A FUTURE FOR WILDERNESS THE FRANKFURT ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY – HANDS-ON CONSERVATION SINCE 1958 ZOOLOGISCHE GESELLSCHAFT FRANKFURT PROFESSOR BERNHARD GRZIMEK (1909 – 1987) Pioneer and visionary, environmentalist and endangered species conservationist, zoo direc- tor, filmmaker and “animal professor”. Bernhard Grzimek introduced an entire generation to the world of animals. He devoted his life to wildlife and as a brilliant fundraiser he used his influence to raise millions for his “Help for Threatened Wildlife” projects. Grzimek received international recognition for his Oscar-winning documentary “Serengeti Shall Not Die”, and in Germany the decades he spent fronting his “Ein Platz für Tiere” (A place for animals) show made him a TV legend. In his role as zoo director he rebuilt the Frankfurt Zoo after the Second World War, attracted public attention to the Serengeti, pioneered the conservation movement in Germany and initiated a global conservation programme through the Frankfurt Zoological Society. The legacy of Bernhard Grzimek lives on to this day in the conservation work of the FZS. 2 Bernhard Grzimek with his legendary Zebra aircraft Do 27 during the exploration of the Serengeti in 1958. 3 FZS AT A GLANCE Wilderness & Biodiversity 29 projects Approx. EUR 20 million the focus of our work and programmes the amount we currently invest in 18 countries worldwide into our conservation projects per year East Africa, South America, Large grasslands, forests, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe wetlands and mountains our geographical focus for decades the habitats to which we are committed Delacour’s langurs in Vietnam 4 Dear Readers, Dear Friends of FZS ernhard Grzimek is a German legend. His commitment to protecting nature was visionary back then and remains so to this day. With the backing of the Frankfurt Zoological Society, Grzimek offered practical help over many decades to various nationalB parks, not only in Africa but also in Asia and South America. He collected dona- tions to pay rangers' wages, to purchase vehicles and to build ranger posts. Half a century later, Frankfurt Zoological Society is still supporting national parks and other protected areas, acting as a partner on the ground and helping the parks in areas where financial and human resources are in short supply. This work is now carried out by some 400 dedicated employees in 18 countries who bring a great deal of know-how and enthusiasm to the FZS projects. The challenges which the staff members face are nearly always the same: the wilderness areas we are trying to protect are increasingly coming under pressure – from growing local populations, from poachers, from road construction or from the desire to exploit natural resources. People's inclination to tap into the last reserves of our planet is spiralling out of control. To counter this on a long-term basis, FZS has adopted a special approach: it establishes a genuine partnership with the authorities or competent organisations. It helps them to perform their work effectively and to protect their country's natural treasures – that is the strategy of FZS. It is a highly successful strategy, but not always an easy one. One of the reasons behind its success is the considerable support we can count on from our donors. Join us! And support our work – as a member, as a sponsor, or simply by making a donation. Klaus Becker President of Frankfurt Zoological Society 5 W 6 W THE HEART OF FRANKFURT The Frankfurt Zoological Society was re-established as the friends’ association for Frankfurt Zoo at the end of the 1950’s. “Frankfurt”, as people call it, dedicates itself to nature conservation and today manages programmes all over the world aimed at protecting wilderness areas and focusing on the conservation of biological diversity. he vast savannahs of Eastern and Southern Africa, the great with over 400 employees worldwide. FZS currently invests around pristine forests of Europe, the species-rich tropical rainforests twenty million euros annually in the protection of unique natural of South America and Southeast Asia – Frankfurt Zoological areas and endangered species. SocietyT is actively protecting wilderness and wildlife in 18 countries. We have been active where national parks and wilderness areas need Standing beside FZS is the Frankfurt-based “Hilfe für die bedrohte help for more than half a century. Tierwelt” charitable foundation. The foundation has an untouchable foundation capital of 60 million euros and uses the revenue exclu- Frankfurt Zoological Society has its roots in the Frankfurt Zoo. sively to support the conservation work of FZS. The Society was originally founded in 1858 by dedicated Frank- furt citizens with the aim of establishing a zoo. It then handed the CONSERVATION CRAFTSMEN zoo over to the city and disbanded, but after the Second World War, zoo director Bernhard Grzimek revived the Society by turning it In all of our projects we are a reliable partner to protected area author- into a registered “friends of the zoo” association, but from