Annual Report 2018 Cardamom Rainforest Protection

Cardamom Rainforest Landscape 8,350 km2

Protected by Wildlife Alliance since 2001 A critical part of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot supporting >50 IUCN threatened species

19,986 snares removed 7 ranger stations

110 forest rangers Cardamom Judicial Actions Rainforest Protection and Prosecutions

Wildlife Alliance are effectively, and are motivated and led by Effective judicial action and prosecutions demoralizing for law enforcement rangers. the leaders in the Direct inspirational supervisors. This leadership against wildlife criminals are necessary Protection of Forests and and supervision which we provide is to back up the on-the-ground work of Wildlife Alliance works intensively, and Wildlife in tropical Asia. The critical. We create a culture of excellence in forest rangers. Not only do prosecutions face-to-face, with the Cambodian judiciary, 110 rangers of our Rainforest Protection conservation, high performance, and zero and custodial sentences act as a deterrent including judges and prosecutors, to Program safeguard 8,350-km2 of the tolerance for corruption. to future poaching and illegal activity but ensure that serious criminal poachers face Cardamom Rainforest Landscape: the they are also important for the morale of maximum punishment under Cambodian Amazon of Asia. Our approach is not During 2018 our ranger field teams: field rangers. Witnessing poachers that law. This requires precision, persistence, that of a traditional conservation NGO »» Conducted 3,229 patrols which they have arrested being let-off by the and, where necessary, making high level and we do not implement the failed covered more than 130,000-km authorities due to indifference, corruption, political interventions. model of hands-off ‘business as usual »» Removed 20,000 lethal poaching or simply administrative errors is highly conservation’. Instead we are proud that snares and more than 15-km of we directly supervise and manage all law hunting nets enforcement across this vast landscape. We »» Destroyed 779 illegal forest are thus responsible for the management camps and confiscated 553 Case File 008 and security of one of Asia’s greatest chainsaws tropical forest wildernesses. Our staff Date: March 23, 2018 are at the frontline of the battle against This effort is what keeps the unique Name: So Sina and . We forests and wildlife of the Cardamom Crime: Illegally poaching a banteng, one of the ensure our rangers are well paid, receive Rainforest standing for the benefit of future rarest mammals on earth full health and life insurance, have the generations of Cambodians and for the Political Connection: Military police officer – equipment and capacity to work safely and world. nephew of high-ranking general Wildlife Alliance Intervention: Gathering all evidence, hiring prosecution lawyer, direct communication with Military Police command and investigating judge Case File 017 Verdict: 1-year imprisonment with no bail Date: November 12, 2018 Name: Heng Santera and Senglay Sengly Crime: Illegal sale and possession of elephant ivory and bear and leopard skins Political Connection: Working for three star general Wildlife Alliance Intervention: Undercover surveillance and raid on property, rapid filing of legal case and direct collaboration with provincial prosecutor and investigating judge Verdict: 6-year imprisonment & fine of $29,907 Combating Wildlife Trafficking

Wildlife Alliance have been fighting the addressing the transcontinental wildlife Illegal Wildlife Trade in Cambodia since trafficking links and the Vietnamese 2001 and the interventions of our Wildlife criminal trafficking syndicates shipping Rapid Rescue Team continue to make major high value African wildlife products impacts on the domestic wildlife trade. through Cambodia. Gone are the days when wildlife for sale could be found everywhere: in markets, Working with trusted government partners restaurants, homes, and even on sidewalks. in Cambodian Customs we have been building connections with key government WRRT action in 2018: and civil society partners across Asia and »» 3,231 live animals rescued from the Africa including in Mozambique, Tanzania, illegal trade Kenya, and Vietnam. These partnerships »» >1 ton of wildlife meat destroyed are being used to actively investigate »» 101 wildlife traders apprehended criminal trafficking networks and provide »» 12 court cases prosecuted the evidence needed for effective judicial action. However, in an increasingly globalized world, and one in which the shadow We have also been working with the of China looms large over the region, Cambodian government to strengthen the Cambodia is at the heart of the global underlying legislation preventing wildlife illegal wildlife trade, acting as a source- crime. In August we ensured that all transit-and final destination for wildlife African elephant, rhinoceros, and pangolin products from across the world including species were added as protected species elephant ivory, rhino horn, and tiger skins. under Cambodia’s wildlife law. Case Study In 2018 Wildlife Alliance’s award-winning wildlife trade work expanded to begin In December 2016 Cambodian Customs, in collaboration with Wildlife Alliance and US Cambodia Homeland Security, made a major seizure of ivory and other wildlife products originating CITES and United States Government from Mozambique and hidden in hollowed-out logs. Information obtained from the country of concern for global ivory trade consignee’s warehouse in Phnom Penh, and shared with Homeland Security agents, provided 11x important evidence directly linking this seizure with Vietnamese criminal syndicates increase in ivory availability in operating in West Africa. Subsequent operations by US government agents resulted in Sihanoukville in the past 36 months multiple arrests in the Ivory Coast including one Vietnamese national. In December 2018 a new shipment of 3.4 tons of ivory originating from the Mozambique port of Nacala was 25 seized. Wildlife Alliance has shared key information from this seizure with government seizures of African wildlife products in and civil society partners in Africa, the United States, and Asia. This included evidence Cambodia since 2014 that the ivory was obtained from a theft of Mozambique’s national stock-pile. As a direct 3.4 result of this information and collaboration, a court case against the shipper (an employee tones of ivory seized in Phnom Penh in of the Mozambique Revenue Authority) has been filed by the Attorney General’s Office in December 2018 Mozambique. Care and Release of Rescued Wildlife

