ZSL Conservation Review Review Conservation ZSL CONSERVATION REVIEW 2013 2013 The Zoological Society of London Registered Charity in England and Wales: no 208728 zsl.org Regent’s Park London NW1 4RY and at: ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Dunstable Bedfordshire LU6 2LF For a closer look at ZSL’s work, look out for our other annual publications at zsl.org/about-us/annual-reports ZSL The Year in Review 2013 ZSL Institute of Zoology Our annual overview of the year, Review 2012/13 featuring our zoos, fieldwork, All our research activities, science, engagement activities collaborations, publications and and ways to get involved. funding in one yearly report. OUR VISION: OUR MISSION: A world where animals To promote and achieve the are valued, and their worldwide conservation of conservation assured animals and their habitats ZSL CONSERVATION REVIEW / WELCOME Welcome The President and Director General of the Zoological Society of London look back on some of 2013’s conservation highlights. As President of the Zoological Society of London Last year, ZSL was involved in several initiatives that are (ZSL), my role is to ensure that the Society is transforming the field of conservation. We continued achieving its ambitious mission: “To promote and to lead in defining the status and trends of the world’s achieve the worldwide conservation of animals and species and ecosystems through our Indicators and their habitats.” During 2013, ZSL made major progress Assessments Unit, while our conservation technology in this direction. Significant advances were achieved team is developing remote monitoring units that in monitoring the status of the planet; developing are revolutionising the way we keep track of species, new conservation technology; conserving one-of-a-kind species on conduct surveillance and communicate conservation to the public. the verge of extinction; securing tiger strongholds; promoting The EDGE of Existence team, working on behalf of Evolutionarily best practice and transparency in the private sector; and restoring Distinct and Globally Endangered species, launched the EDGE Zones ecosystems that are essential for local communities. concept, highlighting parts of the world that are rich in unique wildlife. Much progress was also made in training the next generation of ZSL is also working to increase conservation capacity at five critical tiger conservation leaders, and in communicating the work of the Society strongholds in Russia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Thailand. The through scientific talks, symposiums and journals. It is wonderful to importance of protecting and restoring habitats that also benefit local see ZSL staff so focused on the five Mission Targets that we hope to communities, such as mangrove forests or coral reefs, was demonstrated meet by our 200th anniversary in 2026 (see page 14). These targets when the Philippines experienced two major natural disasters in 2013. are quantitative in nature, setting clear goals for monitoring species Mangroves are important for coastal protection, while maintaining reefs and ecosystems, reversing the decline of threatened species, restoring ensures a ready local food supply. ZSL was proud to contribute to relief ecosystems, making the private sector more sustainable and changing efforts in communities we have been working with for years. attitudes and behaviour. If ZSL’s work continues to develop at the rate ZSL is committed to working with industry to protect biodiversity. Our achieved in 2013, I have great confidence that our 2026 Mission Targets Net-Works project with carpet manufacturer Interface sees old fishing will be fulfilled. nets being recycled into flooring – reducing pollution, benefiting local I would like to thank the staff at the Institute of Zoology, the Zoos and people and creating an amazing recycled product. Such collaborations Conservation Programmes for driving our mission forward. In addition, I are a major step towards a more sustainable world. would like to acknowledge the hard work of teams such as development, Finally, ZSL joined with six other field conservation organisations and human resources, finance, communications and catering that have HRH The Duke of Cambridge to launch United for Wildlife. This group will all been working behind the scenes to make this impressive progress work together to implement conservation responses on a scale never possible. This annual Conservation Review highlights just a few of the seen before. Our 2013 initiatives have set a strong foundation for the key achievements in 2013. future, and we expect to see even greater conservation gains in 2014. Professor Sir Patrick Bateson FRS Ralph Armond President, Zoological Society of London Director General, Zoological Society of London ZSL CONSERVATION REVIEW 2013 3 ZSL CONSERVATION REVIEW / WHERE WE WORK 1 Our hub countries ZSL’s work is truly international in scope – each dot on the map represents one of our conservation projects, while our key hubs of activity are detailed below. UNITED KINGDOM CAMEROON KENYA SAUDI ARABIA NEPAL 1. UNITED KINGDOM to protect wildlife and biodiversity. 