January 2012 Newsletter

Elephant Comes Out on the Road

As we have reported previously on our website, elephants have increasingly been wandering out of the jungle onto roads and villages as the forest shrinks around them.  Since October, the number of human-elephant encounters has risen dramatically and it has now become an almost daily responsibility for our forest patrol teams to follow-up on reports of elephant sightings and protect both the elephants and villagers in the area.

On January 6, 2012, the station supervisor at the Stung Proat Station received a phone call from a hunter from Chi Phat that a large male elephant was on the sugar cane plantation road and that he had been forced to seek refuge high in a tree.  The patrollers arrived on the scene and helped the man down and sent him on his way while keeping the elephant, who was actually very calm and docile, at bay.

For the next 11 days, it was necessary for the rangers to do crowd control on the road as the elephant continued to appear there each afternoon and stay until sunrise the next morning.  For the first 9 days, the situation was very tense as workers driving past in trucks would throw things or shout at the elephant which would irritate him and cause him charge after the trucks.  Nothing seemed to scare him off, not fire or gun shots, and the elephant remained on the road.

By the 10^th day, when the elephant appeared again, he seemed exhausted and was missing a piece of his left tusk.  He became even more aggressive with passing workers.  When several workers came directly at him with tractors, it appeared the situation had become untenable.  In response, CEO Suwanna Gauntlett was called in to reach out the general manager of the sugar plantation and ask for urgent intervention with his workers.  After negotiations with the GM, the workers calmed down but did not entirely stop provoking the elephant.

When the patrol team returned to the road again on Day 12, the elephant did not return and he has not returned since.  Footprints have been spotted further into the forest and at this point it is assumed that he has found another, more densely forested spot to spend his days.  However, we continue to investigate further.

Elephants have not been seen in the open for the last 10 years, despite confirmations through footprints and dung that a population of around 200 individuals exists in the forest.  While poaching has been under control since 2002 due to the direct action of Wildlife Alliance, deforestation continues to be a challenge to the lives of these elephants.  Today, the southern tip of the elephant corridor is being aggressively cleared, pushing elephants out of the forest and causing this increase in elephant sightings. 

We have had to adapt quickly to insure the safety of the elephants.  Without constant intervention by our forest rangers, it’s hard to say what will happen during these human-elephant encounters.  And without your help, we can’t guarantee that our rangers will always be available to intercede during these tense situations.  Our patrol teams are already stretched thin as they combat wildlife poaching and illegal logging throughout the forest area.  The forest in the Southern Cardamoms exists solely because of the protection provided by Wildlife Alliance and we are able to do that only with your support.  Click here to help these elephants and combat the deforestation that is destroying their habitat.

Wildlife Traffickers Pay the Price

Follow-up on a Bust from June

Ever wonder what happens after the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team catches a wildlife trafficker in the act?  This month, a case that the WRRT submitted to the court system went to trial and concluded successfully, reflecting well on their hard work and taking another step in insuring the safety of Cambodia’s endangered species.

On June 29, 2011, the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team responded to a tip from an informant in Battambang Province and busted a wildlife trader with 7 Sunda Pangolins on a bus headed to Phnom Penh.  The offender, a 49 year old man, was arrested and charged with illegal trafficking of rare wildlife according to Cambodian Forestry Law.  To see our original reporting on this story, click here.

In his confession, he told officials that he was hired by a wildlife trader in Battambang Province to bring the 7 pangolins to Phnom Penh where another trader would be waiting to receive them.  Since he was caught en route, the other two traders remain at large.  He was sent into custody in Phnom Penh on July 1, 2011.

The case finally came to trial on December 9, 2011.  The present offender and his two accomplices were tried, the latter two in absentia.  WRRT Forestry Administration Team Leader, Prom Nol, was summoned to attend the hearing.  As a result of the trial, all three offenders were found guilty and sentenced to 1 year in prison.

After a successful bust, six months of processing, and the trial, the hard work of the WRRT paid off as the offender was sent to jail.  Cases such as these do not always result in jail time, often times the offenders are just handed a fine and they can continue on with their activities.  Seeing this offender serve time will serve as a lesson to all wildlife traders in Cambodia that trafficking is a serious crime with a serious penalty.  It is thanks to the continued efforts of our Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team that this offender and so many others pay the price for their crimes!

