wildlife Picture Index

The Wildlife Picture Index (WPI) uses the latest camera trapping technology to monitor wildlife trends in conservation and wilderness areas across the globe. This novel approach is being developed by ZSL and WCS to provide information on the status and trends of species in five countries, and it is being expanded by other organisations in partnership across the globe. In 2009, the WPI was successfully trialled for the first time in Mongolia in Myangan Ugalzat National Park. The technique was employed at two sites: one in the core of the national park and the other in the buffer zone. A range of species were successfully detected, including small rodents and birds, argali sheep and the endangered Mongolian marmot. Results also gave valuable information on the presence of domestic animals and humans inside the protected area. In 2010, the WPI monitored two additional protected areas in Mongolia. A camera trap image of a Mongolian marmot (Left) © ZSL/WCS

This technique allows individual sites to adapt their wildlife management based on robust data. Furthermore, the WPI will provide the first global indicator capable of identifying where conservation and wilderness areas are protecting species and where they are not. This information is currently unavailable, but is essential for understanding global trends in biodiversity, measuring the efficacy of protected areas, setting conservation priorities and monitoring progress towards reducing the rate of biodiversity loss.

A camera trap image of a wolverine (Left) © ZSL/WCS

Developing new conservation tools 23 Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species

ZSL’s EDGE of Existence programme is the only global conservation initiative to focus specifically on threatened species that represent a significant amount of unique evolutionary history. The aim of the programme is to catalyse conservation action to secure their future by supporting and encouraging local stakeholders, governments and conservation organisations to carry out urgently needed conservation actions for forgotten EDGE species.

For more information, please visit www.edgeofexistence.org

Pygmy hippo

The pygmy hippo is an endangered hippos in the country, and the mammal endemic to the moist forests associated media coverage has helped of the Upper Guinea Forest ecosystem. bring pygmy hippos higher up the Despite this rarity, it has been poorly conservation agenda. ZSL has built on studied in the wild, and almost no this work and laid the foundations for conservation actions have been taken a concerted effort to save the to protect it. In the past two years, species. As part of this effort, ZSL ZSL has been leading efforts to secure hosted a meeting between key the future of this evolutionarily distinct personnel involved in pygmy hippo species. The project has identified the conservation in West Africa, resulting pygmy hippo as a priority species for in the creation of a new IUCN Species

conservation action and initiated Survival Commission Specialist Group One of the first camera trap images of the first camera trap study of the with a ZSL representative as co-chair. wild pygmy hippos in Liberia © Ben Collen species in the wild in Sapo National With funding secured for a pygmy Park, Liberia, in collaboration with hippo conservation strategy planning Fauna and Flora International and the workshop in late 2010 and further Forestry Development Authority. fieldwork in the region, ZSL will be This team has been successful in pressing ahead with this important capturing the first photos of pygmy work.

Pygmy hippo at ZSL London Zoo © Daniel Sprawson

24 Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species Sagalla caecilian

The Sagalla caecilian is the most ZSL is supporting a community-based threatened member of an unusual organisation, the Taita Taveta Wildlife limbless order of amphibians and is Forum (TTWF). The project has a top priority for global amphibian established community-led resource conservation according to the EDGE management associations, drafted a criteria. Restricted to a single hill in sustainable forest-use management Kenya’s exceptionally biodiverse plan for the region and planted over Eastern Arc Mountains, the major 13,000 native tree seedlings. TTWF’s threat to this caecilian is habitat loss; Sagalla Project Officer is further native forest has been transformed to supported as an EDGE Fellow and water-thirsty Eucalyptus plantations. benefited from attending the 2009 Over 95 per cent of native forest has EDGE training course at ZSL’s London gone from Sagalla Hill, restricting offices. Farmers planting indigenous species on the caecilian to an area of just two Sagalla Hill © James Mwang’ombe/TTWF hectares. The scarcity of water is also This project shows the close affecting local communities. The future connection between biodiversity and of the local community, the caecilian local community livelihoods and how a and the wider biodiversity of Sagalla little-known endemic species can rally Hill rests on the sustainable availability a community towards conservation. of water resources, reduction of soil erosion and replacement of introduced Eucalyptus with indigenous plant species.

Hispaniolan solenodon

Set apart from other mammals by their unique ability to inject venom into their prey through special grooves in their teeth, the two species of solenodon diverged from all other mammals a staggering 76 million years ago, around the time manatees split from elephants. Occurring only on the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola, solenodons, along with guinea pig-like hutias, are the last survivors of a once diverse West Indian land mammal fauna that was driven to extinction by overhunting, habitat destruction and the introduction of exotic predators following human arrival in the Caribbean some 6,000 years ago. The very unique Hispaniolan solenodon © Eladio Fernandez

Why these mammals survived while virtually everything else went extinct The project team are investigating they occur. By filling in the knowledge is a mystery that ZSL, along with solenodon and hutia distribution, gaps as well as raising local awareness project partners Durrell Wildlife density, habitat associations and and training in-country project staff, the Conservation Trust and the Hispaniolan threats at a range of study sites across team hope to identify and implement Ornithological Society, hopes to solve the Dominican Republic, together with the actions needed to secure the as part of a three-year Darwin Initiative patterns of natural resource use by long-term future of these unique funded project in Hispaniola. rural communities in regions where creatures.

Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species 25 Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species

Greater one-horned rhinoceros

Greater one-horned rhino once roamed the floodplains of India and Nepal, but over the centuries their grassland habitat disappeared and rhino numbers dwindled. The population began to recover with the growth of conservation initiatives, but a social revolution in Nepal, combined with a collapse of funding and infrastructure, caused the population to decline dramatically at the start of the 21st century.

To help deal with the crisis, ZSL received funding from the Darwin Initiative. The approach was simple: scientifically trained technical staff to monitor and report on each rhino individually. Local press coined it as Elephant patrols in Bardia National Park (Left) providing ‘body guards’, and the result was a subtle form of deterrence that Chitwan remains challenging; the core but without ZSL involvement there provided valuable information to is still suffering weekly losses, but the probably would have been extirpation anti-poaching efforts. Working in poaching incidence has dropped of two of the three populations of Bardia and Chitwan National Parks, dramatically in areas with monitoring rhino in Nepal. the project also combined habitat programmes. Now with financial help management and community from the US Fish and Wildlife Service engagement, dealt with invasive plant and the UK Trust for Nature species and human-wildlife conflict, Conservation in Nepal, efforts are and provided support to education being made to develop specialised and livelihood programmes. No reactive and well equipped further rhino in Bardia have been multi-stakeholder anti-poaching task poached since 2008. forces. The future remains uncertain,

Greater one-horned rhino in Nepal © Andrew Gell

26 Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species Freshwater dolphins

(Top) Ganges River dolphin Freshwater dolphins are among the other threats, such as disease. © John Gold most evolutionarily distinct and unique Because these threat processes mammals. However, they are also have wider impacts on freshwater among the most threatened large biodiversity and the human vertebrates because the regions they communities dependent upon inhabit have high human population freshwater resources, long-term density, resource over-exploitation and conservation must also address environmental degradation. maintenance of fish stocks and water quality within a wider-scale integrated Following the extinction of the conservation framework. Yangtze River dolphin, the endangered Ganges and Indus River dolphins are ZSL, in collaboration with Assamese now the world’s most threatened NGO Aaranyak, developed a freshwater cetaceans. Few robust comprehensive long-term conservation data are available on their regional programme. Funded by the Darwin status or on the significance of Initiative, the programme began in different drivers of their ongoing summer 2010 and aims to conserve decline. They are threatened by the dolphins and support ecosystem overfishing, habitat alteration, water services through research and development projects and industrial, monitoring, capacity-building, (Bottom) Red slender loris © James Reardon agricultural and domestic pollution in environmental awareness and their range. Little is known about participatory conservation action.

Red slender loris

The principal threat facing the red surveys completed. Led by the slender loris is habitat change, a project’s Sri Lankan field team with result of nearly two centuries of over funding from the Synchronicity exploitation for coffee, tea, rubber and Foundation, the assessment provided cinnamon. Given that the red slender the first spatial data on loris at this loris is endemic to only a small part scale, allowing questions regarding of Central and Southwest Sri Lanka, habitat use, forest preferences and the conservation picture is bleak. distribution to be finally answered. This information is fundamental in However, ZSL is actively engaged informing a conservation action plan in a collaborative project with the currently being drafted. Add to the University of Colombo and the Open mix ongoing taxonomic work and University of Sri Lanka to bring conservation awareness and education conservation focus to this species and programmes being implemented by its remaining habitat. A key part of this the team across Southwest Sri Lanka, has been undertaking an assessment and the conservation picture begins to of loris occupancy in over 100 different look a lot brighter. forest patches with nearly 1,000

Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species 27 Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species

Chinese giant salamander

The Chinese giant salamander, in A large-scale conservation project is positive links between the addition to being the world’s therefore being planned that will follow expanding Chinese giant salamander largest living amphibian, is also one key conservation recommendations farming industry and initiatives that of the most evolutionarily distinct and generated by the International seek to protect wild populations. globally endangered amphbians on the Conservation Workshop for the Through a holistic approach to planet. The giant salamander family Chinese Giant Salamander, which was conservation, it is hoped that a secure has been evolving independently from organised by ZSL in late spring 2010. future can be built for this extraordinary all other amphibians for around 170 Selecting target areas based on animal, transforming the Chinese million years and is now represented protecting the maximum genetic giant salamander into a symbol of by just three species. The Chinese diversity, the project aims to increase freshwater ecosystem conservation giant salamander is classified as conservation capacity in China through in China. Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red training of local experts in the following List following an 80 per cent decline areas: surveying and monitoring in the wild population since the 1960s. techniques; genetics; amphibian Threatened by factors such as habitat disease monitoring; conservation destruction, over-exploitation and strategising; and environmental climate change, this species has education and raising awareness. become a major priority for ZSL’s Crucially, the project will also foster EDGE programme.

Group photo from the International Conservation Workshop for the Chinese Giant Salamander © The International Cooperation Network for Giant Salamander

28 Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species Archey’s frog and the Woodlark Island cuscus

Both Archey’s frog and the Woodlark irreplaceable. A few years ago, the Together, the protest letters, marches, cuscus are very rare and very unique single major threat to the Woodlark petitions and awareness programmes species. They are also similar in that cuscus was a planned oil palm drove home to the respective both owe their continued development by a Malaysian biofuels governments how much people cared existence to members of the public company, and at the start of 2010, about their threatened species. As a who weren’t prepared to watch them the stronghold of Archey’s frog – land result, the proposed logging and the go extinct when their futures were currently under protection on New mining operations were abandoned. threatened by extractive industry. Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula – was due to lose its protected status for the These small victories send a message Archey’s frog is one of the world’s purposes of mineral extraction and of hope that if enough people care most primitive frogs. Endemic to New exploration. Both operations would about a conservation issue, they truly Zealand, it is virtually indistinguishable almost certainly have been devastating can make a difference. from its ancestors that hopped around for these species and the many others the feet of the dinosaurs some 150 that share their habitats. million years ago. The Woodlark cuscus is a small marsupial found on a ZSL helped raise international couple of small islands off the coast of awareness of the plight of both Papua New Guinea. Both species are species through the EDGE blog one of a kind, the sole occupants of and global media, while the people long branches of the Tree of Life. With of Woodlark Island and New Zealand no closely related species anywhere fought for the continued existence on the planet, they are utterly of their unique biodiversity.

Archey’s frog, one of the world’s most primitive frogs © Andrew Nelson

Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) species 29 Carnivores

Carnivores are some of the most charismatic species on the planet, but as many as two-thirds of these predators are endangered. As predators, however, they play an important ecological role, and their continued existence is necessary to maintain balanced ecosystems, while their wide ranges make them excellent flagship species for ecosystem conservation.

Amur leopard

A camera trap captures an image of one of the few remaining Amur leopards

The little-known Amur leopard is obtain and in the meantime, ZSL is arguably the world’s most working to ensure the survival of endangered big cat with only the existing leopard population. around 30 remaining in a small patch of habitat along the Sino-Russian Human-caused fires in the region border southwest of Vladivostok. threaten to eradicate the forests over Reintroduction at a second site within time, so ZSL is building firebreaks their historical range from zoo stock in key leopard areas and supporting is – uniquely for a big cat – firefighting teams. The programme recommended by the IUCN Cat also raises funds from zoos and the Specialist Group, and ZSL is managing public to support not only firefighting the European and Russian zoo and disease risk assessment work, but populations of this leopard with a view also leopard protection and monitoring to provision suitable animals in due work implemented by other members course. A multi-stakeholder of ALTA, the Amur Leopard and Tiger reintroduction plan is currently being Alliance. So far, these joint efforts are considered by the Russian authorities; succeeding in holding the remaining support and funding will take time to Amur leopard population steady. Zoo bred Amur leopards may be used in a reintroduction plan

30 Carnivores Tigers

Saving the tiger is as important as it Over in Bangladesh, ZSL is working is difficult. A predator not only with the Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh competing with humans for food and and the government to conserve one space but capable of killing people, of the world’s largest remaining the tiger is also an iconic flagship for populations of tigers in the world’s the conservation of the Asian forests largest mangrove forest, the on whose watersheds, natural Sundarbans. The Bangladesh Tiger resources and carbon sequestration Action Plan addresses a full range services humanity ultimately depends. of issues from tiger and prey poaching to woodcutting, using In Indonesia, ZSL’s approach to saving holistic solutions combining law the Sumatran tiger ranges from enforcement, education and traditional protection – a wildlife crime livelihood initiatives. Attacks on unit in Berbak National Park, closely people and livestock are also linked with related groups for particularly intense in this region, intelligence sharing about the and ZSL’s tiger response teams are wildlife trade – to an innovative working hard to provide villagers with project aimed at the production of both protection and compensation. ZSL also hosts 21st Century Tiger a ‘tiger-friendly carbon credits’, which unique wild tiger fundraising could turn the Berbak peat swamp In the very different temperate forests partnership with Global Tiger Patrol. ecosystem, high in carbon and with a of the Russian Far East, ZSL is All donations received by 21st Century thriving tiger population, from a drain supporting both protection measures Tiger are allocated to wild tiger on government resources into a major and monitoring, with results in conservation projects, as revenue generator. The programme Lazovsky National Park showing that administration costs are funded by is also tackling the difficult issues of the reserve’s resident tigers are Dreamworld Conservation Fund in the spread of oil palm and tiger-human holding steady despite worrying Australia. Since its establishment in conflict, providing technical advice to indications of overall decline in the 1997, 21st Century Tiger has raised over industry on identification and region. The team is also tackling £1.4 million for close to 60 projects in management of areas of High the crucial issue of wildlife health seven countries, making it one of the Conservation Value and supporting an in the region, training a young Russian top six NGO contributors to Indonesian staff member through his wildlife vet and collecting biological tiger-focused conservation worldwide. PhD on the use of GPS-monitored tiger samples from both wild and domestic translocations as a solution to conflict. animals to provide vital baseline data.