4. SAUDI ARABIA Endangered Indian tiger. Both Our projects with UK species We provide advice to companies The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a of these iconic animals are include the Critically Endangered (page 27), support protected large, biodiverse country, but one threatened by the effects of a European eel, which ZSL has been area management (page 13) in which many species are now growing human population and working with since 2005. During and collaborate with all on law threatened with extinction. As part by poaching. We are working the spring our work focuses on enforcement efforts (page 9). of a long-term collaboration with with local communities to get monitoring elvers (juvenile eels), the Saudi Wildlife Authority, ZSL them involved in protecting their which arrive in the River Thames 3. KENYA helps to run conservation-breeding large mammals, and monitoring after a 3,000-mile journey from ZSL and the Kenya Wildlife Service and reintroduction programmes, these animals in the long-term. the Sargasso Sea. There was good are working together to decrease conducts research and assists in See page 8 for more about our news in 2013, with high elver the threat from the illegal wildlife the training of staff. See page 13. anti-poaching work and page 23 numbers noted. See page 10. trade to species such as elephants for more on our new tiger project. and rhino, through new Instant 5. NEPAL 2. CAMEROON Wild monitoring technology and ZSL has a long history of 6. BANGLADESH ZSL’s Cameroon programme is the SMART (Spatial Monitoring conservation work in Nepal, ZSL is working with WildTeam working with the private sector, and Reporting Tool) anti-poaching with a focus on the Vulnerable to conserve one of the world’s communities and local authorities approach. See page 18. greater one-horned rhino and largest remaining populations of 4 ZSL CONSERVATION REVIEW 2013 8 9 5 4 10 6 11 2 3 7 BANGLADESH INDONESIA MONGOLIA CHINA PHILIPPINES THAILAND tigers, along with their home in a pivotal role in monitoring conservation initiative (see areas. Mangroves are nature’s the Sundarbans mangrove forest. Mongolia’s biodiversity. It also page 20). We are conducting bioshields and their value was has an important job in capacity research into the distribution demonstrated in the aftermath 7. INDONESIA building and nurturing the and status of wild salamanders of super-typhoon Haiyan (see From reducing conflicts next generation of Mongolian and working to address key page 25). between humans and wildlife conservationists. Our annual threats, such as poaching, to supporting the sustainable field course is aimed at students habitat loss and disease. 11. THAILAND management of ecosystems, ZSL and early career conservation ZSL has been working with the is involved in a range of projects in scientists wishing to gain valuable 10. PHILIPPINES Elephant Conservation Network Indonesia. These include working field training. See page 28. As well as our Net-Works project in Thailand’s Salakpra Wildlife with the palm oil industry to in the Philippines (see page 27), Sanctuary for many years to tackle reduce its impacts – see page 26. 9. CHINA ZSL’s community-based mangrove the human-elephant conflicts The Chinese giant salamander rehabilitation project has made that threaten lives and livelihoods, 8. MONGOLIA is one of 10 highly unusual great progress in protecting help restore and protect the forest In 2013, ZSL celebrated the 10th and endangered amphibians and restoring mangrove forests, ecosystem, and enable local anniversary of its Steppe Forward to be targeted by ZSL’s EDGE and is now working to integrate villagers to develop sustainable, programme, which has played of Existence amphibian mangroves into marine protected forest-friendly occupations. ZSL CONSERVATION REVIEW 2013 5 Introduction Professor Jonathan Baillie, Conservation Programmes Director, reviews ZSL’s achievements in 2013 and explains how they are helping our mission. ZSL has set itself ambitious Mission Targets that we Instant Wild remote monitoring cameras and Mataki animal-tracking aim to achieve by our 200th anniversary in 2026 devices, were all on show. ZSL is now working with our UfW partners (see page 14), as well as eight major conservation to roll out this technology on a scale that has never been attempted initiatives that we will undertake to achieve these before. With our conservation technology work advancing rapidly in goals. These include: Status