Species Spotlight: Indochinese Tiger

The Indochinese Tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti), native to a range of Southeast Asia stretching from Myanmar to Vietnam, is regarded as the ancestral tiger from which other tiger sub-species descended some 72,000-100,000 years ago.  Their stripes are very narrow compared to other species and the orange of their fur more vibrant.  Despite the efforts of many conservation organizations, the current wild population of Indochinese Tigers is believed to be no more than a few isolated individuals.  Current estimates from Cambodia’s Forestry Administration put the wild tiger numbers within Cambodia at less than 20, indicating there is no longer a viable breeding population within the country.

In 2002, Wildlife Alliance responded to the crisis threatening to destroy Cambodia’s largest tiger range, the Cardamom Mountains, when a newly constructed freeway sliced through 100 km of rainforest, bringing with it the commercial tiger trade and industrial deforestation.  Twelve tigers were reported killed in the 18 months preceding Wildlife Alliance’s intervention.  Between 2003 and 2006, the work of Wildlife Alliance reduced tiger killings by 50%.  However, no evidence of tigers has been found since 2007.

With the likely inability to breed because of the small population, coupled with deforestation, poaching, and the needs of a growing human population, the Indochinese Tiger in Cambodia is at serious risk of disappearing for good.  Wildlife Alliance plans to instigate a plan to save the Indochinese Tiger in Cambodia that will focus on two integrated initiatives to protect the habitat and prey base and set the stage for an eventual conservation breeding and rewilding program.  Stayed tuned during 2012 as we launch our plan to save the Indochinese Tiger!

Plant a Forest in 2012!

Our Reforestation program aims to plant 1.9 million trees in an effort to reconnect fragmented rainforest in the Southern Cardamom Mountain Range.  Creating this continuous forest cover preserves the watershed for this region and protects large mammal ranges.  In 2012, 400,000 trees over 425 hectares of forestland is due to be planted and the 500 hectares we’ve already planted will be maintained as the trees mature from seedlings to major forest growth.  Members of the local community work in our Million Tree Nursery collecting seeds, preparing and cultivating seedlings, and then when the time is right, head out to the planting fields and plant trees over formerly destroyed, but newly enriched, forestland.  But we need the support of donors like you to realize these goals.  Watch the video below to see how we are working to regrow forests in the tropical belt and how you can help!

December 2011 Newsletter

A New Home in Sovanna Baitong

Lot 99, located in Phase I of the Sovanna Baitong village, home to our Community Agriculture Development Project, is a constantly buzzing family farm.  Husband and wife, Pok Yut and Tean Sokha, moved to Sovanna Baitong in 2004, just at Phase I was getting up and running.  Their plot has a variety of crops growing throughout all three growing cycles.  October and November constitute the first two months of Cycle 1, a four-month long growing cycle during the dry season.  This year, Yut and Sokha planted sweet potato, long beans, cucumber, wax gourd, and rice.  With their harvest as well as the sale of some chickens, their income was more than $200 in just two months.  The goal income per family per month is set at $40—Yut and Sokha have surpassed that, even despite the poorer growing conditions in the dry season. 

They have been dedicated farmers from the outset but, more importantly they have always had a dream for their family of seven—to build a big to live in.  When they came to Sovanna Baitong, they brought their small chamka (traditional hut made of wood and aluminum) and set it up on the 1.5 hectares of land provided to them through the project.  Year after year, they saved a portion of their income from the sale of produce and other agricultural products from their farm.  In 2011, they were finally able to realize their dream and recently completed construction on their big house.  Their original chamka remains a fixture on their plot—a constant reminder of what they have been able to achieve since leaving the forest and becoming sustainable, family farmers in Sovanna Baitong.

Three of their five children still attend school.  Sokha is an active member of the Education Service Group of the Community Agriculture Association.  The choice they made to come to Sovanna Baitong and the hard work they have put in since their arrival has resulted in the support of and involvement in their community, a better life for their family, and a better future for their children.

Everyday Heroes

Sometimes it is the small victories that remind us of why we all work so hard against such incredible odds.  This month, both our Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team and our Forest Patrol Team succeeded on small missions.  Yet, when these small missions are folded into the grand scheme of our work, they make a huge difference in our efforts to stop wildlife trade and return wild animals back to the wild.

