© Steve and Ann Toon Zoos and Save the Rhino International: Working together to save rhinos Working together for rhino conservation Zoos have an incredible capacity to play a powerful role in the conservation of endangered species, both in ex situ settings and for in situ populations. With zoos in the EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquaria) network welcoming 140 million visitors a year, zoos have a prominent platform to share conservation messages with the public and, through close encounters with wildlife, to inspire visitors to become active supporters of in situ conservation efforts. Since our collaboration on the 2005-2006 EAZA ‘Save the Rhinos’ campaign, the European zoo community and Save the Rhino International have worked together to deliver vital rhino conservation efforts across Africa and Asia. Many of our zoo partners have supported the work of field programmes for a number of years; their commitment to funding key in situ conservation efforts for consecutive years is essential to deliver positive impact All images © Mark Carwardine for rhino populations and respond to the conservation finance gap that remains perilously wide. Donations from zoos in 2019-20 far exceeded the average annual zoo contributions in recent years, in part thanks to collaborations on new campaigns involving significant grants from a number of our zoo partners. Between April 2019 and March 2020, our zoo partners contributed a phenomenal £179,968 for rhino conservation efforts. Total zoo contributions for in situ rhino conservation programmes via Save the Rhino International. £200,000 £150,000 £100,000 Total zoo contributions in GBP £50,000 £73,291 2013/2014 3 2014/2015 2015/2016 Financial year 2016/2017 £179,968 2017/2018 2018/2019 2019/2020 © Sam Bond 4 One such grant was from conserving viable populations of Wilhelma Zoological and Botanical Critically Endangered rhinos (with Garden, Stuttgart, which became a the long-term aim of each Strategic Partner of the Sumatran species being down-listed to a Rhino Rescue project, pledging lower category of threat in the $100,000 over two years to IUCN Red List), we are now support efforts to rescue this working to achieve this goal by Critically Endangered species from focusing on the following areas: the brink of extinction. Another was £25,000 generously donated 1. Protection, law enforcement, by the Zoological Society of East intelligence and investigations Anglia for aerial surveillance in 2. Biological management Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South 3. Stopping illegal markets Africa, in celebration of the 4. Building capacity Society’s 50th anniversary. 5. Coordination 6. Societal relevance Whilst recent years have seen 7. Sustainable, adequate financing steady declines in the number of rhinos poached, the situation remains dire. In South Africa alone, one rhino was killed for its horns every 15 hours in 2019. Clearance of land for human © Tristan Vince © Tristan settlement, agricultural production and logging also continues to increase. This is a major threat to rhinos that need space to thrive, hampering their ability to recover and increase their populations. These key threats of poaching and habitat loss remain the biggest challenges to conserving rhino populations in the 21st century. Save the Rhino International developed a new conservation strategy to guide our efforts to tackle these threats, and protect and grow rhino populations. Continuing our focus on © Cyril Ruoso 5 6 Section Ranger distributing new To respond to conservation challenges, the World camping kits including battery power chargers, funded through Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Conservation our zoo partners, to ranger teams Strategy outlines that all zoos should “increase their in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. contribution to and impact on saving species in the wild”. WAZA recommends that zoos Collaboration is at the heart of all partner with trusted conservation we do and this report will outline organisations to implement action concrete examples of the in the field and commit to conservation impact that has been developing their budgets to achieved by connecting zoos with support conservation over the in situ rhino programmes. long-term. In the following section, we review As such, we are acting as a how zoo partnerships contributed trusted conduit between zoological to four of our strategy areas, and institutions and in-field programme share the impact that funding has partners who protect and monitor achieved in tackling the threats rhino populations in the wild. facing rhinos in the wild. Percentage of restricted zoo contributions via Save the Rhino International analysed by strategy. Protection, law enforcement, intelligence and investigations - 28% Building capacity - 10% Stopping illegal markets - 6% Biological management - 56% © Dirk Swart 7 8 Zoo donations have enabled conservancies in Kenya to purchase a new Strategy 1: Protection, law vehicle and enabled more training sessions for canine units. enforcement, intelligence and investigation Keeping rhinos safe from Generous funding from Réserve poachers is key to maintaining