Catching Hope: Re-purposed Poaching Snare Program

In partnership with

Generously supported by:

A non-traditional and effective grassroots program Small Zoo to support conservation of the Education Grant Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis)

• Discovered in 1992 in Vu Quang Nature Reserve,

• 200 lbs (90 kg) SWG camera trap photo of wild saola • Genetically unique bovid

• Found in wet forests of Annamite Mountains of and Vietnam

In partnership with • Critically endangered

• A modern day “” Threats to Saola

• Poaching snares are the critical threat

• Poachers target of value in the black market

• Saola = discarded bycatch; so rare they have no black market value

• remains intact and free of threat of logging, mining, and development • If the saola can survive illegal poaching, In partnership with it may be possible to save it IUCN Saola Working Group (SWG)

Habitat Protection: • Work with local government/officials on policy & land management and protection • Train future government officials in sustainable forestry and land management

• Remove poaching snares from saola habitat

• Provide vocational In partnership with training

SWG snare collection team with SWG coordinator IUCN Saola Working Group (SWG)

In partnership with

>150,000 poaching snares removed at four key sites since 2011!! IUCN Saola Working Group (SWG)

Education and Community Outreach: • Teach local people that saola is endemic, rare, and very special

• Help establish national pride in saola

• Local people agree to no longer hunt saola

In partnership with Catching Hope Program

SWG engages local people in Laos & Vietnam in direct protection of remaining saola

Saola Working Group (SWG) Saola – critically Volunteers & endangered, community relatively groups clean unknown, and make distant member poaching snares of wild into crafts family

All profit from sales In partnership with are sent to the SWG to assist with conservation efforts Making it Work • Volunteer-driven • Zoo staff and docents • Zoo education classes • School, community, corporate & church groups

• Self-funded program

• AZADV Small Zoo Education Grant supported initial start-up costs in 2014 and program expansion in 2017 Thank you!

In partnership with ‘Snare Crafts’ • Dream catchers, keychains, and ornaments

• Feature elements of poaching snares—bicycle wire, wooden toggles, & plastic and fiber ties

• Saola charm for each piece

• Custom tag tells the story

In partnership with Fabric Goods Program Expansion

• Commission orders of hand-sewn & hand-embroidered fabric squares • Helps local Hmong women support their families

In partnership with Fabric Products

• Bags, pillows, placemats/ decorative wall-hangings • Each piece features a custom saola design

• Custom tag tells the story Children’s Book

• Partner with Unite For Literacy

• Working with SWG Coordinator on content

• Partner with SWG on translation and audio narration in Lao & Vietnamese

• Print 500 books in Lao & Vietnamese for SWG to hand out to children and government officials

• Unite For Literacy is donating the cost of production and making the book available open access online (written and In partnership with audio narration) in English, Spanish, Lao, and Vietnamese Outcomes

Since beginning in 2014: • +500 zoo & community volunteers

• Sold +1,500 crafts • Taking international orders

• Educated +3,000 zoo visitors • In addition to reaching the local community through literature, social media, and news outlets • Provided critical exposure for under-represented saola • In Madison, the public sought out Catching Hope and was able to ID saola in social media challenges

In partnership with Through 2017 sent annual support checks to SWG totaling $11,800! (nearly 5.5 times the annual salary in Laos and Vietnam) to support the training & employment of local people to collect poaching snares from the forest Outcomes

Global Impact:

• Empower and engage the local community in actively contributing to conservation effort of a critically endangered species across the world

In partnership with Outcomes

• SWG Coordinator has presented our program to government officials in Laos and Vietnam that are exploring modeling local programs after ours!

In partnership with Dr. Nguyen Xuan Dang, Mr. Keovongdeuane, Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Forestry Office, Vietnam Bolikhamxay Province, Laos Program Importance • Unique, non-traditional, and effective grassroots initiative

• Empowers and provides participants opportunity to participate in global conservation

• Provides critical exposure for under-represented saola

• SWG Coordinator is a huge supporter of Catching Hope and refers to HVZ as:

Small zoos can make In partnership with a big difference! Root of Program Success

• Its about the story and offering people an opportunity to play a part at any level

• The awesome work that the SWG does that In partnership with allows us to put poaching snares to good use Zoos and Conservation Programs Support Catching Hope! How YOU can help! • If you are interested in supporting Catching Hope: • Place mail orders (items available by type; subject to availability and shipping fees) • Bring Catching Hope to your zoo [email protected] [email protected]

In partnership with

Learn more about the SWG and saola at: www.savethesaola.org