Wild tigers in Sumatra and Russia © ZSL

Carnivores 31 Carnivores

Cheetahs and wild dogs

It is well known that African lions and the south of the park, providing an The information generated by these leopards need massive areas for their in-depth understanding of the studies has highlighted the need conservation, with only the largest population dynamics of cheetah and for a coordinated approach to the protected areas able to support viable enabling estimation of parameters, conservation of the two species. populations. Cheetahs and wild dogs such as reproduction and survival ZSL has consequently been closely require even more space, despite rates, that are essential for long-term involved in the development of a their smaller size, because the larger conservation planning. Information range-wide conservation planning and more aggressive predators tend from this study is also being used to process. The process works with to exclude them from areas of high inform ZSL’s cheetah project in Algeria. governments and biologists to prey density. For both taxa, survival generate a coordinated landscape is therefore reliant on a coordinated, Wild dogs number even less than and transboundary approach to the landscape approach to conservation, cheetahs, and their high level of conservation of cheetah and wild dog. featuring networks of connected sociality means that there are fewer protected areas and buffer zones. than 800 packs of African wild dogs Regional strategies have been remaining in the wild, making it one produced for both eastern and Cheetah are thought to number of the world’s most endangered southern Africa, and in order to around 10,000, and their numbers carnivores. In the nearby rangelands ensure these plans are implemented, are almost certainly declining. The of northern Kenya, ZSL scientists work ZSL has helped put in place regional Serengeti National Park in Tanzania with local Samburu and Masai coordinators who are tasked both with is home to the Serengeti Cheetah pastoralists, whose traditions help setting up national action planning Project, which is the longest ongoing protect wild dogs on community lands; processes, which provide for national study of wild cheetahs in the world careful herding of livestock reduces implementation of the regional plans. (in 2010 it entered its 36th year). In the predation by wild dogs and lands set In 2009, national plans were Serengeti, ZSL scientists maintain aside for dry season grazing provide a developed by South Africa, detailed life histories of every cheetah haven for wild prey. Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda and sighted in Southern Sudan, bringing the total number of range states with national action plans to eight. This process serves as a model for the conservation of wide-ranging terrestrial species, whereby governments are engaged to generate their own national species action plans within a regional framework, and an overall coordinating role is used to drive subsequent implementation.

(Left) Regional strategy planning meeting in Southern Sudan

(Opposite page top) A cheetah in Serengeti National Park © Sarah Durant

(Opposite page bottom) A pack of wild dogs in Kenya © Simon Hedges

32 Carnivores Carnivores 33 Getting species back into the wild

Conservation breeding and reintroduction is recognised as an important and effective tool in wildlife conservation. ZSL has considerable experience in this complex process, having successfully managed a number of such projects in the UK and overseas. While many projects are located in a species’ home country, others involve conservation breeding programmes at ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos.

Fish Net

Fish Net was launched in 2009 with harsh environments and are often Fish Net will see the expansion of the aim of saving freshwater fish considered important indicators for the breeding programmes, continued species from extinction through a ecosystem health. The IUCN Red List engagement to conserve the Corfu dynamic programme of conservation has not evaluated most, but of those killifish in collaboration with Greek breeding, education and outreach, that have been evaluated, twelve researchers and a new field research and field conservation species are Extinct, five are Extinct conservation initiative in Turkey. The initiatives. Fish Net builds on work in the Wild and twenty-three are team also plans to pilot an outreach at London Zoo’s Aquarium, which Critically Endangered. These species programme with Fish Net species in includes conservation breeding are neglected by governments, and London schools. programmes for threatened species their plight has only received the and associated field conservation attention of a few specialised activities in Greece and Mexico. hobbyists and academics. Only a The target groups are killifish and handful of public aquariums currently livebearers, which are small freshwater manage these species, and ZSL is one fish. They are notable for inhabiting of the most active. The future of

(Left) Begum Iscen from Hacettepe University, a Fish Net partner, examines a catch of Critically Endangered Turkish killifish © Brian Zimmerman (Right) A male Charco Palma Pupfish, another Fish Net species © David Curnik

34 Getting species back into the wild Corncrakes

Corncrakes, the only globally corncrakes produced the most threatened migratory bird to breed successful breeding season this regularly in the UK, began disappearing programme has had to date. One from the British countryside more than hundred and ninety-nine eggs were laid a century ago. To help ensure their with 168 eggs making it to incubation continued survival, corncrakes are bred and 158 hatching – two more than last at Whipsnade Zoo and released at the year. The total number of birds sent to RSPB’s Nene Washes nature reserve in Nene Washes was 134 chicks, which Cambridgeshire. beat the previous record by four.

With the knowledge gained over the To increase the genetic diversity of past four seasons, predictions of the population at Whipsnade for the successful pairings were determined next breeding season, a licence was by the vocalisations of the pair in their granted to collect 20 chicks from the first few days together. If a pair did not wild. With the help of three volunteers exhibit positive signs, the male was and the RSPB Coll reserve warden, the moved. In general, each pair was given team was able to catch ten chicks two weeks to produce a nest. In 2009, (six male, four female) over the course eight male and thirteen female of nine days.

(Top) A male corncrake, which has hatched at Whipsnade and later became a calling bird in Nene Washes © Jamie Graham

(Left) Three Oriental white-backed vultures © Nick Lindsay

Vultures

This past year saw significant endangered vulture species, Plan. ZSL made significant developments in India and Nepal for indicating the real potential of this contributions to the management of the South Asia Vulture Programme. programme in the coming years. the breeding centres by running In India, working with the Royal training workshops in India for Society for the Protection of Birds In Nepal, working with the Department veterinary staff and in Nepal for all and the Bombay Natural History of National Parks and Wildlife staff involved in the centre, including Society, two slender-billed vultures Conservation, the National Trust for keepers, vets and managers. This is were reared, almost certainly the first Nature Conservation and Bird a key role for ZSL, both for the vulture captive breeding of this species. There Conservation Nepal, 30 juvenile OWBV programme and for capacity building in were also further successes with were caught, bringing the total number other aspects of wildlife conservation. breeding the Oriental white-backed of this species in safety to 43. The In addition, a senior ZSL delegation vulture, in both the number of eggs government of Nepal continued to visited vulture project sites in India and laid and chicks reared. Each year the demonstrate its support for the Nepal, raising the profile of the vulture centres are showing improved programme with the production of the programme both in the UK and abroad. performances with all three critically Nepal Vulture Conservation Action

Getting species back into the wild 35 Getting species back into the wild

Desert reintroductions

ZSL has a long history of working in In 2009, ZSL established a partnership restoration science in the Kingdom, the desert ecosystems of North with the Sahara Conservation Fund providing inputs on species monitoring Africa and Arabia, having played a lead for a Pan-Sahara Wildlife Survey under and conservation management in role in establishing one of the world’s which a number of sites across North several key protected areas. In major long-term conservation initiatives Africa are being surveyed to determine addition to Arabian oryx, KKWRC for large mammals with the formation wildlife status and land use. This provides scientific backbone for the of the ‘World Herd’ of Arabian oryx in information will be available to reintroduction of mountain gazelle, the early 1960s. ZSL contributed to guide potential reintroductions of sand gazelle and Nubian ibex. The all aspects of planning this species’ desert ungulates. ZSL/SWC partnership has played a recovery and is still participating in the fundamental role in the reintroduction and monitoring of the The King Khalid Wildlife Research re-establishment of antelope species world’s only unfenced wild population Centre (KKWRC) in Thumamah, in response to the drastic reduction in the Arabian Empty Quarter nearly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has been and fragmentation of populations. 50 years later. ZSL also helped lead managed by ZSL since 1987 and is a The wild-living, captive-bred stock the first repatriation of scimitar-horned long-term collaboration with the Saudi now represents the largest wild oryx to Tunisia in the 1980s and con- Wildlife Commission (SWC). The major populations of antelope species in tinue to provide technical advice. work of KKWRC is in conservation and Arabia. The reintroduced populations are rigorously monitored, and in 2009 KKWRC reported that population counts of reintroduced mountain gazelles remained stable in the NIR, but had declined on the plateau and that the numbers of ibex had decreased. The declines are most likely due to increasing human disturbance, illegal hunting and low food availability.

The centre also has a genetics laboratory, and ZSL has introduced the use of molecular genetics to support stock management and breeding programmes. This has helped elucidate the phylogeny and origin of gazelles in Arabia. The most important recent finding is confirmation that the mountain gazelle is a uniquely Arabian species. Another key to the success of KKWRC is the good health of the animals in captivity and the wild. KKWRC maintains a strong veterinary department that focuses on diseases of antelopes and supports the health care of breeding herds at KKWRC as well as royal and private collections throughout the Kingdom. Beyond this, KKWRC provides training and research opportunities for Saudi conservationists and researchers.

A slender-horned gazelle in Tunisia © Tim Wacher

36 Getting species back into the wild Partula snails

The International Partula Snail analytical tools and approaches for natural range. The initial focal area for Programme, a collaborative group-managed species. these reserves is Tahiti, but the conservation breeding effort between programme will expand to other range 15 zoos, has seen significant process Following concerted efforts from the islands in the future. The breeding over the last year on both the in-situ programme’s field conservation programme continues to draw and ex-situ fronts. The breeding biologist, steady progress has been attention worldwide and has featured programme has continued to ensure realised on the ground in French as a case study in a World Association the survival of a number of species Polynesia. This includes the revision of of Zoos and Aquaria (WAZA) special that are extinct across their wild the long-term conservation action plan publication and in a number of genetic range, and the group-managed nature and the agreement with the French analysis studies. of the programme has provided a Polynesia government for the creation valuable model for developing new of Partula reserves in key areas of their

A Partula snail, extinct in the wild but still surviving in zoos © ZSL Northern cheetahs were bred successfully for the first time in the UK at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo © ZSL Zoo breeding programmes

Reintroductions are often a last resort and Sumatran tiger, and European recognises that these species must be and many species in zoos will never Endangered Species Breeding managed in captivity to ensure their need to be reintroduced into the wild. Programmes (EEPs) for Amur leopard, survival. Many of the species will All zoo populations, however, need Amur tiger, Sumatran tiger, Arabian not be reintroduced in the near future to be in properly managed oryx, Frégate Island beetle, golden since their habitats are highly degraded conservation breeding programmes lion tamarin and Nile lechwe. ZSL also or destroyed. It is hoped that by work- to ensure genetic diversity, overall holds the European Studbook (ESB) ing with range states and local NGOs health and long-term survival. These for Abdim’s stork, black hornbill, that when the time is right and the programmes also contribute to chestnut-backed thrush, pied hornbill habitat restored, the fish can safely the conservation of their wild and toco toucan. return to their original habitat. Until counterparts by providing support such time, ZSL is dedicated to keeping through awareness and education In addition to terrestrial species, the the species alive in captivity. programmes, fundraising, research Aquarium at London Zoo maintains and training. colonies of several aquatic species that are extinct in the wild or critically ZSL is active in this arena, managing endangered. Although these colonies the Global Species Management are not managed via an ESB or EEP, Programmes (GSMPs) for Partula snail the wider aquarium community

Getting species back into the wild 37 Ecosystem restoration for conservation and development

It is not only wildlife that relies on a healthy and biodiverse ecosystem; millions of people depend on the environment for their livelihoods and valuable ecosystem services. ZSL works with local communities across the planet to encourage sustainable use and management of natural resources. By working with communities, ZSL hopes to develop capacity to ensure that development and conservation can progress harmoniously.

Community-Based Mangrove Rehabilitation Project

ZSL’s Community-Based Mangrove Communities have been mobilised These 25-year government Rehabilitation Project (CMRP), funded to lead the mangrove planting agreements provide communities by the Big Lottery Fund, aims to initiatives. Technical training is with stewardship of their forests, provide coastal communities across particularly important as many and one CBFMA has been awarded Panay, Philippines, with increased mangrove replanting programmes fail since the project began. To support coastal protection, food resources and through the wrong selection of species community efforts, the team are also livelihoods through the rehabilitation and/or sites for replanting. Already, the currently looking into the development and restoration of mangrove forests. CMRP is recording excellent survival of sustainable livelihoods, such as Since its inception in 2008, over (greater than 80 per cent) and growth eco-tourism, and opened the project’s 20,000 mangrove seedlings have been rates for the mangrove seedlings. first Eco-Park in January 2010. planted and 46 hectares of abandoned aquaculture ponds have been The ZSL Philippines team has also identified for reversion to mangroves. facilitated six ‘People’s Organisations’, Much of this has been achieved groups of local residents who are through a strong training programme being mentored in their efforts to attain that engages communities, local community-based forest management government and students. agreements (CBFMA).