Earlier this month, the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team received word from a provincial Forestry Administration officer that two sun bear cubs had been captured by an ethnic minority group living in a very remote village.  The FA had confiscated the bears but needed the help of the WRRT to see them to safety.  Three WRRT members, Poev Sary, Kong Samroul, and Ou Vannareth, drove up to Ratanakiri, the most Northwestern province of Cambodia, to retrieve the cubs from the FA in Banlung village.  During the drive to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center—where the cubs were handed over to our partner organization, Free the Bears, who care for captive bears at PTWRC—Poev Sary bottle fed the babies every two hours.

In the first week of December, rangers at the Stung Proat station got a tip that a pig-tailed macaque was being held by a family living along Road 48, which stretches through protected forest in the Southern Cardamoms.  It was chained in their backyard like a dog.  Five rangers went to the house, confiscated the monkey, and brought to be released the same day.  They traveled along the Stung Proat River by boat until they spotted other macaques in the trees and released the formerly-captive monkey in an area well-known for friendly macaque populations.

To learn more about the work that the WRRT and Forest Patrol teams do, check out two of our recent news dispatches, here and here.

Kouprey Express Visits Andong Teuk

In November, our Mobile Environmental Education Unit, the Kouprey Express, visited Andong Teuk primary school to conduct lessons on wildlife protection and provide training to 6 teachers in conservation education.  Having previously visited this primary school, the KE team performed an evaluation of how the teachers had been using their flipchart education lesson plans and provided the teachers with constructive feedback as they continue to include KE’s lesson plans in their general education.  They followed this up with an interactive lesson for 222 students on wildlife protection, including a favorite game called Biodiversity.  In this game, students are split into groups and run around to match pictures of wildlife placed around the room with pictures on their sheets. 

Later that week, the KE team organized a Community Night Show on the grounds of the school for more than 300 community members.  The team demonstrated threats to and the importance of protecting wildlife with a slideshow and environmental movie.  After the show, there was a Q & A session complete with t-shirts for the winners.  The team finished up the month with a field trip for 30 students to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, where Lucky the dancing elephant was a reliable highlight and the kids demonstrated a wealth of knowledge on conservation concepts.  All in all, a successful month for the Kouprey Express!

Funding Spotlight: Reforestation

The winter marks the start of a new growing cycle in the rainforest as well as the new planning cycle for our Reforestation program.  Going into 2012, an ambitious planting program is in place with an expected 300,000 trees to be planted over 300 hectares.  In order to reforest the land, we obviously need seedlings to plant.  Our program works solely with tree species indigenous to the area that are collected from the surrounding forest, sown in our nursery and then planted in our fields.  With a donation of $7,000, Wildlife Alliance will be able to cover the costs of seed collection for the whole year and continue our efforts to combat deforestation, diminishment of the watershed, and global climate change.

November 2011 Newsletter

Field Visit to Cambodia

From November 5-13, 2011, Wildlife Alliance took supporters and Advisory Board members on a frequently wild, oftentimes touching, and definitely life-changing trip to our projects in the Southern Cardamom Mountain Range of Cambodia.  After a day of sightseeing in Phnom Penh, the group headed out to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center where project manager Nick Marx introduced the group to Lucky, Aram, Chhouk and the rest of our elephants.  We also visited the tigers, gibbons, clouded leopards, and sun bears amongst various others of the 102 species currently housed at PTWRC.  The group learned about how injured wildlife are cared for, how the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team apprehends traffickers and confiscates wildlife, and how the Kouprey Express team spreads the message of wildlife conservation to schools throughout Koh Kong Province. 

Following that short excursion, it was time to head into the jungle.  First we stopped at Sre Ambel Patrol Station where the group received an introduction to the Southern Cardamom Forest Protection Program from project manager Eduard Lefter and WA CEO Suwanna Gauntlett.  Following a shocking spin around the evidence room, we were off to our Community-Based Ecotourism project in Chi Phat.  The group was met warmly by project manager Harold de Martimprey and the CBET Committee with a delicious lunch in the Visitors’ Center and tour of the village.  After a short raft ride across the river, we arrived at Koh Sothun Ecolodge where we would be spending the next two nights.  That evening, outfitted with head lamps and fishing spears, we set out for some night lobster fishing followed by a scrumptious meal of fresh Mekong lobster and fried beef.  And the adventure was just beginning.