Wildlife Alliance’s approach to the illegal methodology has led to the successful wildlife trade is holistic and we provide release of many species, including care for any animal rescued by our law binturongs, pileated gibbons, and Critically enforcement efforts. Endangered Sunda pangolins.

Care for Rescued Wildlife Angkor Forest Release Program Animals not fit for immediate release are The Angkor Temple Complex, a UNESCO taken to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue World Heritage Site and Cambodia’s Center, a government-owned facility biggest tourist attraction, contains some of situated in 2,300 hectares of regenerating the country’s oldest forests. Pileated gibbon forest outside of Phnom Penh. Our Care were fully extirpated from this forest due for Rescued Wildlife program provides to over hunting in the twentieth century. It refuge and care for over 1,400 rescued is now well protected so Wildlife Alliance, wild animals, including Asian elephants, in partnership with the Cambodian tigers and pileated gibbons. Our team Forestry Administration and APSARA, have of specialists provide care and medical endeavored to repopulate the forest by treatment to prepare as many animals as reintroducing gibbons and other species. possible to return to the wild and provide In 2018, we released silver langurs and lifetime care to those that are not. Eld’s muntjac deer and have brought a third pair deer, Leopard cat, sambar, red muntjac, of gibbons to a pre-release enclosure to and golden jackals have been reintroduced acclimatize to the forest. As the released to the forest surrounding the facility. populations grow, we hope the Angkor Complex will eventually serve as a safe Wildlife Release Station refuge for much of Cambodia’s Endangered Species more suitable to be released in and Critically Endangered wildlife species. a protected rainforest habitat are taken to our Wildlife Release Station situated within the Cardamom Rainforest RIGHT Populations of Landscape. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Pileated Gibbons Station focuses on ‘soft’ release projects (Hylobates pileatus) that allow animals to become acclimated in Cambodia – the world’s stronghold for to their new environment before release. this species – are in Wildlife Alliance has demonstrated that decline due to habitat loss and poaching. acclimation, provision of supplementary Wildlife Alliance food and post-release monitoring is reintroducing gibbons to the forests increases survival rates dramatically. This surrounding the iconic temples of Angkor.

Photo by Jeremy Holden Environmental Education

Wildlife Alliance began addressing leader in environmental education, and the widespread lack of environmental we are regularly called upon to conduct awareness in Cambodia in 2005 by creating education and outreach in their respective the Kouprey Express, which travels across project areas. We continued to work the country building capacities of students, alongside our long-time friend and partner, teachers and whole communities to Freeland, to bring wildlife education to address the many factors which threaten Cambodian speaking communities in ’s wildlife: habitat loss, eastern Thailand in Khao Yai and Ta Phraya forest degradation and fragmentation, National Parks. This has been an amazing poaching, and the illegal wildlife trade. opportunity for the Kouprey Express to Engaging youth is critical to protecting extend beyond Cambodia as wildlife know the future of Cambodia’s natural heritage no borders. The Kouprey Express has as 60% of the population is under 30 been instrumental in ensuring the long- years of age. At present, Cambodia’s term success of our conservation efforts, core curriculum completely lacks an equipping tomorrow’s leaders with the environmental education component. The tools to safeguard our natural heritage. Kouprey Express has been working with the Ministry of Environment to rectify this. Kouprey Express 2018 achievements: In 2018, the team worked closely with the »» 7,203 students and 157 teachers Ministry of Environment to show how we reached at 45 schools and 11 NGOs in work in rural schools and provide a needs 13 provinces, the capitol region, and assessment as the first step in developing eastern Thailand an environmental education component for »» 8 events with MOE reaching a total of the national curriculum. 24,530 people »» 11 community events reaching 1,900 As a result of the Kouprey Express’ villagers efforts, we have been recognized by »» 11 trips to Phnom Tamao Wildlife other conservation NGOs, as well as the Rescue Center for 1,585 Cambodians Cambodian government, as the nation’s Photo by Andrea Pistolesi