(Left) Jurgenne Primavera conducts a species identification session (Right) The CMRP team at one of the restoration sites © ZSL

38 Ecosystem restoration for conservation and development MPA enforcement teams continue to protect the 33 MPAs Project Seahorse has helped establish © ZSL

Project Seahorse

Further support from the BBC Wildlife PhD researchers also investigated the Fund enabled Project Seahorse to socio-economic balance between launch a rapid assessment of seahorse fishing and seaweed farming, species, distributions and habitats particularly important considering across the Danajon Bank, the focal government plans to expand seaweed area, using the knowledge and skills farming dramatically. The team worked of local fishers. A trained fisher team with top Filipino scientists to develop a worked with biologists to develop a position statement and guidelines for broad-scale habitat map of the region, the proposed development of 24,000 using a combination of satellite images hectares of the Danajon Bank coral and in-water surveys. Local fishers reef into seaweed farms. from 16 villages were interviewed to establish local knowledge of seahorse The team published papers on both distribution. These determined known MPAs and the population genetics of locations of seahorse populations for European seahorses, which can be in-water surveys. The Philippines accessed on the revamped Project team continue to support and Seahorse website strengthen the 33 Marine Protected (www.projectseahorse.org). Areas (MPAs) they have helped establish.

Ecosystem restoration for conservation and development 39 Ecosystem restoration for conservation and development

The Salakpra Elephant Ecosystem Conservation Alliance

Working with the Elephant With support from the US Fish and Conservation Network (ECN), ZSL’s Wildlife Service Asian Elephant Fund, Asian elephant project tackles the key the project has a growing network issue of human-elephant conflict in of local groups agreeing rights and and around Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary responsibilities in the use and in West Thailand. To reduce protection of forest resources under competition for natural resources, the Salakpra Elephant Ecosystem this project is developing alternative Conservation Alliance (SEECA). The livelihoods for forest users and the SEECA initiative helps forest users capacity of local villagers to restore develop alternative incomes, degraded forest. It is proving highly including nurseries growing indigenous Mon from ECN works with a SEECA successful in engaging local people tree saplings for community forest women’s group to prepare a business plan to do their own research on restoration, which has the added © Saravanee Namsupak/ECN human-elephant conflict. benefit of reducing villagers’ dependency on the existing forest. They have discovered that the The team members are acknowledged problem is exacerbated by farmers leaders in involving villagers, many planting sugarcane and orchards on of whom are women, in self-help ancient elephant routes and by conservation development projects to villagers harvesting resources inside such an extent that universities, NGOs Salakpra. As a result of this research, and communities around Thailand and elephants are no longer being blamed abroad send groups to learn the for the conflict. methods adopted.

A herd of wild Asian elephants, West Thailand © ECN

40 Ecosystem restoration for conservation and development Bushmeat Alternatives

The tiny Central African country of fresh animal protein for an increasingly Equatorial Guinea contains incredible wealthy urban population and income but largely undocumented biodiversity, for poor rural hunters, bushmeat including the fourth highest primate hunting for the commercial trade species richness in Africa. The is becoming increasingly discovery of vast offshore oil fields has unsustainable. This risks detrimental resulted in a dramatic economic boom effects on both wildlife populations and in the past decade, transforming the peoples’ livelihood and food security. country from extreme poverty into a key player in Central Africa, but also This new project, started in 2009, is fuelling the demand for bushmeat. working with local communities, the Equatoguinean government, national ZSL, in collaboration with INDEFOR and international universities, NGOs (the national forestry and protected and international experts to areas institute), ECOFAC (an EU evaluate culturally acceptable ZSL’s project in Equatorial Guinea project) and Conservation International, and economically viable bushmeat focuses on providing sustainable has been conducting research into the alternatives, in terms of food and alternatives to bushmeat hunting causes and effects of bushmeat income, to build national capacity to © Noëlle Kümpel hunting and trade in continental carry out socio-economic monitoring Equatorial Guinea since 2002. Whilst and research, and to assist local neither bushmeat as a food nor communities in implementing pilot hunting as a livelihood is preferred, in projects to test the most feasible the absence of alternative sources of bushmeat alternatives.

Thames Marine Mammal Sightings Surveys

ZSL’s work in this field is not limited website, email or letter. The survey to developing countries; local area extends between the tidal limit at communities here in the UK also play Teddington and Sheerness in the outer a part in protecting the ecosystems estuary, and sightings have been around them. Marine mammals have submitted throughout the range from long been known to be residents and local communities and businesses. transient visitors to the Thames estuary, although no formal record To date, the Marine Mammals of their occurrence had ever been Sightings survey has collated over 600 documented. The ZSL Thames Marine records of seals, dolphins, porpoises Mammal Sightings survey (MMS) and whales spotted in the Thames. was initiated in 2004 with the aim to These data are crucial to ensure that fill this void and provide distribution, conservation measures are initiated A bottlenose dolphin sighted in the Thames behaviour and habitat use data to that address issues threatening marine © Mike Cable inform future management strategies. mammal populations in urban This project is unique because the estuaries, such as pollution, habitat survey is entirely dependent upon degradation and dredging. members of the public who submit marine mammal sightings via the ZSL

A bottlenose dolphin sighted in the Thames © Mike Cable

Ecosystem restoration for conservation and development 41 Emerging threats: climate change

Climate change will likely be the greatest cause of extinction this century and innovative approaches for mitigation and adaptation are needed. ZSL is determined to contribute as fully as possible to local, national and international efforts to address climate change by conducting strong science, convening experts, testing new approaches for reducing deforestation and highlighting the implications for species, ecosystems and humanity.

Developing REDD initiatives

Biodiversity – in particular, keystone ZSL has been working in the forests Berbak National Park, a major species such as seed dispersers and of Central and West Africa to compare carbon repository and one of the last pollinators – is crucial for the long-term the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of strongholds for the Sumatran tiger. viability of tropical forests. different biodiversity monitoring At present, Berbak’s forests are being Maintenance of biodiversity will be an methods, including camera trapping, lost to fires and illegal logging, integral element of an international reconnaissance surveys and line adding considerably to Indonesia’s agreement for REDD (Reducing transects, for a broad selection of taxa. carbon emissions; if properly managed Emissions from Deforestation and The results of this work will enable the area could instead sequester more Forest Degradation) under the United ZSL to design appropriate monitoring carbon each year. This would not only Nations Framework Convention on systems for use under different forest assist Indonesia to meet its target of a Climate Change (UNFCCC), and there management strategies, including 26 per cent reduction in emissions by is potential for biodiversity carbon REDD. This will be tested in a new 2020, but would also generate enough credits to be sold for a premium on REDD project being developed by ZSL carbon trading income to fund the voluntary carbon market. REDD and partners in eastern Democratic protection and monitoring in the park could make standing forests worth Republic of Congo. and surrounding forests, provide more financially to the governments essential services to local villages and charged with managing them than In Indonesia, a Darwin Initiative grant produce substantial income streams they could earn from logging or is enabling ZSL to measure biodiversity for local, national and provincial conversion to plantations, providing and carbon baselines and to set up government. real motivation for forest political and social infrastructure ready conservation and new hope for the for the sale of credits that could be survival of numerous forest species. generated by effective protection of

REDD programmes could make forests worth more standing than cut down, protecting valuable forest habitat for iconic species such as the Sumatran tiger © Tom Maddox

42 Emerging threats: Climate Change (Top) ZSL is developing a framework to predict species vulnerability to climate change © Nathalie Pettorelli/Sarah Durant (Bottom) The European eel, a migratory species vulnerable to climate change © David Curnick

Predicting future impacts of climate change on ecosystems

Understanding how climate influences short term, climate change could changes in seasonal patterns or vertebrate populations and predicting greatly alter levels of biodiversity, increased occurrence of extreme the future ecological consequences of community structure and the climatic events – can affect directly climatic change is a major challenge spatio-temporal distribution of species. and indirectly animal occurrence, in ecology and wildlife management. In the longer term, climate change behaviour, performance and Current predictions suggest that might act as a selective force on abundance. ZSL is also examining humanity is only starting to populations, allowing only individuals how evolutionary history and experience the consequences of with the appropriate genotype, environmental and spatial adaptations climate change, yet the ecological phenotype or behaviour to survive. shape patterns of climate change impacts of such changes in climate are There is currently no available susceptibility. already being felt at all levels of theoretical framework allowing species biological organisation: physiology, vulnerability to future change in climate population dynamics, life-history, to be predicted, and one of ZSL’s aim phenology, geographical range, trophic is to help develop such a framework interactions, species composition of by exploring how changes in communities and structure and climate – such as changes in average functioning of ecosystems. In the precipitations and temperature or

Changing threats to migratory species

Migratory species provide some of the may also be their downfall in the understanding of which migratory most spectacular visions of wildlife on face of changing threats from species might warrant increased the planet. Regular seasonal journeys humans. attention in the face of future changes are made by many thousands of to climate. species. For example, wildebeest Since 2008, ZSL has been working migrate through the Serengeti-Mara with the United Nations Convention on ecosystem in search of food and Migratory Species (CMS) to help track water, the European eel makes an epic the impact of growing threats such as 5,000-kilometre roundtrip journey to habitat loss and climate change on spawn in the Sargasso sea, while bird these species. Tracking change in species move along long distance population abundance of migratory flyways between northern breeding species enables fine-scale areas in the Arctic Circle to understanding of where populations overwintering sites in West Africa. are under threat. In unison, an The life history attributes that makes innovative predictive tool based on life such species uniquely adaptable history analysis allows a better

Emerging threats: Climate Change 43 Emerging threats: climate change

Highlighting the coral reef crisis

Coral reefs comprise about 0.2 per critical meeting at the Royal Society, with Earth-Touch and presented it at cent of the surface area of the oceans, which brought together coral reef the United Nations Framework but harbour a quarter of the world’s biologists and climate scientists. Convention on Climate Change marine biodiversity. They are also one The meeting, co-chaired by Sir David negotiations in Copenhagen of the most valuable marine Attenborough, concluded that coral (UNFCCC-COP 15) in December 2009, ecosystems in socioeconomic terms, reefs could not survive projected along with other information

estimated to provide goods and increases in atmospheric CO2 and that documents distributed to delegates. services worth up to $375 billion per immediate action on emissions was The work on the Coral Reef Crisis annum. However, coral reefs are in required to prevent the loss of these continued with the development of trouble with about one-fifth having ecosystems within the next 100 years. the GLOBE Action Plan for Coral Reefs been destroyed already. As well as The meeting resulted in the for presentation at the Convention on human impacts arising from Statement of the Coral Reef Crisis Biological Diversity (CBD-COP 10) in overfishing, destructive fishing Working Group and a paper detailing Nagoya, Japan, October 2010. practices and coastal pollution, coral the climate change threat to corals. reefs face new threats from climate change, mass coral bleaching and ZSL scientists also produced a film ocean acidification. ZSL organised a “Corals on the Edge” in collaboration

The Royal Society meeting co-chaired by Sir David Attenborough © ZSL

44 Emerging threats: Climate Change Bioclimate website

There has been a recent doubling stakeholders who wish to keep change position statements and the of the number of references on up-to-date with information on physical science basis of climate the Bioclimate information tool biodiversity-related climate change change. This last subject area focus (www.bioclimate.org). Developed in issues. It is designed to increase reflects the still significant need to collaboration with the UNEP / World capacity to address climate change clarify the basic science supporting Conservation Monitoring Centre, threats by improving information flow climate change. IUCN, World Association of Zoos and networking opportunities. and Aquaria and Botanic Gardens Bioclimate highlights synergies Bioclimate has developed into the Conservation International, Bioclimate between climate change adaptation world’s largest biodiversity reference is an online open-access reference tool and mitigation, biodiversity database and is continuing to expand for biodiversity-related climate change conservation and ecosystem resilience. its content to keep abreast with the information. best science available on these key In addition to regional and country impact and response issues. The result of a long-running review level impact references – especially for of the extensive climate change Europe, USA, China and India – input biodiversity impact-related literature, focus over the past year has been on Bioclimate is a resource for specialists, coral reef vulnerability, tipping point decision-makers and any other threshold levels, organisation climate

The Bioclimate website and researchers who have helped develop it

Emerging threats: Climate Change 45 Emerging threats: wildlife disease

Understanding and tackling wildlife disease is a crucial component of conservation and is necessary to ensure the long-term survival of many species. As humans transform landscapes, the risk of disease transmission between humans, wildlife and domestic animals increases. ZSL is committed to understanding this relationship to assess and monitor the risks and enable effective mitigation strategies to be implemented.

Garden Bird Health Initiative

The Garden Bird Health Initiative Reports of disease outbreaks and Ongoing work involves the (www.ufaw.org.uk/gbhi.php) is a highly garden bird carcasses are received identification of risk factors for disease collaborative project working to from members of the public and from occurrence in garden birds as well as investigate disease threats to garden volunteers in the BTO’s Garden providing science-based guidance to birds in Great Britain. The project BirdWatch scheme. Through the the public to maximise the benefits also aims to assess how best to feed project, ZSL has been able to identify and minimise any risks of feeding garden birds in order to maximise the disease outbreaks in garden birds, garden birds. benefits for their welfare and assess the effects of these outbreaks conservation. Established as a on bird populations and monitor working group of the Universities disease threats to Biodiversity Action Federation for Animal Welfare in 2003, Plan (BAP) listed species. A major the project is coordinated by ZSL. The finding of the project has been the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), the discovery of the emerging disease Royal Society for the Protection of finch trichomonosis as a probable Birds (RSPB) and other veterinary cause of greenfinch and chaffinch diagnostic laboratories are key population declines in Great partners in the project. Britain.