the late ities, helping where they lack resources or capabilities or have their 1950s it also served increasingly as the basis of his conservation hands tied. We do so practically, non-bureaucratically and through work in Africa. a wealth of nature conservation expertise. Dealing responsibly and transparently with our local partners is a basic principle of our work Since his first trips to Africa in the 1950s Bernhard Grzimek was and an integral part of our success. In addition, we enter into long- convinced that the unspoilt wilderness areas and their unique term commitments in all our projects because we know that conser- wildlife would not survive if the human population of our planet vation requires time and patience. What unites the committed and continued to grow and occupy more and more space. This was a professional members of FZS teams worldwide is their shared pas- vision that would prove all too prescient. Grzimek confronted this sion for wildlife and nature. challenge head-on, and used “his” Frankfurt Zoological Society to support African national parks with donations he collected, mostly WILDERNESS AND DIVERSITY from the viewers of his popular television show “Ein Platz für Tiere” (A place for animals) in Germany. The focus of all our conservation projects is protecting wilderness areas and conserving biodiversity. Bernhard Grzimek is familiar to many Germans above all from his TV series, but he was also a pioneer of nature conservation in When time and financial resources are scarce, and when there is Germany and beyond. Grzimek supported national parks by uncon- major conflict between use and protection, it is crucial to focus ventional means and forged important alliances, especially in Africa. on the species-rich regions – the treasure troves of biodiversity. This is why FZS concentrates its efforts on specific ecosystems – SERENGETI SHALL NOT DIE large grasslands, forests, wetlands and mountains – in our main geographical focus areas of East Africa, South America, Southeast Grzimek's commitment to the Serengeti was legendary; his film Asia and eastern Europe. FZS is also a committed and vocal sup- “Serengeti Shall Not Die” became world famous, and protecting porter of wilderness, by which we mean large, predominantly intact the Serengeti National Park marked the beginning of FZS commit- areas in which natural processes take place without human interfer- ment to conservation today. Serengeti remains the heart of what has ence and are thus fundamental to the conservation of biodiversity. since become a comprehensive strategy including 29 projects and programmes aimed at protecting outstanding wilderness areas and national parks. Over the last six decades FZS has grown from a small association for the zoo into a strategic conservation organisation 7 8 WILDERNESS AND BIODIVERSITY - OUR APPROACH TO CONSERVATION The conservation challenges are almost limitless. Never before have there been so many people living on this planet, and never have habitats been so fundamentally disturbed. All forecasts concerning population growth, the loss of species-rich ecosystems and global climate change point to further intensification of the problems. Only with an intelligent strategy can we find an effective way out of the maze of challenges and opportunities. The biologist and FZS Executive Director Dr. Christof Schenck describes the FZS strategy for the current decade in an interview. Dr. Schenck, where does FZS work? Dr. Christof Schenck: We focus on specific ecosystems – savan- consumer products – these are not our issues. They are undoubtedly nahs, forests, wetlands and mountain areas. Marine projects or important issues, but others are better equipped to tackle them. projects in the polar regions are not in our portfolio, not because We have a clear focus on protecting wilderness. they aren't important, but because it's simply not possible to do everything and we prefer to concentrate on our core competencies. Does that mean that biodiversity and wilderness are the Our main geographical focal points are Eastern and Southern Africa, only criteria for the projects? South America, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe. No. Efficiency is a further core element in our approach. Our pro- ject selection and prioritisation criteria also include aspects such as FZS puts biodiversity and wilderness at the heart of its the ability to secure an area, the level of urgency and available op- conservation strategy. But so do others. What’s so special portunities. We also ask questions such as: Do we already have a base about the FZS strategy? in the country? What is the current political situation and what are That’s right, many other conservation organisations also have the con- relations with the nature conservation authorities like? FZS is not servation of biodiversity and wilderness as their goal. But scarcely any afraid of taking action even in difficult and sometimes dangerous other organisation is as consistently and exclusively dedicated to it as regions, but we are also realsitic about prospects for impact.