The next morning the group was met by a helicopter to fly to the Rainforest Reforestation Nursery.  After a tour of the nursery, where over 90 indigenous tree species are collected and grown before planting, project manager Gil-ad Chen led the group in a tree-planting session.  Next we flew to one of 15 active planting fields to see the project in action.  There is truly no better way to experience the majesty of the rainforest than from the vantage point of a helicopter.  That being said, it is also best way to see how slash-and-burn farmers have destroyed thousands of hectares of forest, driving home the importance of our reforestation project.  As a coda to our day of natural wonders, we then flew to beautiful O’Malou waterfall where we swam, picnicked and then took mountain bikes back to the CBET Visitors’ Center where the day was capped with a cocktail party.

Waking with the sun the next morning, the group was met in speed boats by forest rangers from the Stung Proat Patrol Station and then headed off on a morning patrol.  As we moved along the river, we stopped boats to check their contents and investigated riverside campsites for signs of illegal activity.  After releasing confiscated wildlife back into their natural habitat, the group set out on foot patrol.  Never was there a clearer demonstration of what our rangers face every day then what was experienced as we trudged through the forest trail doing our best to avoid leech bites.  After a strenuous but eye-opening morning, the group was due a little relaxation and headed to Trapeang Roung to participate in the annual Water Festival.  The main event of the festival is a boat race and the skilled boat racers in the village challenged us newbies to a contest.  Needless to say, they beat us handily while we provided the assembled villagers with a good laugh!  After the embarrassment of our boat steering failures, it was nice to spend the evening watching the sunset from our safari tent campsite and enjoy a fantastic meal under the stars.

The next day we continued our exploration of Koh Kong Province, heading out to the eastern tip where our Koh
 Pao Patrol Station sits in the headways of the river.  Funded in part by tour participants Annette and Noah Osnos, this visit helped round out the view of the various different approaches WA takes to patrolling protected forest areas.  After boating back to the mainland from Koh Pao, the group continued on to the luxurious Four Rivers Floating Lodge in Tatai for a relaxing evening experiencing the bounty the jungle has to offer.

The final day of the trip found the group visiting the family farms at our Community Agriculture Development Project in Sovanna Baitong, also helmed by Gil-ad Chen.  The first stop was at Lot 99.  The family residing there had just built a large concrete home following three years of saving and planning.  Their original house, a typical hut known as a chamka, still stood on the property in the shadow of the new structure as a testament to how much success they have been able to achieve in three years of participation the project.  The group was then met by the Agriculture Association at the Community Center where they learned more about the project and had the opportunity to partake in some of the delicious, home-grown produce from the family farms.  After exploring several more farms and learning about the irrigation system that sustains these plots, the group finished up the trip with one of the best meals of the whole experience, prepared from local produce.

The trip was an educational, exciting experience for everyone involved.  There is nothing like seeing the work of Wildlife Alliance firsthand to truly feel the impact of all the hard work of our amazing team in the field.  We can’t wait to get another group in the field so that even more people can participate in this fantastic, life-changing experience!

Check back soon for a full photo album of the trip!

Wildlife Release Along Stung Proat River

While on the trip, we had the opportunity to experience something that is routine for our Forest Rangers but was incredibly exciting for the rest of us to participate in. 

On November 9, 2011, rangers at Sre Ambel Patrol Station apprehended a wildlife trafficker on his motorbike and confiscated a python and three turtles.  With the animals saved from sale, they needed to be returned to their natural habitat.  The next morning, while on patrol with the rangers from the Stung Proat Patrol Station, we successfully released the animals back to the wild.  Check out the upcoming video to see Southern Cardamom Forest Protection Project Manager, Eduard Lefter, and the rest of the team in action.

Wild Elephants Come Out of the Jungle

Two weeks ago Wildlife Alliance reported on wild elephants coming out of the jungle and entering villages close to recently deforested areas.  As this has not been a common occurrence in the Southern Cardamoms, and villagers were both threatened and intrigued by the opportunities presented by the elephants’ tusks, a plan was hatched to kill the elephant.  The plan was thwarted by the efforts of Wildlife Alliance and our intrepid CEO Suwanna Gauntlett.  But the elephant sightings continue.