Africaine de Sigean and Biopar- healthy, thriving populations and co di Roma will enable HiP to buy reducing the illegal trade in rhino and install a new digital radio sys- © Martin Buzora horn. A large proportion of funding tem to support anti-poaching activ- from Save the Rhino and our ities. This system will replace the partners is directed to equip previously vulnerable analogue rangers and enhance the radios, crucially improving the anti-poaching operations they security of communications undertake to protect rhinos. between the ranger teams. In South Africa, the team at In celebration of their 50th Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) have anniversary, the Zoological been tackling the rising tide of Society of East Anglia held a year- © Martin Buzora © Dirk Swart poaching in the KwaZulu- long fundraising drive, collecting a ‘Savannah’ light aircraft. The courts were often not recognising Natal province since the start of phenomenal £25,000 to fund the Savannah is able to provide aerial the importance or credibility of the latest poaching crisis in 2007. operational costs of HiP’s surveillance across the Park, testimony from canine units in monitor fence lines, detect crime criminal cases. Our partners at scenes and provide over-watch Zoo Berlin and Tierpark Berlin during contact with poachers. provided generous funds so that A key part of HiP’s operations, Ol Jogi’s Canine Unit could the Savannah helps to make the undergo certification by the Kenya Park’s rhino protection and law Police. Following the successful enforcement efforts more certification, evidence collected by effective. the Conservancy’s canine team is now considered ‘admissible’ in In Kenya, Ol Jogi was one of the court cases, an important step to first conservancies in the Laikipia ensuring successful convictions. region to add a canine unit to their Generous funds from the Zoological anti-poaching and law Across the Laikipia region, our Society of East Anglia funded the operation of the Savannah aircraft at HiP. © Dirk Swart enforcement efforts. However, partners at Bioparco di Roma, 9 10 Bioparc Valencia, Rotterdam Zoo black rhinos. With no formal and West Midland Safari Park protections over the desert supported the operational costs of landscape they roam, the canine units at Lewa Wildlife, Ol rhinos could be more vulnerable to Jogi and Ol Pejeta Conservancies. poaching attempts. Staying Donations funded renovations to one-step ahead of poachers is kennels, supported training of the essential to protect this population. units, helped procure a vehicle adapted to transport Lewa’s With support from our partners at canine unit and helped cover Zoo Krefeld, SRT’s Wildlife Crime veterinary costs for dogs. These Coordinator (in collaboration with investments ensure that the dogs the Namibian Police Service) stay in peak physical condition and spent 220 days of the year that the canine teams can conducting fieldwork, continue operating as formidable investigations and pre-emptive units to tackle the threat of patrols. These efforts have led to poaching. many arrests and successes in deterring poachers, helping to In Namibia’s Kunene region, Save keep rhinos safe and allowing the the Rhino Trust monitors and population to grow. protects a unique population of In 2019-20, zoos provided more than £47,700 to support anti-poaching and ranger training activities. Breakdown of zoo contributions to protection, law enforcement, intelligence and investigation activities. Ranger training, £1,767.75, 4% Anti-poaching operations, £45,944, 96% © Steve and Ann Toon 11 12 Alongside protection from As a Strategic Partner, Wilhelma poaching, management of rhino Zoological and Botanical Garden, Strategy 2: Biological populations is vital to ensure they Stuttgart is directing its support to are healthy, have strong enhance the conservation genetic diversity and all the breeding programme at the management activities conditions needed to successfully Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) Seven rhinos live at the Sumatran grow and build resilience against – the only viable captive Rhino Sanctuary. They are a lifeline for their extinction. population of Sumatran rhinos in species’ future. Thanks to donations from our zoo the world. partners, the facilities of the Sanctuary have doubled in size. Soon, we hope that more Sumatran Biological management rhinos will call it home. Thanks to crucial funding from All images © www.nickgarbuttphotography.com received the largest Wilhelma, and other partners including West Midland Safari contribution from Park, a second ring of rhino zoological institutions in enclosures was built at the SRS, along with improvements to its the last financial year, veterinary and staff facilities. This raising more than £93,350 has doubled the space available for rhinos in the breeding for these activities. programme and increased the capacity of the team to provide the This is largely due to the generous highest standards of care and grants of Wilhelma Zoological and fertility support to help grow the Botanical Garden, Stuttgart, who population of this unique joined the Sumatran Rhino species. Rescue project as Strategic Partners.