ZSL Annual Report 2018-19
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2018-19 ANNUAL ACCOUNTS ACCOUNTS REPORT ANDREPORT ZSL Annual Report and Accounts | 2018-19 CONTENTS AND IMPACTS Over 500volunteers support ZSL. Find out more about ZSL’s supporters on page 46. professional staff and 434 community members were trained in wildlife monitoring techniques across Africa and Asia. For more about our wildlife monitoring, see page 18. tonnes of fishing nets were diverted from the ocean through our Net-Works™ project. For more on how we’re promoting the sustainable use of resources, see page 22. Desertas wolf spiderlings hatched at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, only the second time that the species has been bred in captivity anywhere in the world. Find out more about how ZSL is helping bring wildlife back from the brink on page 12. 2 Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19 Over women500 participated in our 31 Soapbox Science events, which were attended by more than 50,000 people. Find out more about our public events on page 30. Contents citizen scientists were trained to help with Welcome .................................................................. 4 surveys along the River Thames. For more about our work on the Thames, turn to page 20. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES ZSL in focus ............................................................... 6 ZSL 200 ..................................................................... 8 ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Wildlife back from the brink ................................... 12 Future plans ........................................................ 21 Wildlife and people ............................................... 22 Future plans ........................................................ 31 Wildlife health ....................................................... 32 Future plans ........................................................ 41 Making our work possible ..................................... 42 SUPPORTING ZSL Supporting our work ............................................. 46 wildlife professionals were supported by our Our supporters ...................................................... 48 training this year. For more on our veterinary work, see page 40. FINANCE REVIEW AND GOVERNANCE Financial summary ................................................ 50 Principal risks and uncertainties ............................ 56 Governance ........................................................... 58 Independent auditor’s report ................................ 60 Financial statements.............................................. 61 zsl.org Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19 3 WELCOME Welcome The President and Director General of the Zoological Society of London introduce our review of May 2018 to April 2019. he science is clear: unsustainable human consumption The most threatened species is pushing nature to the very brink. Our latest Living Planet Report, produced in collaboration with WWF, need us to act now if we are points to a 60% decline in global populations of vertebrate species in less than 50 years. Freshwater going to bring them back species, hit hardest of all, have suffered 76% losses. from the brink of extinction These statistics make grim reading. But there is hope – change is afoot. We are increasingly aware of the problems facing our planet, as we have seen from the protests priorities of Wildlife and People; Wildlife Back from the Brink; and Wildlife in London and across the globe this year; as a result, governments are Health – means we are committed to supporting the UN Sustainable Tstarting to take note. In December 2018 the UK Government backed Development Goals and enables us to influence the agenda so that, the Blue Belt Charter, drafted by the Great British Oceans Coalition (of together, we can reverse those terrifying statistics in the coming century. which ZSL is a partner). The Charter plans to protect Ascension Island’s Positive relationships between wildlife and people are essential for marine habitat, meaning that more than half of the UK’s waters are now the long-term success of all conservation. This year, our Zoos welcomed protected; and on 1 May 2019, the UK Parliament declared a national nearly two million visitors, including 150,000 school students, helping climate emergency, placing the environment squarely at the top of the people to build lasting connections with wildlife and inspiring future political agenda. generations to get involved in conservation. Our conservationists worked ZSL – with the support of over 500 volunteers, 100,000 members, with communities in countries such as Nepal and Cameroon to empower Fellows and Patrons, and almost 80 donors – is on the case. We have people to take action, develop sustainable livelihoods and protect their enabled millions of people to get closer to wildlife through our Zoos wildlife. Our Living Planet Index was used to inform policymakers in for almost 200 years, with a multitude of scientific discoveries and 190 countries about our collective progress against the Aichi Biodiversity conservation successes to our name. Our new strategy – focused on the Targets set by the Convention on Biological Diversity. 4 Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19 zsl.org In April 2019 ZSL Whipsnade Zoo welcomed a new baby reticulated giraffe, born as part of the European Breeding Programme for the endangered species The most threatened species need us to act now if we are going to to the world’s attention and advanced our research into amphibian bring them back from the brink of extinction. The Mauritius kestrel, chytridiomycosis, pinpointing the fungus’s global spread to the 20th which numbered just six individuals in 1974, is now found in the century and calling for stringent safeguards for the movement of animals. hundreds. There are over 160 scimitar-horned oryx – classified as Extinct Exciting times are ahead for ZSL. In 2019 we opened a new Aquarium in the Wild in the 1990s – now living wild in Chad. This work is run by at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, immersing visitors in the secret world of the Government of Chad, the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi and the freshwater fish and raising awareness of their conservation needs, and Sahara Conservation Fund; ZSL contributes essential wildlife monitoring we continue to develop plans for a world-leading centre for wildlife and training. We stepped up our efforts to safeguard the angel shark, health at our Regent’s Park HQ. Everything we achieve would not be the world’s second most threatened family of shark, to include Welsh possible without the dedication of our people and supporters: thank you waters. Our Zoos contributed to a reintroduction of northern bald ibis in all for your continued support and commitment. Spain. And, through our EDGE of Existence programme, we supported 44 conservationists in 23 countries on their mission to protect the most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species; we also Professor Sir John launched our first-ever EDGE list for sharks and rays, identifying the most Beddington CMG, FRS important species for protection. President, Zoological It is increasingly clear that the wellbeing of humans, domestic animals Society of London and wildlife is connected. Many infectious diseases in humans have originated in wildlife – Ebola, Zika, swine flu and bird flu – while humans have been responsible for the spread of pathogens and pollutants that Dominic Jermey CVO, have crippled wildlife populations. ZSL brings together vets, ecologists and OBE Director General, biological scientists in one organisation and is uniquely positioned to take Zoological Society on this challenge. This year we brought the dire plight of killer whales of London zsl.org Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19 5 OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES ZSL in focus ZSL works all over the world, but here we focus on some of the most important and biodiverse locations in three key regions. We are committed to a long-term presence in these regions, in order to make a difference in the face of huge conservation challenges. UK Founded in 1826, ZSL London Przewalski’s horses in recent Zoo is the world’s oldest scientific years, as well as contributing zoo. Every year, over one million to conservation breeding and Londoners, visitors from the rest reintroduction programmes. of the UK and international tourists walk through our gates, developing The River Thames was declared relationships with wildlife and learning biologically dead in the 1950s but now, about our conservation work. A history as a result of conservation efforts, the river’s of immersive exhibits runs deep, from the murky surface conceals a growing and diverse opening of the first reptile house and first public range of species. We lead projects throughout Greater aquarium in the 1800s to the creation of Europe’s first London and the Thames Estuary that aim to improve habitat walk-through spider enclosure in 2015. It is our ambition quality for the river’s wild residents. Much of our work for ZSL London Zoo to be the world’s most immersive relies on the help of citizen scientist volunteers who help and international zoo, an ambition complemented by the us monitor the mammals, invertebrates and fish living in strength of ZSL’s scientific base, particularly in wildlife health. the river, including the critically endangered European eel. We work with London’s policymakers to ensure that ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is the UK’s largest zoo and offers visitors protection of wildlife in the Thames remains high on the the chance to meet some of the world’s biggest animals agenda, and that pollution mitigation – elephants, rhinos, bears,