Four days ago, an even larger male elephant damaged a house in the Prek Tanoung area north of Road 48.  The house owner had lived in the house for 30 years and had never seen a wild elephant in the area. Yesterday, a group of loggers encountered a herd of five elephants in Kiriom 2.  Encounters between humans and elephants with this level of frequency have never happened before in the Southern Cardamoms.  Wildlife Alliance has taken immediate and decisive action to protect the elephant population in this area.  We have increased patrols in the areas where elephants have been sighted and posted government announcements in commune halls and villages reminding people of the penalty for elephant killing.  We have enlarged our presence in the area and installed camera traps to track the elephants. 

Through the efforts of Wildlife Alliance, there have been only four elephant killings in the last ten years, and we would like to keep that number constant.  Through our mandate to preserve both forests and wildlife and our redoubled energies in the area, we intend to maintain that track record.

Check out the original story and blog post here and be on the lookout for new video soon!

Staff Spotlight: Harold de Martimprey

Watch our interview with Community-Based Ecotourism Project Manager Harold de Martimprey to learn more about our CBET projects in Chi Phat and Trapeang Roung and how and why he came to Wildlife Alliance.

Funding Spotlight: Baby Animal Nursery

Despite the sometimes difficult conditions at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, our Care for Rescued Wildlife team led by Nick Marx, has had an excellent track record assisting with the birthing and raising of baby animals.  Until now, this has taken place in our quarantine area where the extra supervision and facilities available have been enough to keep these animals alive and healthy.  But now that our program has grown and our staff is stretched more thinly, this process is no longer sufficient and we are having an increasingly harder time caring for baby animals.  With a donation of $5,000, Wildlife Alliance would be able to construct and outfit a special nursery to attend to newborn and infant animals, increase their chance of survival, and increase the numbers of endangered species in captivity that can hopefully one day be released back into the protected forest.

October 2011 Newsletter

Introducing Wildlife Alliance’s New York City Team

This summer, Wildlife Alliance began relocating its US headquarters from Washington, DC to New York City. As of this month, this transition is complete.  Meet our new NYC team!

Donna G. Thomas, Ph.D., Vice President of Development, has over 30 years of experience in fundraising.  She brings a wealth of knowledge to spearhead our development efforts and most recently, worked as the Director of Development for the China Institute.  Previously, she held Director/Vice President positions with Freedoms Foundation, New York Law School, and the Lycée Français de New York, among others. Donna holds a PhD. in Psychology from Tufts University.  As Vice President of Development, Donna is tasked with the coordination and oversight of all fundraising activities in the United States and globally for the organization.

Maggie Monroe Richter, Director of Development, is a development professional and educator who has extensive experience in foundation and government relations, major gifts and annual appeals.  Maggie has worked in advancement for over thirteen years, most recently as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Union Theological Seminary, and she is a member of the Board of Directors of Storahtelling.  She is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College (B.A.) and earned her M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary.  As Director of Development, Maggie will work to advance partnerships with foundations, governments and individuals.

Beth Eisenstaedt, Assistant Director of Development, a former arts professional, has fundraising experience at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Exit Art, Black & White Project Space, and Friends of the Children NY.  In her most recent position as Gallery Manager at China Institute in America, she was responsible for the annual appeal, grant management, and grant reporting for her department.  Beth is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her B.A. in American History, and New York University, where she earned her M.A. in Visual Arts Administration.  As Assistant Director of Development, she will manage corporate sponsorships, individual relationships, annual appeals, and website materials and campaigns. 

Chloe Lala-Katz, Executive Administrator, is an accomplished trilingual fundraiser with experience at the Lycée Français de New York, New York Law School and the Ackerman Institute for the Family.  Her skills include annual fund solicitation, special events, social media and database management. Chloe is a graduate of Ithaca College (B.A. in Spanish and Latin American Studies) and Columbia University (M.A. in human rights).  Her thesis was on the effects of anti-terrorism legislation on indigenous populations. As Executive Administrator, Chloe will work closely with Suwanna on special projects, as well as oversee all of Wildlife Alliance’s social media marketing, communications and accounting.

While we are energized by this exciting time for our organization and thrilled to welcome Donna, Maggie, Beth, and Chloe into our Wildlife Alliance family, we would like to recognize the work done by our amazing team in DC, Michael Zwirn and Allison Bender.  We will miss their enthusiasm and dedication to the mission of Wildlife Alliance and we wish them well in their upcoming endeavors!

