ANNUAL REPORT 2019 1 CELEBRATING 20 YEARS This year, 2020, marks the 20th Anni- corporations is key to the planet’s fu- versary of Wildlife Alliance in Cambo- ture. REDD+ revenues are also helping dia: time flies when you are fighting us to demonstrate to the Government for conservation. of Cambodia the economic value of “ preserving forest and are directly in- During this period, we have achieved fluencing government decision mak- a phenomenal amount. The landscape ing. The sustainable funding from continuity of the Cardamom Moun- REDD+ allowed us in 2019 to expand tains rainforest has been secured our successful and unique model of with the creation of new protected ar- forest protection and to open two new eas covering more than 4,000 km2, our ranger stations in Central Cardamom law enforcement has achieved zero National Park – previously an area of poaching of elephants, and our highly lawlessness and extensive deforesta- successful award-winning commu- tion. In this annual report we describe nity tourism and agricultural project the rationale of our expansion and continue to lift communities out of highlight some of the impressive re- poverty. We have transformed Phnom sults of our enforcement work in this Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre from area. one-of-the worst to one-of-the-best animal care facilities in Asia whilst re- Our conservation success is largely cusing more than 80,000 animals from based on the commitment and ded- the Illegal Wildlife Trade. We could not ication of our staff working 24/7 on- have achieved this all without your the-ground in Cambodia to safeguard support. Our commitment to Cambo- the forests, wildlife, and communities. dia, and its fantastic wildlife and peo- In 2020 we will continue our unstinting ple, remains as strong as ever. We will focus on protecting Forests and Wild- keep fighting for the next 20 years! life in Cambodia and beyond. I am par- ticularly excited with our major prog- “ The past 12-months have been critical ress towards tiger reintroduction, one for securing the financial sustainabil- of the most exciting and ambitious ity of Wildlife Alliance largely due to species conservation projects being carbon sales from the Southern Car- planned globally. I look forward to our damom REDD+ Project. Nature-based continued partnerships with you all. Wildlife Alliance directly Solutions are the cheapest and most protects more than 1.4 million hectares of the Cardamom effective solution to the climate Mountains, Southeast Asia’s emergency and tropical forests, such last great rainforest. as the Cardamoms, are essential for climate stability. The growing recog- Suwanna Gauntlett nition of this, from government and Wildlife Alliance Founder & CEO 2 3 RAINFOREST PROTECTION 1,465,665 hectares of rainforest under protection 22,207 deadly snares removed from the forest floor 4,129 patrols conducted by specialized ranger units 963 chainsaws confiscated from illegal loggers 462 vehicles seized from illegal loggers and poachers Long patrols for up to 7 days and 48 hours without sleep; being a ranger isn’t easy but it’s their hard work and dedication that keeps the forest standing. 4 5 PROTECTING THE CARDAMOM MOUNTAINS Since 2001, Wildlife Alliance has been protect- estation, whilst also stimulating demand for ing Southeast Asia’s iconic Cardamom Moun- illegal wildlife products. As a result of these tains rainforest. Since then we have led more pressures, we have observed a significant than 39,000 patrols across the landscape and increase in forest and wildlife crime in the established one of the most effective and landscape’s protected areas. The number of professional law enforcement forces in Asia. illegal chainsaws confiscated by our teams We directly supervise and manage all law en- has increased 650% since 2015, the number forcement. We ensure our rangers are well of hunting snares removed has increased by paid, receive full health and life insurance, 300% since 2014, and illegal land encroach- have the equipment and capacity to work ment into the protected area has increased safely and effectively, and are motivated and by 750%, from 24 hectares annually in 2010, to led by inspirational supervisors. We create a 180 hectares in 2018. In 2019, our proactive en- culture of excellence in conservation, high forcement patrolling prevented 126 cases of performance, and zero tolerance for corrup- land speculation driven deforestation. tion. Given these threats, and the lack of addition- Over the past 20-years the threats to the Car- al effective enforcement elsewhere in the damom’s forests and wildlife have evolved. Cardamoms, there was an urgent and critical Initially we were fighting the targeted poach- need to enhance our law enforcement efforts. ing of iconic species such as tiger and Asian Consequently, in 2019 we expanded our oper- elephant and then the illegal logging of huge- ations to cover additional areas of the Carda- ly valuable rosewood. Our efforts