A greenfinch sick with trichomonosis © Steve Clayton

46 Emerging threats: Wildlife Disease Great apes and human health in Gabon

ZSL has been running a Great Ape and Human Health Programme from the Mikongo Conservation Centre in Lopé (Top left) ZB leads Sandra Slater-Jones through the forest © David Maitland National Park in Gabon for the last five (Top right) Kathryn Shutt collects gorilla faecal samples © David Maitland years. The programme carries out research into the interactions between wildlife and humans with particular populations as well as between gorillas In addition to this research, the emphasis on health and disease risk and humans. It is focused on exploring programme conducts awareness and analysis. The long-term goal is to the patterns of infection of Giardia and outreach activities in local communities identify and mitigate the health risks Cryptosporidium within gorilla and schools to inform local people of related to human activities that pose populations and investigating potential risks and the importance of health and a threat to great apes and the local factors that influence the likelihood of hygiene, and collaborates with medical people who come into contact with infection with particular reference to authorities to facilitate the provision of them. Currently research is being human presence and activities, basic medical care to local carried out into understanding disease landscape features and gorilla social communities. transmission processes within gorilla and ranging behaviours.

Western lowland gorilla © Garth Cripps Emerging threats: Wildlife Disease 47 Emerging threats: wildlife disease

Disease risk analysis

ZSL carries out disease risk analysis major threat to red squirrel and health surveillance for Natural conservation in the British Isles: England’s Species Recovery squirrelpox virus. Squirrelpox virus Programme, working to develop new causes an invariably fatal disease in methods to monitor the health of red squirrels and is harboured by the reintroduced species, their reservoir host, the introduced and conspecifics and the wider ecosystem invasive grey squirrel. Through this during all stages of active work, published in the journal reintroduction programmes in England. Epidemiology and Infection, ZSL The team currently works on thirteen found evidence that the virus is species across all classes of transmitted directly between the two vertebrates as well as some squirrel species, and therefore red invertebrate species. In studies to squirrel reintroduction is not a viable determine the options for conservation tactic in areas where reintroduction of red squirrels in grey squirrels are present. England, the project identified and A red squirrel infected with investigated the epidemiology of a squirrelpox viral disease

(Above top) © Terry Dennett (Above bottom) © Martin Cooke

The chytrid crisis

The mountain chicken is one of the chickens and their native food species. world’s largest species of frogs. It once ranged throughout the Lesser In 2009, chytrid fungus arrived in Antilles in the Caribbean, but declined Montserrat promising the same due to over-hunting, habitat loss and detrimental effects witnessed in introduced predators. It is now found Dominica. Experts from ZSL and only on Dominica and Montserrat, and project partner Durrell Wildlife it is rapidly heading towards extinction. Conservation Trust immediately began One of the last mountain chickens seen on groundbreaking trials to mitigate the Dominica by ZSL staff © Ian Stephen Chytrid fungus, the major driver of disease in the wild. Fifty frogs were amphibian declines worldwide, exported to Europe to begin captive arrived in Dominica in late 2002 assurance colonies, twelve of which causing catastrophic mass are held at ZSL. ZSL is currently the mortality. In response, ZSL-trained only institution worldwide to hold forestry staff assessed chytrid biosecure populations of both the presence and prevalence, constructed Dominica and Montserrat mountain a laboratory and trained local chicken. While the wild population has technicians to perform chytrid declined by over 80 per cent in the last analyses. Seven frogs were taken to ten years, it is hoped that captive-bred the UK to initiate a biosecure breeding frogs will be released into unaffected population, and a facility was areas of the islands to prevent its constructed on the island in 2008 to extinction in the future. breed both mountain

48 Emerging threats: Wildlife Disease Disease risk analysis

Helen Meredith examines a mountain chicken in Dominica © ZSL

Emerging threats: Wildlife Disease 49 Sharing conservation knowledge

Education and training are central to ZSL’s activities. By providing opportunities in the UK and abroad for aspiring conservation practitioners, ZSL aims to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and build capacity with a strong focus on training the next generation of conservation leaders and scientists.

Building conservation capacity in protected areas

One of ZSL’s key activities is building area for capacity building is training of sampling, patrol-based monitoring and conservation capacity throughout the protected area staff, especially park data analysis. ZSL also specialises in globe. ZSL is invested in helping the rangers. This may be through wildlife health capacity building, next generation of conservation on-the-job training, workshops or offering veterinary training in the leaders develop the capabilities, courses in which rangers undergo UK and abroad. resources and expertise needed to standardised field-based training. The manage the planet’s natural resources sessions include all aspects of planning sustainably. ZSL is committed to and executing surveys, using methods developing in-country capacity such as camera trapping or aerial wherever it is working and has surveys. Sessions may also cover targeted capacity-building projects equipment use and maintenance, in several countries. A major focus species identification, vegetation

Rangers in Tsavo East National Park in Kenya participate in a standardized field training workshop © ZSL

50 Sharing conservation knowledge (Top) Steppe Forward Programme summer training course group photo © ZSL (Right) Students learning distance sampling and insect identification © ZSL

Summer training course with the Steppe Forward Programme

The Steppe Forward Programme is a of training and practical conservation topical discussions in the afternoon, collaboration between ZSL and the needed in Mongolia. allowing students to apply classroom National University of Mongolia that knowledge to practical sessions. has developed and implemented a The field course is a unique academic wide range of conservation projects opportunity that allows students The Steppe Forward Programme prides across Mongolia. The summer field to learn from leading conservation itself in offering outdoor lessons where course in conservation biology is a practitioners and gain an appreciation concepts and theories are discussed small step towards giving Mongolians for ecological processes, become and practical skills are honed amidst the tools to create and manage their equipped with the tools to study these field conditions. The field courses aim own conservation initiatives, assess processes and collaborate with other to spark interest and equip students wildlife populations and design eco- students who share the same with basic field techniques in the hope logical studies. The course aims to conservation interests. It consists of that students will be inspired to significantly strengthen skills and introductory field techniques backed contribute in the long term towards develop initiative amongst aspiring up by practical hands-on sessions. the conservation of wildlife and conservation biologists, improving Morning lectures coincide with habitats. capacity for continued high standards designated laboratory sessions and

Sharing conservation knowledge 51 Sharing conservation knowledge

Erasmus Darwin Barlow Conservation Expedition grant programme

The aim of the Erasmus Darwin Barlow Conservation Expedition grant programme is to attract and nurture the zoologists and conservationists of the future. It acknowledges the impact and far reaching consequences that expeditions have had historically on the understanding of the natural world, not least those of Charles Darwin. The intention is to fund short field surveys to gather information to address a conservation question. Expeditions look at not only biological and ecological information, but also the social, economic and institutional issues that are a threat to a particular species or habitat. The programme was the vision of Erasmus Darwin Barlow’s family, who are still committed supporters.

In 2009, ZSL funded five expeditions to diverse locations focusing on a wide range of conservation issues. These included an investigation of the distribution and conservation status of the Critically Endangered Aders’ duiker in the Boni-Dodori forest near the border of Somalia in Kenya (University of Exeter/Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust); a study of the threatened biodiversity of Lake Chilingali, Malawi (University of Bangor); a status investigation of two threatened fishes endemic to Lake Tawar, Indonesia (UNEP-WCMC); the Negros Interior Biodiversity Expedition that provided a much needed biodiversity assessment to help identify the conservation imperatives of North Negros Natural Park in the Philippines, and a biodiversity survey of the Mahamavo forest and wetlands in Western Madagascar (University of Bath). These grants have provided many valuable opportunities for aspiring conservationists to hone their skills and make positive contributions to Images from the Negros Interior Biodiversity Expedition © Craig Turner conservation globally.

52 Sharing conservation knowledge (Left) EDGE Fellows Dorine Ngeti, Claudio Soto, Kimitei Keneth and Ashish Thomas are shown by Tim Wacher how to set up camera traps © ZSL (Right) Emmelianna Bujak in the lab working on her MSc project © ZSL

EDGE Fellows training course

The EDGE Fellows Programme in London. The 2009 UK training course Through the EDGE Fellows builds conservation capacity in built on the success of the previous programme, the wealth of developing countries that require year and saw six EDGE Fellows from a conservation expertise at ZSL is being support to acquire the skills necessary diverse range of countries trained in passed on to passionate individuals to conserve threatened species and conservation project planning and living in regions where there is a habitats. EDGE Fellows are aspiring implementation. During the two-week wealth of biodiversity and an urgent in-country conservation leaders who course, the fellows studied a variety of need for conservation action. are given technical, financial and topics, including field monitoring institutional support to research or techniques, data analysis, project implement conservation activities planning and management, public for top-priority threatened species. awareness and fundraising, all of They are trained both in the field and which are essential skills for through a conservation training course implementing successful projects.

MSc courses

ZSL runs MSc courses in Wild courses provide high quality, three partner organisations in Animal Health, Wild Animal Biology cost-effective tuition to deepen and conservation research and practice. and Conservation Science, all of extend the knowledge of veterinary The course has rapidly established an which are internationally respected and biology graduates in preparation outstanding international reputation for the quality of their teaching and for employment in the wild animal with the 30 places currently learning environments. The two wild health sector. over-subscribed by a factor of three animal courses are run jointly with the and about one-third of applications Royal Veterinary College and are well The course in Conservation Science coming from overseas. It produces established as the only courses in this is run jointly with Imperial College graduates with an understanding of field in the world. Building on ZSL’s London, in partnership with the Durrell the fundamental social, economic and historical strength and international Wildlife Conservation Trust and the biological principles underlying eminence in wild animal medicine and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. This conservation and who are able to the Royal Veterinary College’s partnership draws on the excellence of function effectively within the social reputation for excellence in the Imperial College in research and and political context that practitioners teaching of veterinary science, the teaching and on the experience of the face.

Sharing conservation knowledge 53 Advising Industry

ZSL is often called upon by industry to provide scientifically sound advice and management recommendations. By working with major natural resource industries, assisting in biodiversity monitoring and advising on best practices and protocols for certification, ZSL can help ensure that industry greatly reduces its impact on biodiversity.

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

The spread of oil palm plantations in International, ZSL, in collaboration regulations and land-use planning. Southeast Asia is closely linked to with the WCS Indonesia Programme, Improving this is critical to the future forest loss and the consequent is working with the multi-stakeholder success of the RSPO in reducing the impacts on species, such as Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil impact of oil palm expansion on orangutans and tigers. ZSL recognises (RSPO) to strengthen the Principles biodiversity. In addition, ZSL that global demand for vegetable oil and Criteria that relate to the researchers sit on the RSPO and the need for poverty alleviation in identification and management of Biodiversity Technical Committee, Asia means that further expansion is biodiversity on and around oil palm providing valuable scientific advice. inevitable; ZSL researchers are concessions. therefore working with the palm oil industry and with government to The RSPO is a voluntary initiative, so mitigate the damaging effects on implementation of the principles biodiversity. and criteria is currently limited to companies that have chosen to join With a grant from the Biodiversity and and meet the certification standard, a Agricultural Commodities Programme process for which there is little support and matched funding from Wilmar from or congruency with government

54 Advising Industry Wildlife Wood Project

Protected areas cover only 10 per cent Arcus Foundation. Over the last three the impact of logging on the forest, of the remaining forest in Africa, with years, ZSL has been working in Ghana and it has developed and trialled much of the remainder allocated as and Cameroon with five timber innovative techniques to allow logging concessions. ZSL recognises company partners as well as companies to monitor wildlife and that working with timber government and local universities to identify and map areas of High companies to improve their understand the impacts of logging on Conservation Value for great apes for wildlife management is critical to wildlife and develop practical incorporation into their management achieving conservation across the management measures to minimise plans. The project has also carried forests of the region. In response, them. Over this time, the project out extensive socio-economic surveys ZSL developed the Wildlife Wood has helped companies set up amongst communities to evaluate their Project in Cameroon and Ghana with biomonitoring teams and systems to dependence on the forests and ensure funding from Timbmet, the Darwin monitor wildlife and illegal activities that recommended management Initiative, the Rufford Foundation, the in their concessions. It has identified actions take into consideration both US Fish and Wildlife Service and the species that can act as indicators of the needs of wildlife and local people.

ZSL is working with logging companies in Ghana and Cameroon to minimise their impact on biodiversity (Left) © Emilie Vutravers (Right) © Chris Ransom

Biofuels

Globally, biofuels and biomass could land for biofuel crops, resulting in a net and social impacts of converting land play an important role in both carbon debt and loss of biodiversity. to biofuel production. The revised agricultural development and energy GLOBE biofuels working paper is

(Left) Trucks loaded with oil palm fruit © ZSL policy, while contributing to climate The Global Legislators Organisation available on request. (Right) Oil palm plantation © ZSL change mitigation and national for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE energy security. However, with International) first submitted a working the area under biofuel production paper on policies related to biofuels at projected to grow by over 240 per the GLOBE Legislators Forum in Tokyo. cent between 2005 and 2030, there is Prior to a subsequent meeting of an urgent need to ensure that demand GLOBE parliamentarians at the United for biofuels does not lead to food price Nations Environment Programme spikes that could have severe negative headquarters in Nairobi, ZSL revised consequences for food security and the working paper in order to take into poverty and that it does not lead to account more recent information on conversion of High Conservation Value the potential environmental and

Advising Industry 55 Informing policy

ZSL is committed to ensuring that governments and decision-makers are provided with the best available conservation science so that informed decisions can be made about the world’s species and ecosystems. ZSL is an active participant in the field of international conservation policy with staff members working with numerous international and national agencies to inform and advise on policy decisions on all levels.

GLOBE International

ZSL acts as the scientific advisory body to the Global Legislators Organisation for a Balanced Environment (GLOBE International). A team of scientists provides input and scientific guidance for GLOBE’s work on marine fisheries, tropical forests, coral reefs, environmental accounting, biodiversity conservation and valuing natural capital to assist in the development of policy responses.