Rare Cub Rescued from Soldier

On October 5^th, Wildlife Alliance’s Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team (WRRT) successfully rescued a sun bear cub being held captive at a military base in Preah Vihear province. The perpetrator, a Cambodian soldier, was set to sell this 10-kilogram endangered species for $1,000, most likely to a bear farm in Vietnam.

When Wildlife Alliance heard of the news, our WRRT worked with the Forestry Administration to gain access to the military base. According to Wildlife Alliance’s program manager, Lesley Perlman, forestry officials as well as WA team members “first went to speak to the regional military commander, who then aided the team in raising awareness about the law [against the illegal trafficking of endangered species].”

Although the meeting with the perpetrator was “tense”, the outcome was successful. Ultimately, the sun bear cub was handed over to WRRT members and transferred to our Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre to receive care and any treatment needed.  Through this episode, we were able raise awareness among the soldiers of the laws governing wildlife and the consequences of illegally trading endangered species.

Although no charges were brought against the soldier since he voluntarily handed the cub over to Wildlife Alliance, this case highlights the need for greater law enforcement. “In Cambodia, stronger law enforcement is needed to combat the illegal trade in wildlife on the ground,” Perlman said. She continues, “Regionally, both demand and supply side efforts are needed.” On average, Wildlife Alliance confiscates 10 endangered bears a year.  Sun bears are used as pets or in traditional Chinese medicine where their paws and gall bladder bile are highly prized. 

Wildlife Alliance Shines at Ecotourism Conference in Cambodia

Wildlife Alliance attended the 3^rd World Ecotourism Conference in Sihanoukville, Cambodia at the beginning of this month.  With its focus on “Charting the Future of Ecotourism in Asia,” it was a perfect opportunity to showcase our community-based ecotourism projects in Chi Phat and Trapeang Roung.  The event attracted over 300 government officials, tourism ministers, ecotourism specialists, and business.  Cambodia’s growing emphasis on ecotourism and Chi Phat’s current status as the #1 ecotourism destination the country, the conference served as an incredible referendum on the work we’ve been doing there. 

During a session on “Local Community Challenges & Success Stories,” Suwanna gave a very well-received and well-attended presentation on how to develop attractive, sustainable and successful community ecotourism projects.  At this and at several other sessions, Suwanna and Wildlife Alliance’s projects were heralded as leaders in the field.  With the opening of the Trapeang Roung site just this summer, Wildlife Alliance continues to be a standard bearer on the burgeoning ecotourism scene in Cambodia and it was humbling to be recognized by our colleagues in this way!  While Suwanna presented our philosophy, project manager Harold de Martimprey manned our booth in the exhibition hall and revealed our newly redesigned ecotourism website. 

Check it out at www.ecoadventurecambodia.com and come visit us soon! 

End of the Year Wish List 

Now that it’s officially fall and thoughts have turned towards the end of year, our thoughts have turned towards accomplishing some small project goals before 2012.  There is still time to make a gift to Wildlife Alliance and help us make a difference in the lives of our forest rangers, Cambodian school children, community members, and rescued wildlife.

Handheld GPS Units for Forest Rangers $2,000

At each of our 6 ranger stations in Southern Cardamom Forest, two rotating teams of patrols are on alert 24 hours a day.  They are often trekking through dense forest and on unknown stretches of river in the search for illegal loggers and wildlife poachers.  It is important for them to have up to date geo-tracking systems both so that they can find their way but also so that can maintain accurate locations of illegal activity.

Art Supplies for Kouprey Express $4,500

Our mobile environmental education unit, the Kouprey Express, teaches school children living around protected areas about wildlife conservation and environmental awareness.  These lessons are taught in the classroom by KE team members and teachers they have trained in various ways, one of which is by making art.  More than 3500 students are reached each year and supplies are necessary to carry through the important work of educating future generations about the importance of preserving their environment

Animal Capture Equipment for Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team $1,000

When the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team heads out on raids, they oftentimes do not have a clear picture of all they might encounter when they get there.  In order to safely capture and transport whatever kind of wildlife they might find, they need a variety of secure and humane tools to protect both the animals and team members.

Baby Nursery for Care for Rescued Wildlife $5,000

At Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, sometimes very young animals arrive that require specialized care.  In order to provide this kind of care, an area dedicated solely to the needs of the youngest animals must be established.  A location and facility have been identified and created, and now it just needs to be equipped with the right instruments. 