have been mom Mountains rainforest. We opened two critical to mitigating these threats and we new ranger stations to protect the northern are proud to have achieved zero poaching of flank of Southern Cardamom National Park. Asian elephant in the Cardamoms since 2006. This area borders Central Cardamom National The current threats to the Cardamoms are Park where enforcement has historically been more insidious: land speculation leading to minimal. The result has been a huge increase deforestation. in enforcement effectiveness. In the first five months of operations (August-December) This is largely driven by the massive recent rangers from these new stations conducted Chinese investment in Cambodia which is 373 patrols, confiscated 307 illegal chainsaws, part of China’s national Belt and Road Ini- removed 2,562 lethal hunting snares, and took tiative. This investment has been associated 23 serious wildlife and forest offenders to with land-grabbing and speculation. Chinese court. investment increases the value of land, thus Stung Proat station rangers patrol deep into the wildness in promoting land speculation and illegal defor- their patrol quadrant. Rangers are on constant alert 24/7, patrolling by land, sea and air. 6 7 Every chainsaw poses a deadly threat to the forest. Since the establishment of CFPP, our rangers have confiscated more than 4000 chainsaws from the hands of illegal loggers. 8 9 The snare snaps, the bent sapling springs up, the nose of wire closes on the leg, and the animal flips upside down, there to struggle until the foot comes off or merely to hang for days or a week until fatal thirst has its A civet rescued by rangers in the Cardamom Mountains. way. The animal bobbed at the end of the snare THE ASIAN SNARING CRISIS wire for a long while, and kept bobbling as he clawed at the metal tourniquet that had seized his ankle. Pain, exhaustion and sleeplessness then took their toll. Fear was Southeast Asia is at the center of the global Since 2001 Wildlife Alliance rangers have re- constant. Slowly, too slowly, dehydration and extinction crisis. Hunting, largely to supply the moved 227,601 snares from the Cardamom hunger eroded consciousness and pulse, a commercial wildlife trade, is one of the most Mountains rainforest. Despite the heroic ef- torture like the martyrdom of a saint at the significant causes of wildlife decline in the forts of our forest rangers the problem con- hands of especially creative centurions. region with industrial snaring the most perva- tinues. Urgent action is required to Stop the sive form of hunting. Snaring Crisis. Snares are an indiscriminate hunting meth- Wildlife Alliance is focused on: od. Snares do not pick and choose. Anything and everything on the forest floor is a po- • Halting all consumption of wildlife meat – tential victim. Animals killed and maimed by the ultimate driver of snaring. snares in the Cardamom Mountains rainfor- est include everything from small birds and • Sensitizing the judiciary to the seriousness reptiles to bears and Asian elephants. And of snaring and applying appropriate punish- many, possibly the majority, of the individuals ments including combining multiple crimes caught in snares are wasted. The opportunity when sentencing. cost of setting snares is so low many snares are set and never again checked. Most of • Strengthening legislation to allow the pros- what is caught simply rots away: a tragic and ecution of hunters carrying materials to make heart-breaking waste. snares in protected areas. 10 11 WILDLIFE RESCUE AND CARE 2,774 animals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade 1,251 animals rehabilitated and released following IUCN protocols 100 wildlife traffickers apprehended 1,300 number of animals provided daily care for Kong Vang, one our keepers at our Wildlife Release Station, 4,167 walks Micah, a rescued Malayan animals released into sun bear. protected areas 12 13 It was too late for these Malayan porcupines — victims 20 YEARS COMBATING to Cambodia’s brutal bush meat trade — that were seized during a raid on a restaurant in Koh Kong province. WRRT’s WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING presence in Cambodia has proven to be a significant deterrent for illegal wildlife traffickers. In 2001, Wildlife Alliance established the Wild- life Rapid Rescue Team (WRRT), Asia’s fore- most wildlife police unit, when wildlife trade was rampant and insidious throughout Cam- bodia. Monkeys were sold on pavements, sun bears in restaurants, and the skins of recently poached tigers and other big cats openly trad- ed. The trained and motivated members of the WRRT have worked tirelessly to crack-down on this cruel trade. By combining governmental authority with Sunda pangolins seized by our WRRT who caught wildlife civil society oversight, the WRRT represents a traffickers smuggling them onto China and Vietnam. unique model for tackling the illegal wildlife known species such as pangolin, tigers, and trade in Asia.