GLOBE is a unique entity that brings together legislators, scientists, economists and policy experts from around the world to develop and advance progressive legislation on climate change, forestry, biodiversity and marine ecosystems. Although at present GLOBE legislators represent primarily G20 countries, Elizabeth Clark, Anisha Grover and Natasha Pauli represent ZSL at CBD-COP 10 © ZSL GLOBE membership is open to members of parliament from any country. As country delegations are strictly cross-party, the GLOBE process have attended several high profile discussion of policy responses that helps de-politicise issues, giving meetings of international could reduce human impacts on these governments the ability to move parliamentarians organised through ecosystems. ZSL’s role as scientific forward on the issues raised. The the GLOBE process and presented advisors to GLOBE will continue into Global Environment Facility (GEF) and information to the assembled 2011 and provide an excellent the United Nations Environment legislators on the current status, trends platform for publicising the important Program (UNEP) support GLOBE’s and projects for tropical forests, marine conservation work carried out by work. Since 2009, ZSL representatives fisheries and coral reefs, including the Society.

56 Informing policy The road to Copenhagen and Nagoya

A delegation from ZSL attended the ZSL also sent a delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention tenth conference of the parties of the on Climate Change (UNFCCC-COP 15) Convention on Biological Diversity conference in Copenhagen in (CBD-COP 10) in Nagoya, Japan, in December 2009. ZSL’s objectives October 2010. ZSL presented work for attending UNFCCC were to make work on the status and trends of the national delegations aware of ocean world’s vertebrates, National Red Lists, acidification and the coral crisis, the coral reef crisis and innovative share on-the-ground experience of approaches to investing in natural implementing projects on Reducing capital. ZSL was closely involved with Emissions from Deforestation and GLOBE International’s Parliamentarians Forest Degradation (REDD), learn and Biodiversity Forum and co-hosted about the latest climate science and three side events. The forum and the meet with country delegations, donors CBD provided an opportunity for ZSL and colleagues. ZSL mounted an to launch two books, two films and exhibit on the Coral Reef Crisis due three major collaborative reports, as to rising ocean acidification and several thousand delegates attended warming of ocean surface waters. the conference. A centrepiece of the exhibit was a screen playing a 12-minute video by Noëlle Kümpel represents Earth-Touch, entitled ‘Corals on the ZSL at UNFCCC-COP 15 © ZSL EDGE’.

Tidal Thames Conservation Project

As part of the Tidal Thames After five years of monitoring it was Conservation Project, ZSL scientists found that the number of returning monitor the upstream movement of elvers is extremely low; in some rivers juvenile eels – elvers – in a number of the number of elvers has declined rivers in the catchment. In the past 30 by over 95 per cent. Data from this years the number of elvers returning to project has been included in both European rivers has declined causing national and European reports and concern amongst biologists and informs the Thames Eel Management stakeholders. A number of reasons Plan. It is hoped that ZSL’s work will could be causing the decline, and help to stimulate policy change that these include changing oceanic protects the eel in the future. currents, migration barriers, loss of freshwater habitat, disease, pollution and exploitation. Current understanding of eel biology is only beginning to allow scientists to pinpoint how these factors affect them Matthew Gollock monitors and how to mitigate against them. elvers in the Thames © ZSL Monitoring projects such as ZSL’s are essential in furthering this knowledge.

Informing policy 57 Informing policy

The Chagos Marine Protected Area

ZSL played a key role in supporting the encompassing the entire 210,000 creation of the world’s largest Marine square mile area. ZSL led the Protected Area (MPA). The British communication strategy that Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), also consisted of the Protect Chagos known as the Chagos Archipelago, is website, a postcard appeal in UK located approximately 500 kilometres zoos and aquariums, and gaining south of the Maldives. The lack of letters of support from organisations people and isolated location mean that and individuals around the world. it represents some of the world’s In addition, ZSL submitted a scientific most pristine and diverse ocean paper that highlighted the benefits of habitats, and it is an important closing the tuna fisheries in Chagos. scientific reference site. In late 2009, On 1 April 2010, it was announced the UK Foreign Office opened a public that a full no-take MPA had been consultation that presented a range of designated around the waters of options for future management of Chagos. Chagos. ZSL engaged with this consultation as part of the Chagos Environment Network (CEN), which encompasses a number of high profile (Top) The Salomon Atoll science and conservation organisations. The CEN adopted a (Middle) Rachel Jones surveys a reef strong position to encourage the creation of a no-take MPA (Bottom) Ctenella Chagius, an endemic species of brain coral © Charles and Anne Sheppard

58 Informing policy The Argos Georgia, a deep-sea toothfish longlining, docked at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands © Alex Rogers

International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO)

The impacts of deep-sea fisheries most deep-sea fisheries on the high on the report is available on the IPSO on target species, bycatch species seas were unmanaged and few website (www.stateoftheocean.org). and vulnerable seabed communities states had undertaken impact has become an issue of international assessments of their deep-sea IPSO also co-organised and funded the concern. Two recent United Nations fisheries. It also found that measures Coral Reef Crisis meeting with ZSL at General Assembly (UNGA) Resolutions to protect deep-seabed communities, the Royal Society. – 61/105 and 64/72 – have called for a such as cold-water coral reefs, were range of measures for management of often ineffective. The results of the these deep-sea fisheries by states and report will be presented to the UN and Regional Fisheries Management to fisheries managers, and it is hoped Organisations (RFMOs). IPSO that the recommendations made in undertook a major study of the the report will help develop a more implementation of the UNGA effective regime for ecosystem-based Resolutions globally, and the report management of deep-sea fisheries on reached the startling conclusion that the high seas. The report is available

Informing policy 59 Convening conservation leaders

From its inception, ZSL has played a central role in convening and inspiring scientists, students and members of the public. This continues to be a major function of ZSL and the annual programme of lecture series and symposia provides a platform for conservation researchers and practitioners to share their findings. In addition, ZSL publishes several highly respected journals and books.

Symposia Communicating Science & Wildlife Conservation events

ZSL’s two-day symposia bring together ZSL’s popular Communicating Science 2010’s programme included a team of international experts to and Wildlife Conservation lecture Conservation biology of the European discuss important topics in series are free and open to the eel; Making good decisions: how conservation science. The 2009 June public. Held on the second Tuesday humans and other animals deal with symposium, Biodiversity monitoring of each month throughout the an uncertain world; Using timber and conservation: bridging the gaps academic year, each meeting provides certification as a tool for wildlife between global commitment and local an overview of the latest management; Conservation with action, reviewed the range of developments in conservation and shifting goalposts: polar conservation biodiversity indicators that were under zoological research. and climate change; Success and development to assess progress failure in conserving species of towards the 2010 targets of the The programme in 2009 featured a extreme rarity; Conservation values Convention on Biological Diversity range of topics, including The climate and religion and Re-wilding Europe (CBD). change threat to corals; Extinction risk and the return of predators. in common species; Conservation The October 2009 Impacts of and the world in 2050; South Asian Please see www.zsl.org/science/ environmental change on reproduction vultures: catastrophic declines and scientific-meetings for full information and development in wildlife environmental impact and The on the programme. symposium examined the effects of secret world of ‘naked snakes’. environmental stresses such as temperature, pollutants and drought on health and reproduction.

The symposium in February 2010, Foundations of Biodiversity: saving the world’s non-vertebrates, discussed the importance of non-vertebrate biodiversity from ecological, social and economic perspectives and gave an overview of the conservation status of selected non-vertebrate taxa.

The April 2010 symposium, Linking biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction: what, why and how?, focused on the link between biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction and how to maximise the synergies between these international policy objectives.

Organisers of the Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation symposium. From left: Ben Collen, Linda Krueger, Nathalie Pettorelli, Matthew Hatchwell, Jonathan Baillie and Sarah Durant © ZSL

60 Conveying conservation leaders Professor Sir Patrick Bateson introduces Professor Sir John Beddington at the 2009 Stamford Raffles Lecture © ZSL

Stamford Raffles Lecture

The Stamford Raffles Lecture is the affordable energy, water and food Partridge discussed how mutations in foremost event in ZSL’s annual for the growing global population genes, environmental intervention and programme of Science and and how these issues are intrinsically dietary restriction have been shown Conservation Events. In 2009, linked to the challenge of mitigating to extend the lifespan of laboratory Professor Sir John Beddington, and adapting to climate change. animals and to delay or ameliorate Government Chief Scientific Adviser, a range of ageing-related diseases. presented the talk Biodiversity and The 2010 lecture was presented by ecosystems in a changing world. Professor Dame Linda Partridge, Professor Beddington focused on the Director of the UCL Institute of Healthy challenges policy-makers face in Ageing. It was entitled The new providing enough safe, clean and biology of ageing and Professor

Publications

In addition to the lecture series and forum for the exchange of information symposia, ZSL publishes a number of on the role of zoos in conservation and highly respected scientific journals the Conservation Science and Practice and books. These include Animal book series. Conservation, a forum for the rapid publication of novel research; the Journal of Zoology, a pre-eminent journal dedicated to academic zoology; the International Zoo Yearbook, a forum

Conveying conservation leaders 61 Funding

ZSL’s conservation work is generously funded primarily through grants and donations with additional income from contracts and core funds from the Society. Grants and donations are received from a variety of sources, including governmental and inter-governmental agencies, non-governmental agencies, trusts and foundations, academic bodies and research councils, other zoos and charities, individuals and corporate partners. We would like to thank all of our supporters for their generous contributions and ongoing commitment without which we could not carry out our important conservation work.

21st Century Tiger Denis Ho Imperial College London Satya Datta Agreement for the Conservation of Small Cetaceans in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs DEFRA Indianapolis Zoo Save Our Seas Foundation Baltic and North Seas ASCOBANS Conservation Fund Dischma Charitable Trust International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN Save the Tiger Fund American Friends of the London Zoo Disney Big Cat Productions James and Wendy Karp SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund American Society of Primatologists Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Jeff Gooch Simon Brown Amphibian Ark Dorothy Howard Charitable Trust Jenny Akester Stichting Vrienden Safaripark Beekse Bergen en Dierenrijk Arcus Foundation Dreamworld Conservation Fund JM Kaplan Foundation Synchronicity Foundation Attica Zoo Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust John and Pamela Salter Charitable Trust Taiwan Council of Agriculture Australia Zoo EcoHealth Alliance Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund Taronga Foundation Avrion and Lorna Mitchison Economic and Social Research Council ESRC King Faisal University Tesco Charity Trust AXA Foundation Edna Groves Lance and Julianne Uggla The Royal Society Bat Conservation International Environment Agency Leverhulme Trust The Rufford Foundation Bat Conservation Trust Environmental Research Management ERM Margaret Booth The Worshipful Company of Grocers BBC Wildlife Fund Erasmus Darwin Barlow Conservation Expedition Supporters Martin Barlow Tigris Foundation Big Lottery Fund Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Martin Stanley Tom Chambers Ltd Biodiversity and Agricultural Commodities Programme European Association of Zoos and Aquaria EAZA Mary Usherwood Tusk Trust BACP European Union Minnesota Zoo UK Trust for Nature Conservation in Nepal Biodiversity Synthesis Center European Union of Aquarium Curators Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund United Biscuits Ltd British Council Field Marshal Sir John Chapple GCB CBE Musim Mas United Nations Environment Programme UNEP British Ecological Society Fishmongers’ Company’s Charitable Trust National Birds of Prey Trust United States Agency for International Development USAID British Herpetological Society Foundation for Science and Technology FCT of Portugal National Trust for Nature Conservation NTNC United States Fish and Wildlife Service USFWS British Veterinary Association Friends of Conservation Natural England Universities Federation for Animal Welfare Cambridge Infectious Diseases Consortium Fundación General CSIC Natural Environment Research Council NERC University of Kent Camilla Whitworth Jones Galapagos Conservation Trust New Zealand Department of Conservation Whitley Wildlife Conservation Caroline Dalton Gardman Ltd North of England Zoological Society William Elfers, Jr Cecil King Memorial Fund Global Environment Facility GEF Nuffield Foundation Wilmar International Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Helen and Geoffrey De Freitas Charitable Trust Ocean Park Conservation Foundation World Association of Zoos and Aquaria WAZA Agronomique pour le Développement CIRAD Helsinki Zoo Oceanario Lisboa World Bank Centre for Ecology and Hydrology CEH Heritage Lottery Fund Panthera World Wide Fund for Nature WWF Charities Advisory Trust Higher Education Funding Council for England HEFCE Panton Trust Charles 10th Duke of Rutland Memorial Conservation Trust Houston Zoo People’s Trust for Endangered Species We would also like to thank all of our supporters who could Chokolit Ltd Idea Wild PEW Charitable Trusts not be named individually and those who wish to remain Chris and Alison Cabot Imperial College London Prince Bernhard Fund for Nature anonymous. CJ WildBird Foods Ltd Indianapolis Zoo Programme Régional de Conservation et Valorisation des Claire Barlow International Union for the Conservation of Nature IUCN Ecosystèmes Forestiers d’Afrique Centrale ECOFAC Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory James and Wendy Karp Research Councils UK Conservation Leadership Programme Helsinki Zoo Riverbanks Zoo and Garden Cranswick Pet Products Heritage Lottery Fund Roger Vere Foundation D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust Higher Education Funding Council for England HEFCE Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Trust Darwin Initiative Houston Zoo Royal Society for the Protection of Birds RSPB Deakin University Idea Wild RWE npower

6362 Funding Funding 6463 Governance and Fellows

The important conservation work at the Zoological Society of London is a result of the combined effort of countless exceptional and dedicated people. ZSL staff are based across the globe, and everyone is instrumental to achieving ZSL’s vision of a world where animals are valued and their conservation assured. In addition to full time staff, the work would not be possible without the support of the students, interns, volunteers and collaborators whose passion for conservation has enabled ZSL to remain a world-class organisation.

