Save the Rhino International Impact Report 2016–17 Save the Rhino steers clear of funding unscientific wishful initiatives, instead supporting initiatives where there is credible critical scientific evaluation of impact to see whether there has been positive, no or negative impacts Dr Richard Emslie, Scientific Officer, IUCN SSC African Rhino Specialist Group 2 Our year in numbers Launched an £1,718,661 Instagram account, raised for which grew to programmes 5,800 by Dec 2017 protecting rhino populations in 80% of grants Africa and Asia and reducing in 2016 –17 the demand for were in support of illegal rhino horn rhino monitoring and protection programmes: ensuring ranger teams We continued provide have the kit, skills and financial and technical support infrastructure they need for two black-rhino-focused to do their jobs environmental education programmes Worked with more than130 community fundraisers completing and hosting 25 field incredible events programmes supported in -day awareness 12 countries 10 campaign in Viet Nam with actor Paul Blackthorne, held in conjunction with Education for Nature-Vietnam 3 Contents 2016–17 overview and highlights 3 CEO's forward 5 Save the Rhino’s Vision, Mission and Strategies 6 Overview and highlights 2016–17 8 State of the rhino 10 Where we work 12 Strategy 1 Saving rhinos 14 Strategy 2 Sharing information 20 Strategy 3 Involving communities 24 Strategy 4 Reducing the illegal horn trade 28 Strategy 5 Engaging support 32 Financials 36 Fundraising and financials 39 Our people 40 Our thanks go to... 41 Looking back 42 Looking ahead 46 MAIN: NORTH LUANGWA RANGER, ZAMBIA | TRISTAN VINCE 4 CEO’s foreword Contents With a lot of good contacts The vision of our founder, Dave Stirling, still lies in Africa, we felt not only at the very heart of Save the Rhino today. 2016–17 overview and highlights 3 More than 20 years later, we still our money could be spent concentrate on making sure the money CEO's forward 5 we raise “will be most effectively spent”. well, but we would be able We work with expert partners and use tested technologies and relevant Save the Rhino’s Vision, Mission and Strategies 6 to advise other charities scientific research to ensure our investments into rhino conservation Overview and highlights 2016–17 8 within the UK as to where have the greatest impact. We pride their money should be ourselves on the fact that we do not simply follow the latest fads State of the rhino 10 but make time and space for nuanced, well-researched funding and will be most effectively decisions, whilst working to call out ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative Where we work 12 facts’ that can spread rapidly across an online world. spent. Save the Rhino The pressures on wild rhino populations are unsustainable. As Strategy 1 Saving rhinos 14 Asia and Africa’s human population booms, so the habitats on International was born then. which rhinos depend are inevitably squeezed. As the economies of the countries leading the demand for rhino horn grow, the Strategy 2 Sharing information 20 Dave Stirling, Founder Director and Trustee, international illegal trade continues. Save the Rhino International Strategy 3 Involving communities 24 Yet the successes we have seen from the field programmes we support, as well as the ongoing support of our donors, friends, Strategy 4 Reducing the illegal horn trade 28 and partners, even in the face of the enormous challenges, give us hope that all five rhino species will, eventually, thrive in the wild. Strategy 5 Engaging support 32 Throughout 2016 –17, we focused our grants on supporting rhino monitoring and protection programmes: ensuring that the ranger Financials 36 teams have all the kit, training and motivation they need to protect rhino populations. We’re also championing community-led Fundraising and financials 39 conservation, so people living near rhinos are inspired to protect wildlife too. Across the world we’re sharing information, ensuring that conservationists have the best skills possible to tackle the Our people 40 illegal trade in rhino horn at every point in the chain, including its root cause: consumer demand. Our thanks go to... 41 This review takes stock of what has been achieved through our funding decisions and what can be done next, given the Looking back 42 challenges that the world’s rhinos face. Looking ahead 46 Cathy Dean CEO Save the Rhino 5 Save the Rhino’s Vision, Mission & Strategies Vision To do all of this, we’re All five rhino species thriving in the wild committed to evaluating and improving the Mission effectiveness of our work, and to sharing Collaborating with partners to support our progress with you, endangered rhinos in Africa and Asia the supporters who make it happen. 