Nature Based Climate Solutions

Climate change is the biggest threat to protection of the Cardamom Rainforest the long-term survivorship of humanity Landscape, and our proven record of and the maintenance of an inhabitable addressing drivers of deforestation, will planet. Among the proposed solutions to contribute to mitigating the impacts of climate change, such as energy savings, climate change on all of humanity technological improvements, and the development of renewable energies, those Southern Cardamom REDD+ (Reducing which are provided by nature and intact Emissions from Deforestation and forest tropical forests are often overlooked, Degradation) Project covers more than underestimated, and insufficiently 4,000-km2 of the Cardamom Rainforest resourced. Landscape and is working with the Royal Government of Cambodia to market and Halting ecosystem loss and ensuring the sell verified carbon emissions from the preservation of natural habitats are the landscape initially to the voluntary carbon most cost-effective way of tackling climate market. change. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) states these strategies alone could account for one third 3.5 million tones of carbon per year (reduced of the total carbon captures required by emissions versus business as usual) 2030. from the protection of the Cardamom Rainforest Landscape This reduction of deforestation in the tropics is the mission, and specialty of, Equivalent to Wildlife Alliance. the annual electricity consumption from the city of Boston or charging The forests of the Cardamom Rainforest 496 billion smart phones Landscape, which Wildlife Alliance has been protecting for the past 20 years, make The project, which was officially verified an incalculable contribution to global based on global best standards, in climate stability influencing processes as November 2018, is fully aligned with far away as rainfall patterns on the Pacific Cambodia’s national REDD+ strategy coast of the USA. The loss or degradation and is thus eligible to receive compliance of these forests, which act as the Lungs of payments under the framework of the Asia, would be catastrophic. UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) from 2022. Support for Wildlife Alliance, the Photo by Jeremy Holden

Organization and Individual Donors Our considerable advances in conservation are a direct result of the organizations and individuals who share our values.

Tamaki Foundation Ivan Samuels $100,000+ Barbara Delano Foundation U.S. Embassy Phnom Penh Jill A Mountjoy Department for Environment, Waterloo Foundation Julia Hart Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Landry’s Downtown Aquarium Fondation Segré $1,000-$9,999 Denver Full Circle Foundation Abraham Foundation Lin Heng Lye Morgan Family Foundation Alexander Busse Local Independant Charities of United States Fish & Wildlife Alison Behie America Service (USFWS) Badreyyah Alireza Lorraine Parmer Wilderness Freedom Fund Barbara Smicklas Maggie Clare Wildlife Works Carbon Belinda Guadarrama Maio and Levon Nishkian Bonnie Miller Margaret Cole Boylston Family Foundation Maureen Kane McGee $50,000-$99,999 Charitable Gift Fund Wallace Research Foundation Bradley Miller Rising Phoenix Co. Ltd British Embassy Phnom Penh Brant Rotnem Rita Vallet Golden Triangle Elephant Bryan Eastin Rotary Club of Phnom Penh Foundation Charles Goodfellow III Ryan Kelton Margaret Ellwanger Charles Marshik Compact Global Holdings Sandra E Gale Doug and Carol Anderson Stanley Enterprises $25,000-$49,999 Ellen Gutierrez The Eric and Joan Norgaard John Swift Fauna & Flora International Charitable Trust Ministry of Land Management For Peace Inc The Rockwood Trust Suwanna Gauntlett GC Micro Theodore E. Jacobson, D.D.S. Thomas Plant Hew Amatruda Vivien MacDonald WWF-Cambodia Wildlife Heritage

$10,000-$24,999 4 Rivers Floating Lodge Expense Breakdown Ahimsa Foundation Anderson-Rogers Foundation Conservation International Programs Habitat loss & low Cyrus and Joanne Spurlino 83.4% densities of prey are Administration the greatest threats Freidman-French Foundation facing the globally Indochina Trade & Logistic Ltd. Fundraising Endangered dhole (Coun aplinus). Jeff Morgan Wildlife Alliance National Geographic Society is protecting the 10.4% Cardamom Rainforest Noah and Anette Osnos Landscape, one of the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens most important forests 6.2% for this wild dog, also Conservation Fund known as cinnamon wolves, in Southeast Asia. WWW.WILDLIFEALLIANCE.ORG

Cambodia United States Wildlife Alliance Wildlife Alliance House #86, Street 123 1441 Broadway Toul Tompong 5th Floor Chamkarmon, Phnom Penh New York, NY 10018 +855.23.211.604 646.569.5860 [email protected] [email protected]