The Zoological Society of London

Council Members

President Professor Sir Patrick Bateson FRS Secretary Professor Paul H Harvey CBE FRS Treasurer Paul Rutteman CBE BSc (Econ) FCA Vice President Jonathan Boyce DM MA FRCP FFPH Vice President Martin Rowson MA

Sheila Anderson+ MBE BSc (Hons) FBAASc Richard Melville Ballerand FRUSI Brian Bertram+ MA, PhD, FIBiol Martin Cooke MSc MA VetMB MRCVS David Dixon* FIBBiol John Edwards+ MA FLS Ray Heaton CertEd Bed GIBiol MSc FRGS FLS Andrew Kitchener* BSc PhD Alastair Land MA FLS Hon Sir William McAlpine FRSE FLIT Azra Meadows* OBE MSc PhD CBiol MIBiol FLS Elizabeth Passey+ MA, FRGS Anthony Sheridan* BSc (Econ) Ken Sims Robert Wingate* MSc FLS

* retired in 2009 or 2010 + joined in 2010

Directors

Director General Ralph Armond MA Conservation Programmes Director Professor Jonathan E M Baillie PhD Director of the Institute of Zoology Professor Tim Blackburn DPhil Zoological Director David Field BSc MBA FBS Human Resources Director Ian Meyrick BA FCIPD Finance Director Michael Russell FCMA Marketing and Communications Director Rich Storton MA Development Director Jackie Tanner BSc

64 Governance and Fellows EDGE Fellows

Maria Copa Alvaro Bolivia, Short-tailed chinchilla

Buuveibaatar Bayarbaatar Mongolia, Saiga

Werner Conradie South Africa, Ghost frogs

Dionis Espinal Corona (Lleyo) Dominican Republic, Hispaniolan solenodon

ZSL Honorary Conservation Fellows Kimitei Keneth Kenya, Hirola Dr Glyn Davies, World Wide Fund for Nature Dr Nicholas Dulvy, Simon Fraser University John Konie Dr Charles Foley, Wildlife Conservation Society Liberia, Pygmy hippo Dr Frank Goritz, Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research Matthew Hatchwell, Wildlife Conservation Society Yuan Lei Dr Robert Hermes, Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research China, Bactrian camel Dr Thomas Hildebrandt, Leibniz Institute of Zoo and Wildlife Research Dr Jon Hutton, UNEP / World Conservation Monitoring Centre Dorine Ngeti Dr R D Jakati, Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy Kenya, Sagalla caecillian Dr Emmanuel de Merode, Virunga National Park Dr Timothy O’Brien, Wildlife Conservation Society Uuganbadrakh Oyunkhishig Dr Vibhu Prakash, Bombay Natural History Society Mongolia, Long-eared jerboa Dr Sarah King, University of Sussex Dr E R (Robbie) Robinson, King Khalid Wildlife Research Centre Nicolás de Jesús Corona Peralta Dr John Robinson, Wildlife Conservation Society Dominican Republic, Hispaniolan solenodon Professor Charles Sheppard, Warwick University Dr Yvonne Sadovy, Hong Kong University Vijitha Perera Dr Simon Stuart, International Union for the Conservation of Nature Sri Lanka, Slender loris Dr Charlie Veron, Australian Institute of Marine Science Professor David Warrell, University of Oxford Claudio Soto-Azat Chile, Chile’s Darwin frog

ZSL Field Conservation Advisory Committee Ashish Thomas India, Purple frog Chair Dr Robin Bidwell CBE James Arbib Adiya Yadamsuren Ralph Armond Mongolia, Bactrian camel Professor Jonathan Baillie Professor Tim Blackburn Adeline Diab EDGE Alumni Stanley Johnson Dr Heather Koldewey Piyathip Piyapan Professor Lord John Krebs FRS Thailand, Bumblebee bat Jessica Sweidan Jackie Tanner Grace Ngaruiya Dr Chris West Kenya, Golden-rumped elephant shrew

Osé Pauléus Haiti, Hispaniolan solenodon

Governance and Fellows 65 ZSL Conservation Projects

Global Africa Kenya

21st Century Tiger Pan Saharan Wildlife Survey Aders’ duiker conservation in the northern coastal forests of Kenya Anthropogenic drivers of Population dynamics emerging infectious diseases of the Egyptian fruit bat Boni-Dodori Forest Conservation Initiative Assessing the effectiveness of national PPR Wildlife Surveillance Study parks in maintaining biodiversity Hirola Project Kenya Reproductive studies Bioclimate website of Mohor gazelles Metapopulation dynamics of the black and white colobus monkey Developing automatic detection Sahelo-Saharan antelope conservation systems for bat echolocation calls Samburu-Laikipia Wild Dog Project Algeria Developing national level indicators Wildlife management planning of biodiversity change North African cheetah ecology and for rhinos and elephants interaction with human communities Dynamics of primate extinctions Liberia Cameroon EDGE Amphibians Pygmy hippo conservation Wildlife Wood Project EDGE Corals Madagascar Democratic Republic of the Congo EDGE Fellowship Programme Support for the Madagascar Building capacity for wildlife monitoring and Fauna Group EDGE Mammals management in Virunga National Park Mozambique EDGE Sharks Range-wide okapi conservation Maluane Biodiversity and Tourism Fish Net Equatorial Guinea Conservation Project

GLOBE International Working with local communities to evaluate Namibia and implement bushmeat alternatives Indicator Bats (iBats) Environment change in Ethiopia riparian ecosystems International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO) Population genetics Tsaobis Baboon Project of the Ethiopian wolf IUCN Cats Projects Database Sierra Leone Wildlife health capacity building IUCN Sampled Red List Index Pygmy hippo conservation Gabon Living Planet Index South Africa Mikongo Conservation Centre Molecular approaches to coral Integrating crane conservation conservation Ghana with sustainable habitat utilisation

Population level approaches to Social and ecological dynamics Tanzania understand extinction of the bushmeat trade Carnivore Conservation Centre Predicting vertebrate population trends from Support for the West African Primate space Conservation Programme (WACPA) Developing national conservation action plans for mammals Regional Red List Network Wildlife Wood Project Long-term demography of the Serengeti Wildlife immunogenetics in vertebrate Zoonotic viruses in African bats cheetah population populations Tunisia Wildlife Picture Index Sahelo-Saharan antelope conservation

66 ZSL Conservation Projects Americas Asia Mongolia

Brazil Bangladesh Conserving the wild Bactrian camel

Support for the Lion Tamarins Bangladesh Tiger Programme Mammal and bird field guides of Brazil Fund Ganges River dolphin conservation Monitoring biodiversity in and around Sustainable Management of protected areas Ornamental Fish Species in Mamirauá Cambodia National Red Lists for amphibians, Canada Large mammal conservation reptiles and mammals in Cambodia Pathogen distribution among Steppe Forward Programme amphibians in an island system China Nepal Colombia Chinese giant salamander conservation FishWatch: Community Management of Support for the International North American bullfrogs as potential Riverine Resources Programme for the Conservation Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis reservoirs of the White-footed Tamarin Crisis to Biological Management Yangtze River ecosystem conservation Dominica Freshwater turtle conservation in Nepal India Chytridiomycosis emergence Vulture conservation in India and Nepal in Dominica Brahmaputra River ecosystem conservation Philippines Mountain chicken conservation Ganges River dolphin conservation Community-based Mangrove Regional management plan for Grassland management in Rehabilitation Project amphibian conservation in the Manas National park Caribbean Project Seahorse Large herbivore conservation Dominican Republic in the Terai Arc Russia

Building evidence and capacity to conserve Purple frog conservation ALTA: The Amur Leopard Hispaniola’s endemic land mammals and Tiger Alliance Translocation protocols for Ecuador (Galapagos Islands) greater one-horned rhino Amur leopards and wildlife health

Building capacity and determining Vulture conservation in India and Nepal Amur tiger monitoring in conservation threats to endemic Galapagos Lazovksky State Nature Reserve taxa Wildlife health and biodiversity modules with the Wildlife Institute of India Firefighting in Amur leopard habitat Parasitism, immunity and sexual dimorphism in the Galapagos sea lion Indonesia Snow leopard surveys using scent detecting dogs Haiti Berbak Carbon Value Initiative Saudi Arabia Building a future for Haiti’s Dangku Corporate Conservation Complex unique vertebrates King Khalid Wildlife Research Centre Establishing a conservation evidence-base Solenodon conservation for long-beaked echidnas Sri Lanka

Mexico Habitat use of Sumatran tigers in altered Horton Plains slender loris conservation landscapes Determining age structure of Red slender loris conservation cetacean populations Large mammal surveys Thailand Effects of ultraviolet radiation Monitored translocations of Sumatran tigers on cetacean health Community-based conservation around Oil Palm and Biodiversity Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary Zoonotic potential of whale watching Saving Sumatran Swamps: linking carbon Mitigating human-elephant conflict Peru credits and biodiversity Restoring elephant forest habitat in West Support for Proyecto Mono Tocon Sumatran tiger occurrence and population Thailand viability Antarctica Smart Patrol Protection in Salakpra Support for Komodo dragon field studies Wildlife Sanctuary Penguin Futures

ZSL Conservation Projects 67 Europe Future Fish: Tidal Thames UK Overseas Territories Conservation Project Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis emergence Bermuda land snail conservation in European amphibians Garden Bird Health Initiative Conservation of the Current and future conservation Habitat use by bats in inner London Chagos Archipelago status of European bats Health surveillance for the Species Oceania Support for the EAZA European Carnivores Recovery Programmes Campaign French Polynesia Hedgehog Health Spain Partula snail conservation Humans as means of spreading Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in the disease between British frog New Zealand Mallorcan midwife toad populations Ecology and evolution of Italy Identifying emerging disease threats introduced avian malaria to UK newts Extinction threats to the Sardinian newt Modelling the dynamics of Invasive species as vectors of disease and translocated bird populations Understanding the expansion of grey amphibian population declines squirrel populations in Italy and Britain Sexual selection and the hihi Investigating the relationship between Romania African and European Batrachochytrium Conservation Breeding Programmes dendrobatidis Bat biodiversity as an indicator of European Studbooks sustainable development in Eastern Europe London Zoo bat surveys Abdim’s stork Ukraine Molecular and adaptive genetic variation of ranavirus in the UK Black hornbill Intrusion dynamics of euryhaline fish species Native species monitoring Chestnut-backed thrush

United Kingdom Pink sea fan conservation in the UK Pied hornbill

British field cricket conservation Red barbed ant conservation Toco toucan

Captive breeding efficiency of threatened Royal Parks bird surveys at European Endangered Species amphibians ZSL London Zoo Breeding Programmes

Causes and prevalence of transgender Sand lizard conservation Amur leopard toads in Cambridgeshire Scientists at Speakers’ Corner Amur tiger Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme Spoonbill Sandpiper Species Arabian oryx Recovery Programme Chytrid effects on natterjack toad Frégate Island beetle population dynamics Status and trends of estuarine biodiversity Golden lion tamarin Corncrake conservation Thames Marine Mammal Project Nile lechwe Determining the distribution of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis The White Lion SSSI at Sumatran tiger across the UK ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Global Species Management Future Fish: Aquatic Wildlife of UK Bushmeat Working Group Programmes the Thames Estuary Understanding the expansion of grey Partula snail Future Fish: Conservation of the squirrel populations in Italy and the UK European Eel Sumatran tiger

68 ZSL Conservation Projects Group Memberships IUCN Bison Specialist Group IUCN Species Survival Commission Steering Committee BIAZA Aquarium Working Group IUCN Canid Specialist Group IUCN Tapir Specialist Group BIAZA Reptile and Amphibian IUCN Captive Breeding Specialist Group Working Group IUCN Threatened Waterfowl IUCN Cat Specialist Group Specialist Group CMS Avian Influenza Task Force IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group IUCN Veterinary Specialist Group EAZA Falconiformes TAG IUCN Commission on UK Bushmeat Working Group EAZA Parrot TAG Ecosystem Management IUCN Mollusc Specialist Group EAZA Rhino TAG IUCN Commission on Education and Communication IUCN National Red List Working Group EAZA TITAG IUCN Deer Specialist Group IUCN Pygmy Hippo Specialist Group EAZA Toucan and Turacao TAG IUCN Ecosystems Group IUCN Red List Index Working Group International Rhino Keepers Association IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group IUCN Red List Technical Working Group International Tiger Coalition IUCN Invertebrate Conservation IUCN Reintroduction Specialist Group IUCN African Rhino Specialist Group Sub-Committee

IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group IUCN Marine Invertebrate Red List Authority IUCN Antelope Specialist Group IUCN Marine Program on IUCN Bat Specialist Group High Seas Biodiversity