6 Strategies Our five-pronged strategy for rhino conservation Strategy 1 Saving rhinos page 14 Strategy 2 Sharing information page 20 Strategy 3 Involving communities page 24 Strategy 4 Reducing the illegal horn trade page 28 Strategy 5 Engaging support and page 32 inspiring positive, urgent action 7 Funds from the Rhino Dog Squad appeal launched in 2015 have begun to make a real difference in Kenya Overview and highlights 2016–17 Saving rhinos Supporting rangers Building canine units Our 2016 –17 grants supported all Some 80% of our grants in 2016 –17 Tracking and detection dogs are an five species of rhino in their native were in support of rhino monitoring and invaluable addition to field programmes’ habitats, with an emphasis on the three protection programmes: ensuring ranger anti-poaching patrols and technologies. Critically Endangered species: the black, teams have the equipment, training and Many of the field programmes that Save Sumatran and Javan. facilities they need to do their jobs. the Rhino supports have canine units that work with their handlers to detect illegally We paid for veterinary interventions – In the last decade, more than smuggled wildlife products, track and whether planned or emergency, for apprehend poachers and find lost children browse and supplements for rhino calves 1,000 rangers worldwide and stolen property. being hand-reared in bomas or bred have lost their lives in the in the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, for line of duty. It's even more Funds from the Rhino Dog Squad appeal expansion of the bomas at Ol Jogi, and for shocking they often didn’t we launched in 2015 have now begun transmitters and RFID tags to help track to make a real difference for canine them in the wild. But by far the majority of have the basic kit they need units in Kenya. our grants were for the people involved in to protect rhino populations. Some field programmes have been able monitoring and protecting rhinos. That is where we can help. to expand their canine units, and poaching in Kenya in 2016 (10 rhinos killed) was By funding everything from good-quality LEFT: RHINO KITUI AND ISIAH GITONGA, LEWA WILDLIFE significantly down on the 59 rhinos shoes, socks and backpacks, to upgrading CONSERVANCY | SRI, TOP CENTRE: DE-HORNED WHITE killed in 2013. accommodation and ablutions blocks we RHINOS | JASON SAVAGE, BOTTOM CENTRE: LOLESHA help rangers stay safe and protect wildlife. LUANGWA STUDENTS, RIGHT: RANGER AND DETECTION DOG SARA | TRISTAN VINCE 8 Involving communities Aiding partners Inspiring fundraisers It takes more than high security and Although not as obviously impactful as Our supporters constantly inspire us. This habitat protection to ensure that rhino some of the other projects we support, year, like every other, we have worked with populations thrive. Local community this year we supported the IUCN SSC some incredible community fundraisers. support is essential. Rural villages around African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) We have watched as one amazing family, park borders are precisely the areas from in a number of ways: including two toddlers, travelled around which the criminals involved in trafficking Europe in a rhino-themed campervan to ■■ editing the proceedings from the wildlife products try to recruit people raise funds to protect rhinos. February 2016 meeting; to assist them. We witnessed incredible feats of human ■■ supporting the costs of the AfRSG In 2016 –17, our grants supported an endurance including that by our London Secretariat; and award-winning education programme at Marathon hero Liz Winton, who ran her North Luangwa National Park in Zambia ■■ helping cover the cost of issue 58 of third marathon for us in 2017 and has that engages local communities and Pachyderm, an international peer- raised £10,000 for Save the Rhino across supports the long-term security of the reviewed journal about conservation and her three races. Whether it is a bake sale, species and the park as a whole. management of the African elephant a cycle or a run across the Yukon in Arctic and African and Asian rhino in the wild. Canada, we owe many thanks to these Funds went towards 351 lessons delivered incredible people. across local schools, 1,950 Activity Our expert team organised various events Booklets and 30 Teachers’ Conservation for partners to help increase donations. TOP LEFT: SCHOOL GROUP IN FRONT OF RAFKI WA FARU Guides. Thanks, in part, to this education We also facilitated a 10-day informant- BUS | GEORGE ADAMSON WILDLIFE PRESERVATION TRUST, programme, during 2016 –17 no rhinos and crime-management training course BOTTOM LEFT: LOLESHA LUANGWA CLASSROOM MURAL | were poached in North Luangwa National for 18 participants in East Africa. TRISTAN VINCE, TOP CENTRE: RHINO AND ELEPHANT SUPPORT Park, and the rhino population is achieving GROUP (RESG) MEETING | RICHARD EMSLIE, BOTTOM CENTRE: more than 8% growth. MANAGING INFORMANTS WORKSHOP | WAYNE EVANS, TOP RIGHT: CUMMINGS FAMILY CAMPER VAN AND SIGNERS | IAN CUMMINGS, BOTTOM RIGHT: LIZ WINTON IN RHINO COSTUME AT THE LONDON MARATHON | JIM HIGHAM 9 State of the rhino Africa The number of African rhinos killed by poachers For example, while the majority of incidents continue to occur in declined slightly, for the first time in six years.