Red Cross Training for Community-Based Ecotourism $3,000

The community-based ecotourism project in the Chi Phat commune sees an average of over 100 tourists per month.  Community members are responsible for the comfort and safety of each one of those visitors.  In order to stay up to date with safety protocols, community members must be retrained and recertified by the Cambodian Red Cross every year.  At a cost of only $30 per person, 100 community members could be recertified through the next year and improve the level of service we are able to offer at Cambodia’s most popular ecotourism destination.

September 2011 Newsletter

Reconnecting One of the Last Elephant Corridors

Deforestation threatens thousands of species and has devastating consequences for humans. Forest loss jeopardizes human food and water security, threatens plants and animals with extinction, and contributes to climate change, putting communities and wildlife at increased risk of floods, droughts, infectious disease, and other natural disasters.

Wildlife Alliance’s reforestation project combats the impact of illegal logging and slash-and-burn farming practices while providing jobs to local residents. Eighty-two workers, primarily women, work in our tree nursery and care for the saplings year-round. Another 150 workers are employed seasonally during the planting season.

Under our Million Tree Nursery Project, more than 640,000 native tropical plant seeds have been collected and sowed in 2010 and 2011, with 460,000 trees planted. That is over 1,100 acres of rainforest that have been reforested and maintained in the last 2 years alone! Learn more about Wildlife Alliance’s Million Tree Nursery Project here.

Our goal is to plant 1.8 million trees over 3,200 acres in Phnom Tangnorl by 2012, continuing with an additional 700,000 trees in 2012-2013. Support our work and help us preserve one of the last elephant corridors remaining in Southeast Asia.

“Save Vanishing Species” Postage Stamp Issued

Wildlife Alliance is thrilled to support the issuance of a new U.S. postage stamp whose sales will benefit the conservation of tigers, rhinos, great apes, Asian and African elephants, and marine turtles.

The new “Save Vanishing Species” semi-postal stamp will allow Americans to show their support for the conservation of these endangered species and their habitats simply by sending a letter. Each stamp will cost 55¢ - the base rate of 44¢ for a first-class stamp, plus an 11¢ additional rate that will go directly to support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s grantmaking programs under the USFWS Wildlife Without Borders program and the Multinational Species Conservation Funds (MSCF), from which Wildlife Alliance receives support for our work with Asian Elephants and Great Apes.

Only the fourth of its kind, this stamp became available at the nation’s 37,000 post offices on September 20, 2011 and will remain on sale for at least two years.

President Obama signed the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act into law in 2010, providing an opportunity for the public to support USFWS’ mission to save imperiled species globally.

Stamps can be purchased at your local U.S. Post Office, or online via the U.S. Postal Sevice website.

New Lessons and Summer Learning for the Kouprey Express Staff

The Kouprey Express Environmental Education Project provides environmental educational outreach and extension activities to teachers, schoolchildren, and communities living around protected areas. Activities are based on teacher workshop, teaching directly by Kouprey Express staff to students, conducting community night show, and organizing Phnom Tamao visits. These are all aimed to increase environmental awareness and promote conservation of Cambodian wildlife. To reach this aim, the KE staff provides training to teachers on Environmental Education Materials based on six modules such as weather, water and sanitation, waste and sanitation, energy, conservation and biodiversity, and livelihood to the target schools in Koh Kong province. This summer, the Kouprey Express staff are focusing on capacity training, developing new species-specific lessons and creating new games for the children.

Teacher Capacity Building

Capacity Biulding for the Kouprey Express StaffDuring the summer holidays when schools are not in session – a 3-month period from July to October – the KE staff is focusing on capacity building and training. This includes English lessons to increase their English skills at the Australian Centre for Education (ACE), the top English school in Cambodia, as well as computer lessons on Access, Photoshop, and Excel at Asia Euro University. These classes will finish at the end of September, just in time for the new school year to begin in Koh Kong.

Developing New Lessons

Historically, thGibbon educational flip charte KE staff  use environment flip charts to teach teachers and students. To expand the project, and add more concepts about Cambodia’s endangered species to increase awareness of those species, the threats facing them, and promote the wildlife rescue hotline number through species-speicifc lesson plans.

The species-specific lessons focus on Asian Elephants, apes, pangolins, tigers, bears, and reptiles. The team will provide lessons that include information on the species’ physical characteristics, habitats, threats, how to conserve them, and have a Question & Answer element as well. Two games are also created which accompany each lesson: My Home and Biodiversity games.