ZSL Conservation Projects 69 Collaborators

21st Century Tiger (UK) ALTA: The Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo Bureau of Aquatic Resources under the Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance (UK) Bermuda land snail conservation Department of Agriculture for Region 6 (Philippines) Community-based Aaranyak (India) Brahmaputra River Bermuda Biological Station of Mangrove Rehabilitation Project ecosystem conservation Research/Cephbase (UK) IUCN Sampled Red List Index California Academy of Sciences (USA) Acer Conservation (UK) The White Lion Aders’ duiker conservation in the northern SSSI at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Bigelow Marine Laboratory (USA) coastal forests of Kenya; IUCN Sampled International Programme on the Red List Index Adelphi University (USA) IUCN State of the Ocean Sampled Red List Index Cambridge Infectious Diseases BIOSCAPE (UK) IUCN Sampled Red List Consortium CIDC (UK) Zoonotic Agence Nationale des Parcs Nationaux Index viruses in African bats ANPN (Gabon) Mikongo Conservation Centre Bird Conservation Nepal Vulture Carnegie Museum of Natural History conservation in India and Nepal (USA) IUCN Sampled Red List Index American Museum of Natural History IUCN Sampled Red List Index Birdcare Standards Association (UK) Center of Expertise for Rabies, Ottawa Garden Bird Health Initiative (Canada) Vulture conservation in India Amigos de la Naturaleza y del Desarrollo and Nepal de Guinea Ecuatorial ANDEGE Working Birdlife International (UK) Building a with local communities to evaluate and future for Haiti’s unique vertebrates; Centers for Disease Control and implement bushmeat alternatives in IUCN Sampled Red List Index Prevention (USA) Samburu-Laikipia Equatorial Guinea Wild Dog Project Bombay Natural History Society (India) AMUR (UK) ALTA: The Amur Leopard and Vulture conservation in India and Nepal Central Science Laboratory (UK) Garden Tiger Alliance; Amur leopards and wildlife Bird Health Initiative; Health surveillance health Botanic Gardens Conservation for the Species Recovery Programmes International BGCI Bioclimate website Andalas University (Indonesia) Centre de Coopération Internationale Oil Palm and Biodiversity Brigham Young University (USA) en Recherche Agronomique pour le IUCN Sampled Red List Index Développement CIRAD (Cameroon) Applied Biomathematics (USA) IUCN Wildlife Wood Project Cameroon Sampled Red List Index British Antarctic Survey International Programme on the State of the Centre for Applied Biodiversity Science Arafura Timor Research Facility Ocean; IUCN Sampled Red List Index; International (UK) IUCN Sampled Red List (Australia) IUCN Sampled Red List Index Molecular approaches to coral Index conservation; Penguin Futures Arkhar (Russia) Snow leopard surveys Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Preparing camera traps in Sapo National Park, Liberia © Ben Collen using scent detecting dogs British Army Crisis to Biological Aquaculture Science CEFAS (UK) Management Cetacean Strandings Investigation ASTEVI Earth and Life Association Programme; IUCN Sampled Red List Index Wildlife Wood Project Cameroon British Embassy in Quito, Ecuador Building capacity and determining Centre Régional d’Enseignement Australian National University conservation threats to endemic Spécialisé en Agriculture Forêt-Bois Tsaobis Baboon Project Galapagos taxa CRESA (Cameroon) Wildlife Wood Project Cameroon Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre British Hedgehog Preservation Society (Canada) International Programme Hedgehog Health Centro de Protección e Higiene de las on the State of the Ocean Radiaciones (Cuba) Effects of ultraviolet British Herpetological Society radiation on cetacean health Bangladesh Cetacean Diversity Project Chytridiomycosis emergence in Bangladesh Tiger Programme; Ganges Dominica; Mountain chicken Chagos Environment Network (UK) River dolphin conservation conservation Conservation of the Chagos Archipelago

Banglalink (Bangladesh) British Trust for Ornithology Hedgehog Charles Darwin University (Australia) Bangladesh Tiger Programme Health; Garden Bird Health Initiative IUCN Sampled Red List Index

Bat Conservation Trust (UK) Bat Bulgarian Museum of Natural History Charles University (Czech Republic) biodiversity as an indicator of sustainable Bat biodiversity as an indicator of IUCN Sampled Red List Index development in Eastern Europe; Current sustainable development in Eastern and future conservation status of European Europe; iBats Chester Zoological Gardens (UK) bats; Habitat use by bats in inner London; Chytridiomycosis emergence in iBats Dominica; Mountain chicken conservation

70 Collaborators Chiang Mai University (Thailand) Department of Environment and Natural European Environment Agency Community-based conservation around Resources Region 6 (Philippines) Living Planet Index Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary; Human Community-based Mangrove Rehabilitation elephant conflict mitigation; Restoration Project Exodus Travels Ltd Penguin Futures of elephant forest habitat in West Thailand; Smart Patrol Protection in Department of Forests (Cyprus) Fauna and Flora International Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary Regional Red List Network Chytridiomycosis emergence in Dominica; Habitat use of Sumatran Chinese Academy of Sciences IUCN Department of National Parks and tigers in altered landscapes; Pygmy hippo Sampled Red List Index; North American Wildlife Conservation (Nepal) Crisis to conservation; Tackling Berbak Wildlife Crime bullfrogs as potential Batrachochytrium Biological Management; Vulture dendrobatidis reservoirs conservation in India and Nepal Finnish Environment Network Regional Red List Network Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Department of Primary Industries Program (Canada) Living Planet Index and Fisheries, Cairns (Australia) Fish Base IUCN Sampled Red List Index IUCN Sampled Red List Index Clemson University (USA) Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK) IUCN Sampled Red List Index Desert Research Foundation of Namibia Crisis to Biological Management Tsaobis Baboon Project Columbia University (USA) Forest Department FD (Bangladesh) Anthropogenic drivers of emerging Dhaka University (Bangladesh) Bangladesh Tiger Programme infectious diseases Bangladesh Tiger Programme Forestry and Wildlife Division (Dominica) Committee on the Status of Endangered Downstream Research Group (USA) Chytridiomycosis emergence in Dominica; Wildlife in Canada COSEWIC Regional Red Yangtze River ecosystem conservation Mountain chicken conservation; Regional List Network management plan for amphibian conserva- Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (UK) tion in the Caribbean Communications Inc (UK) International Building a future for Haiti’s unique Programme on the State of the Ocean vertebrates; Building evidence and Forestry Development Authority (Liberia) capacity to conserve Hispaniola’s Pygmy hippo conservation CONABIO (Mexico) IUCN Sampled Red endemic land mammals; List Index Chytridiomycosis emergence in Frankfurt Zoological Society (Germany) Dominica; Mountain chicken Large mammal surveys in Sumatra; Conservation International CI IUCN conservation; MSc course in Long-term demography of the Serengeti Sampled Red List Index; Working with Conservation Science cheetah population local communities to evaluate and implement bushmeat alternatives in Edith Cowan University (Australia) Friends of Conservation (UK) Equatorial Guinea IUCN Sampled Red List Index Vulture conservation in India and Nepal

Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Elephant Care International (USA) Froglife (UK) Humans as means of (Iceland) Living Planet Index Crisis to Biological Management spreading disease between British frog populations; Molecular and adaptive Conservation, Information and Research Elephant Conservation Network genetic variation of ranavirus in the UK on Cetaceans CIRCE (Spain) Zoonotic (Thailand) Community-based potential of whale watching conservation around Salakpra Wildlife Galapagos Conservation Trust (UK) Sanctuary; Human elephant conflict Building capacity and determining Consortium for Conservation Medicine mitigation; Restoration of elephant forest conservation threats to endemic (USA) Anthropogenic drivers of habitat in West Thailand; Smart Patrol Galapagos taxa emerging infectious diseases Protection in Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary Galapagos National Park (Ecuador) Convention for Migratory Species CMS Environment Agency (UK) Project Building capacity and determining Living Planet Index; OneHealth Nepal; Seahorse; Tidal Thames Conservation conservation threats to endemic Sahelo-Saharan antelope conservation Project Galapagos taxa

Convention on Biological Diversity CBD Environment Canada Living Planet Index Game and Fisheries Research (Finland) IUCN Sampled Red List Index; IUCN Sampled Red List Index Living Planet Index Environment Volunteer Programme Murcia (Spain) IUCN Sampled Red List Ghana Forestry Commission CSIRO Australian Animal Heath Index Wildlife Wood Project Ghana Laboratory Vulture conservation in India and Nepal; Zoonotic viruses in African bats Essex Wildlife Trust (UK) Global Footprint Network IUCN Sampled Red List Index Living Planet Report David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (UK) ALTA: The Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance Estación experimental de Zonas Áridas Global Legislators Organisation for a (Spain) Reproductive studies of Mohor Balanced Environment Deakin University (Australia) Ecology and gazelles GLOBE International evolution of introduced avian malaria; IUCN Sampled Red List Index European Bird Census Council Global Tiger Patrol 21st Century Tiger Living Planet Index Département de l’Etude de Milieu Na- Gobabeb Training and Research Centre turel et Agricole (Belgium) IUCN Sampled (Namibia) Tsaobis Baboon Project Red List Index

Collaborators 71 Government of St. Vincent and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences LIPI Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden (China) Grenadines Regional management plan for Berbak Carbon Value Initiative; Dangku Chinese giant salamander conservation amphibian conservation in the Caribbean Corporate Conservation Complex; Monitored translocations of Sumatran Kedrovaya Pad State Nature Reserve Green Balkans (Bulgaria) iBats tigers; Oil Palm and Biodiversity; Tackling (Russia) Firefighting in Amur leopard habitat Berbak Wildlife Crime Griffith University (Australia) Kenya Wildlife Service Aders’ duiker IUCN Sampled Red List Index Institut Congolais pour le Conservation conservation in the northern coastal forests de la Nature ICCN (Democratic Republic of Kenya; Boni-Dodori Forest Conservation Group on Earth Observation Secretariat of Congo) Building capacity for wildlife Initiative; Hirola Project Kenya; (Switzerland) IUCN Sampled Red List monitoring and management in Virunga Samburu-Laikipia Wild Dog Project Index National Park Kwame Nkrumah University of Science Health Protection Agency (UK) Institut National Agronomique and Technology (Ghana) Garden Bird Health Initiative Paris-Grignon (France) Dynamics of Wildlife Wood Project Ghana primate extinctions Hellenic Centre for Marine Research - La Trobe University (Australia) Institute of Inland Waters (Greece) Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy IUCN Sampled Red List Index Fish Net of Sciences Wild Bactrian camel conservation Lazovksy State Nature Reserve (Russia) Helmholtz Center for Environmental Amur leopards and wildlife health; Amur Research (Germany) Batrachochytrium Institute of Cancer Research (UK) tiger monitoring in Lazovksy State Nature dendrobatidis emergence in European Zoonotic potential of whale watching Reserve amphibians Institute of Hydrobiology (China) Logs and Lumber Ltd LLL (Ghana) Helsinki Zoo (Finland) ALTA: The Amur Chinese giant salamander conservation, Wildlife Wood Project Ghana Leopard and Tiger Alliance Yangtze River ecosystem conservation London School of Economics LSE (UK) Herpetological Conservation Trust (UK) Instituto de Desenvolvimento GLOBE; Saving Sumatran Swamps: Health surveillance for the Species Sustentável Mamirauá (Brazil) Linking carbon credits and biodiversity Recovery Programmes Sustainable Management of Ornamental Fish Species in Mamirauá Macaulay Institute Aberdeen (UK) Hirola Management Committee (USA) Tsaobis Baboon Project Hirola Project Kenya Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Forestal y Gestión del Sistema Áreas Protegidas Macquarie University (Australia) Hokkaido Fisheries Experimental station INDEFOR-AP (Equatorial Guinea) Working IUCN Sampled Red List Index (Japan) IUCN Sampled Red List Index with local communities to evaluate and implement bushmeat alternatives in Makerere University (Uganda) Humboldt Institute (Germany) Equatorial Guinea IUCN Sampled Red List Index Regional Red List Network Interdisciplinary Centre for Marine Marine Conservation Society (UK) Humboldt State University (USA) Science CICMAR (Mexico) Determining Pink sea fan conservation in the UK IUCN Sampled Red List Index age structure of cetacean populations; Effects of ultraviolet radiation on cetacean Marine Environmental Monitoring (UK) Illinois Natural History Survey (USA) health; Zoonotic potential of whale watching Cetacean Strandings Investigation IUCN Sampled Red List Index Programme International Association of Astacology Imperial College London (UK) (USA) IUCN Sampled Red List Index Marine Resources Assessment Group Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis emergence (UK) Conservation of the Chagos in European amphibians; Batrachochytrium International Centre for Birds of Prey Archipelago; Molecular approaches to coral dendrobatidis in the Mallorcan midwife (UK) Vulture conservation in India and Nepal conservation toad; Chytridiomycosis emergence in Dominica; Determining the distribution International Fund for Animal Welfare Massey University (New Zealand) of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis across IFAW ALTA: The Amur Leopard and Tiger Modelling the dynamics of translocated bird the UK; Habitat use of Sumatran tigers Alliance populations; Sexual selection and the hihi in altered landscapes; Identifying emerging disease threats to UK newts; International Union for the Conservation Ministère des Forêts et de la Faune Invasive species as vectors of disease and of Nature IUCN Bangladesh Tiger MINFOF (Cameroon) amphibian population declines; Investigating Programme; Bioclimate website; Wildlife Wood Project Cameroon the relationship between African and Boni-Dodori Forest Conservation Initiative; European Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; EDGE Sharks; IUCN Sampled Red List Ministry of Environment (Czech Repub- Large mammal conservation in Cambodia; Index; Regional Red List Network; Steppe lic) Regional Red List Network MSc course in Conservation Science; Forward Programme Pathogen distribution among amphibians Ministry of Environment (Israel) in an island system; Saving Sumatran Isaqbini Conservancy (Kenya) Regional Red List Network Swamps: Linking carbon credits and Hirola Project Kenya biodiversity; Tsaobis Baboon Project; Ministry of Environment (Japan) Understanding the expansion of grey Jahangirnagar University (Bangladesh) Regional Red List Network squirrel populations in Italy and Britain; Bangladesh Tiger Programme Wildlife Wood Project Cameroon; Working Ministry of Environment and Forests with local communities to evaluate and John Bitar and Co. Ltd JCM (Ghana) MoEF (Bangladesh) Bangladesh Tiger implement bushmeat alternatives in Wildlife Wood Project Ghana Programme Equatorial Guinea Joint Nature Conservation Committee JNCC (UK) IUCN Sampled Red List Index

72 Collaborators Ministry of Environment and Tourism National Trust for Nature Conservation Perth Zoo (Australia) Large mammal (Namibia) Tsaobis Baboon Project NTNC (Nepal) Crisis to Biological surveys in Sumatra Management; Vulture conservation in India Ministry of Forests PHKA (Indonesia) and Nepal Phoenix Fund (Russia) ALTA: The Amur Berbak Carbon Value Initiative; Monitored Leopard and Tiger Alliance; Firefighting translocations of Sumatran tigers; Oil Palm National University of Ireland, Galway in Amur leopard habitat and Biodiversity; Tackling Berbak wildlife IUCN Sampled Red List Index crime Poultry Diagnostic and Research Centre National University of Mongolia (India) Vulture conservation in India and Ministry of Lands and Resettlement Regional Red List Network; Nepal (Namibia) Tsaobis Baboon Project Steppe Forward Programme Prévention Sida Cameroun Mikongo Ministry of Nature, Environment and Naturalis (Netherlands) Conservation Centre Tourism MNET (Mongolia) IUCN Sampled Red List Index Steppe Forward Programme Primorsky State Agricultural Academy Nature Conservation Agency BKSDA (Russia) Amur leopards and wildlife health Minnesota Zoo Foundation (USA) ALTA: (Indonesia) Berbak Carbon Value Initiative The Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance Programme Régional de Conservation et NatureServe (USA) IUCN Valorisation des Ecosystèmes Forestiers Missouri Botanical Gardens (USA) IUCN Sampled Red List Index d’Afrique Centrale (Gabon) Mikongo Sampled Red List Index Conservation Centre New York State Diagnostics Lab (USA) Moscow Zoo (Russia) ALTA: The Amur Samburu-Laikipia Wild Dog Project Project Seahorse Foundation for Marine Leopard and Tiger Alliance Conservation (Philippines) Project New Zealand Department of Seahorse Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales Conservation Regional Red List Network; (Spain) Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Sexual selection and the hihi Queen’s University Belfast (UK) IUCN emergence in European amphibians; Sampled Red List Index Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Mallorcan midwife toad Science (USA) IUCN Sampled Red List RAMAS (UK) IUCN Sampled Red List Index Index National Agricultural Research Réseau des Aires Protégées d’Afrique Foundation (Greece) IUCN Sampled North of England Zoological Society (UK) Centrale (Gabon) Mikongo Conservation Red List Index IUCN Sampled Red List Index Centre

National Birds of Prey Trust NBPT (UK) Northern Michigan University (USA) Roehampton University London (UK) Vulture conservation in India and Nepal IUCN Sampled Red List Index Samburu-Laikipia Wild Dog Project

National Commission for Wildlife Northern Rangelands Trust (Kenya) Romanian Bat Protection Organisation Conservation and Development NCWCD Hirola Project Kenya Bat biodiversity as an indicator of (Saudi Arabia) King Khalid Wildlife sustainable development in Eastern Europe; Research Centre Northwest University (South Africa) iBats Investigating the relationship between National History Museum (UK) Cetacean African and European Batrachochytrium Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh (UK) Strandings Investigation Programme; dendrobatidis IUCN Sampled Red List Index Developing automatic detection systems for bat echolocation calls Office du Parc National De l’Ahaggar Royal Botanic Gardens Kew (UK) IUCN OPNA (Algeria) North African cheetah Sampled Red List Index, MSc course National Museum of Natural History ecology and interaction with human in Conservation Science (Bulgaria) iBats communities Royal Society for the Protection of Birds National Museum of Natural History Office Fédéral de l’Environment (UK) Corncrake conservation; Garden Bird (Spain) IUCN Sampled Red List Index (Switzerland) IUCN Sampled Red List Health Initiative; Health surveillance for the Index Oficina de Parques Nacionales de la Species Recovery Programmes; Spoonbill National Museum of Nature and Science Republica Dominicana Building evidence Sandpiper Species Recovery Programme; (Japan) IUCN Sampled Red List Index and capacity to conserve Hispaniola’s Vulture conservation in India and Nepal endemic land mammals National Museum of Wales (UK) Sahara Conservation Fund Pan Saharan IUCN Sampled Red List Index Open University of Sri Lanka Horton Wildlife Survey; Sahelo-Saharan antelope Plains slender loris conservation; Red conservation National Museums of Kenya Aders’ slender loris conservation duiker conservation in the northern coastal Saint Petersburg Scientific Research forests of Kenya; Boni-Dodori Paignton Zoo and Environmental Park Center (Russia) IUCN Sampled Red List Forest Conservation Initiative (UK) Health surveillance for the Species Index Recovery Programmes National Oceanic and Atmospheric Samartex (Ghana) Wildlife Wood Project Association NOAA (USA) IUCN Sampled Parque Zoológico Nacional (Dominican Ghana Red List Index Republic) Building evidence and capacity to conserve Hispaniola’s endemic land Saudi Wildlife Commission King Khalid National Science Foundation (USA) mammals Wildlife Research Centre IUCN Sampled Red List Index Pensthorpe Conservation Trust (UK) ScarabNet (USA) IUCN Sampled Red List National Taiwan Ocean University Corncrake conservation Index IUCN Sampled Red List Index

Collaborators 73 Scottish Agricultural College (UK) Surrey Wildlife Trust (UK) Red barbed ant UK Trust for Nature Conservation in Cetacean Strandings Investigation conservation Nepal UKTNCN Crisis to Biological Programme; Garden Bird Health Initiative Management; Vulture conservation in Swedish Board of Fishers IUCN Sampled India and Nepal Scripps Institute of Oceanography (USA) Red List Index International Programme on the State of Ukrainian National Academy of Science the Ocean Swedish Natural History Museum Intrusion dynamics of euryhaline fish Sexual selection and the hihi species Sea Mammal Research Unit (UK) Cetacean Strandings Investigation Swedish Secpies Information Centre UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Programme; Ganges River dolphin ArtDataBanken IUCN Sampled Red List Centre Assessing the effectiveness of conservation; Parasitism, immunity and Index; Regional Red List Network national parks; Bioclimate website; IUCN sexual dimorphism in the Galapagos Sampled Red List Index; Living Planet Index sea lion Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research IUCN Sampled United Nations Development Programme Shaanxi Normal University (China) Red List Index UNDP Bangladesh Tiger Programme Chinese giant salamander conservation Taita Taveta Wildlife Forum (Kenya) United Nations Environment Programme Shushilan (Bangladesh) Bangladesh Tiger Sagalla caecilian conservation UNEP GLOBE Programme Taman Safari Indonesia Monitored United States Agency for International Simon Fraser University (Canada) EDGE translocations of Sumatran tigers; Sumatran Development USAID Working with local Sharks tiger occurrence and population viability communities to evaluate and implement bushmeat alternatives in Equatorial Guinea Smithsonian Institute (USA) IUCN Tanzania National Parks Carnivore Sampled Red List Index; Sahelo-Saharan Conservation Centre; Long-term United States Department of Agriculture antelope conservation demography of the Serengeti cheetah IUCN Sampled Red List Index population; Developing national Sociedad Ornitológica de la Hispaniola conservation action plans for mammals United States Geological Survey (Dominican Republic) Building evidence IUCN Sampled Red List Index and capacity to conserve Hispaniola’s Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute endemic land mammals TAWIRI: Carnivore Conservation Centre; Unitrend (Bangladesh) Bangladesh Tiger Long-term demography of the Serengeti Programme Sociedade Civil Mamirauá Sustainable cheetah population; Developing national Management of Ornamental Fish Species in conservation action plans for mammals Universidad Complutense de Madrid Mamirauá (Spain) Ecology and evolution of Tarangire Elephant Project (Tanzania) introduced avian malaria Société Audubon Haiti Building a future for Developing national conservation action Haiti’s unique vertebrates plans for mammals Universidade do Vale do Itajai (Brazil) IUCN Sampled Red List Index Société Forestière et Industrielle de la Technical University of Denmark Doumé SFID (Cameroon) Wildlife Wood IUCN Sampled Red List Index Università di Firenze (Italy) Project Cameroon IUCN Sampled Red List Index Texas A&M University (USA) IUCN Société Pallisco PALLISCO (Cameroon) Sampled Red List Index Université de Poitiers (France) Wildlife Wood Project Cameroon IUCN Sampled Red List Index Thai Department of Nature South African National Biodiversity Conservation Community-based Université de Quisqueya (Haiti) Building Institute IUCN Sampled Red List Index; conservation around Salakpra Wildlife a future for Haiti’s unique vertebrates Regional Red List Network Sanctuary; Human elephant conflict mitigation; Restoration of elephant forest Université de Savoie (France) Species 2000 (UK) IUCN Sampled habitat in West Thailand; Smart Patrol Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Red List Index Protection in Salakpra Wildlife Sanctuary emergence in European amphibians

State Institute for Nature Protection The Deep (UK) Pink sea fan conservation Université de Yaoundé I (Cameroon) (Croatia) Regional Red List Network in the UK Wildlife Wood Project Cameroon

State Museum of Natural History Tidewater Inc Regional Red List Network University College London UCL (UK) (Germany) Regional Red List Network Modelling the dynamics of translocated bird Tigris Foundation (Netherlands) ALTA: populations; Metapopulation dynamics of State University of New York (USA) The Amur Leopard and Tiger Alliance; the black and white colobus monkey; North IUCN Sampled Red List Index Firefighting in Amur leopard habitat African cheetah ecology and interaction with human communities; Social and ecological Station d’Etudes des Gorilles et Timbmet Ltd (UK) Wildlife Wood Project dynamics of the bushmeat trade Chimpanzes (Gabon) Mikongo Cameroon; Wildlife Wood Project Ghana Conservation Centre Universities Federation for Animal Tour du Valat (France) Living Planet Index Welfare UFAW (UK) Garden Bird Health Station d’Ecologie Expérimentale du Initiative CNRS à Moulis (France) Batrachochytrium Tsaobis Leopard Park (Namibia) dendrobatidis emergence in European Tsaobis Baboon Project University Koblenz-Landau (Germany) amphibians IUCN Sampled Red List Index Tusk Trust (UK) Wildlife health and Statistics Netherlands IUCN Sampled Red biodiversity modules with the Wildlife List Index Institute of India

74 Collaborators University of Aberdeen (UK) Cetacean University of Guayaquil (Ecuador) University of Montepellier (France) Strandings Investigation Programme Building capacity and determining Tsaobis Baboon Project conservation threats to endemic University of Agricultural Sciences Galapagos taxa University of Natal (South Africa) and Veterinary Medicine (Romania) Dynamics of primate extinctions IUCN Sampled Red List Index University of Hong Kong (China) IUCN Sampled Red List Index; Project Seahorse University of New Castle (UK) University of Alberta (Canada) International Programme on the State of IUCN Sampled Red List Index University of Indonesia Habitat use of the Ocean Sumatran tigers in altered landscapes University of Auburn (USA) University of Njala (Sierra Leone) IUCN Sampled Red List Index University of Kansas IUCN Sampled Pygmy hippo conservation Red List Index University of Auckland (New Zealand) University of Oxford (UK) Penguin Developing automatic detection systems University of Kent (UK) Batrachochytrium Futures; Population genetics of the for bat echolocation calls dendrobatidis in the Mallorcan midwife Ethiopian wolf toad; Current and future conservation status University of Bangor (UK) Ganges River of European bats; Invasive species as University of Presov (Slovakia) dolphin conservation vectors of disease and amphibian IUCN Sampled Red List Index population declines University of Birmingham (UK) Ecology University of Puerto Rico (USA) Regional and evolution of introduced avian malaria; University of Kuopio (Finland) IUCN management plan for amphibian Sexual selection and the hihi Sampled Red List Index conservation in the Caribbean

University of Braunschweig (Germany) University of Kwa-Zulu Natal University of Queensland (Australia) IUCN Sampled Red List Index (South Africa) Tsaobis Baboon Project IUCN Sampled Red List Index

University of British Columbia (Canada) University of Las Palmas (Spain) University of Quintana Roo (Mexico) International Programme on the State of Cetacean Strandings Investigation IUCN Sampled Red List Index the Ocean; Project Seahorse Programme University of Saint Andrews (UK) University of California (USA) Ecology University of Leeds (UK) Building capacity Parasitism, immunity and sexual and evolution of introduced avian malaria; and determining conservation threats to dimorphism in the Galapagos sea lion Samburu-Laikipia Wild Dog Project endemic Galapagos taxa; Parasitism, immunity and sexual dimorphism in the University of Salzburg (Austria) University of Cambridge (UK) Assessing Galapagos sea lion IUCN Sampled Red List Index the effectiveness of national parks; Building capacity and determining conservation University of Liverpool (UK) Cetacean University of Sheffield (UK) threats to endemic Galapagos taxa; Strandings Investigation Programme; Penguin Futures Determining the distribution of Garden Bird Health Initiative Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis across University of Sussex (UK) Chytrid effects the UK; Population level approaches to University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) on natterjack toad population dynamics understand extinction; Tsaobis Baboon IUCN Sampled Red List Index Project; Sexual selection and the hihi; University of Tasmania (Australia) Wildlife immunogenetics in vertebrate University of London, Birbeck College IUCN Sampled Red List Index populations; Zoonotic viruses in African (UK) iBats bats University of Texas (USA) Regional Red University of London, King’s College (UK) List Network University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) Environment change in riparian ecosystems Wildlife immunogenetics in vertebrate University of the West Indies Regional populations University of London, Queen Mary and management plan for amphibian Westfield College (UK) Effects of conservation in the Caribbean University of Colombo (Sri Lanka) ultraviolet radiation on cetacean health; Horton Plains slender loris conservation; Humans as means of spreading disease University of Victoria (Canada) Pathogen Red slender loris conservation between British frog populations; distribution among amphibians in an island Identifying emerging disease threats to system University of Delhi (India) Purple frog UK newts; Molecular and adaptive genetic conservation variation of ranavirus in the UK University of Washington (USA) Long-term demography of the Serengeti University of East Anglia (UK) Garden University of London, Royal Veterinary cheetah population Bird Health Initiative College (UK) MSc course in Wild Animal Biology; MSc course in Wild Animal Health University of York (UK) International University of Edinburgh (UK) Identifying Programme on the State of the Ocean emerging disease threats to UK newts; University of Marburg (Germany) IUCN Vulture conservation in India and Nepal Sampled Red List Index University of Zurich (Switzerland) Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis University of Florida (USA) Habitat use of University of Minnesota (USA) emergence in European amphibians Sumatran tigers in altered landscapes Bangladesh Tiger Programme Veterinary Laboratories Agency (UK) University of Ghana Wildlife Wood University of Missouri (USA) Building Cetacean Strandings Investigation Project Ghana capacity and determining conservation Programme; Health surveillance for the threats to endemic Galapagos taxa Species Recovery Programmes; University of Guam (USA) IUCN Sampled Zoonotic viruses in African bats Red List Index

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