New Learning Games for Students

Biodiversity Game

Students are divided into groups and share pieces of paper with an animal’s name written on it. We then hide the animal’s picture somewhere in the room/location and students are given 5 minutes to search for the animal’s picture which matches the sheet of paper. Who matches it fastest is the winner.

My Home Game (similar to dodge ball)

My Home GameStudents are divided into three groups: group one are trees, group two are animals, and two individuals are hunters. The tree group stands around the animal group, which is standing in the circle while the hunters try to hunt animals by throwing the ball from outside the circle line. The job of the trees is to help protect the animals from the hunters. As with dodgeball, those hit with ball are ‘out’. As the trees are hit, the animals become more exposed and easier for the hunters to hit.  If the animals can dodge the ball and avoid being hit, the animals are the winner, but if they get hit, the hunters are the winner. Play is 5 minutes.

Planning Phnom Tamao Visit

The new schools in the first half of 2011 proved to be difficult to reach for large buses so PTWRC field trips have not been as many as we hoped. Instead, the team is interested in coordinating with local orphanages and schools in Phnom Penh. The trip(s) will hopefully happen in early September. 

Event Recaps and Future Event Opportunites

Wildlife Alliance staff have been crisscrossing the country appearing at some of the key meetings for species and habitat conservation. It has been great to see so many of our partners and donors! At the Association of Zoos and Aquariums conference in Atlanta, we coordinated on our wildlife rescue and education programs with important donors including the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, and the Landry’s Aquariums. Thank you to all of them for their steadfast support! At the launch of the “Conservation Council of Nations” in New York, we were honored to meet with leading government, NGO, and corporate partners in global conservation, working to integrate species and habitat conservation goals into the global agenda.

In the next week: Meet Nick Marx in Singapore at a happy hour hosted by Advisory Board member Carmen Pang, followed by a speaking engagement on his work in wildlife rescue and rehabilitation at the National University of Singapore.

We will also be tabling at the Wildlife Conservation Expo in San Francisco on Oct. 1st. The Expo is a great opportunity to learn about species conservation programs around the world, and meet with organizations and wildlife experts working to save wildlife from extinction. We encourage you to join us in Singapore or San Francisco!

Meet Roly Poly: A Rescued Sunda Pangolin

The Sunda pangolin is an amazing animal - a scaly mammal that eats ants and termites, hides in dense forest, and rolls into a tiny ball when scared. We have never before tried to keep pangolins when they arrive at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center (PTWRC). If they are uninjured, we release them immediately far away from human habitation. If they are injured or too young to fend for themselves, we send them to the Angkor Centre for the Conservation of Biodiversity in Siem Reap, where there is a specialist pangolin care program. Even so, many do not survive – pangolins are fussy eaters feeding only on ants. They are also very susceptible to stress and are extremely difficult to keep in captivity.

Our pangoRoly eating tree antslin, Roly Poly, was rescued from a wildlife trader in Kampot, suffering from a badly broken leg. The veterinarian was unable to save Roly’s leg and was forced to amputate. Two young trainee keepers were given the job of finding termites and tree ants for Roly to eat every day. Against all the odds, Roly our three legged pangolin, has survived and still lives in our Quarantine Area.

 

The Sunda Pangolin, Manis javanica, is native not only to Cambodia, but across Southeast Asia. However, there is virtually no information available on population levels of any species of Asian pangolin. Pangolins are rarely observed in the wild due to their secretive and solitary habits. Anecdotal reports from hunters suggest that pangolins have been in decline since 1990, when the commercial trade began to escalate. A massive illegal trade is driving Roly’s friends to extinction in the wild. Pangolins are intensively hunted for their skin, meat and scales, which serve a variety of illegal markets throughout Asia. As a result, the Sunda pangolin and all pangolin species in Asia are recognized as Endangered.

Like other pangolins, Roly is nocturnal, solitary and eats primarily ants and termites. How can you help Roly and his friends? Help Wildlife Alliance care for Roly and other rescued pangolins by sponsoring him with a monthly donation of $45 to provide him with all the live termites and ants he needs for one month.

To sponsor Roly, visit our Sponsor an Animal page.

Learn more about Asian pangolins at the Pangolin Conservation Support Initiative, and make sure that you aren’t inadvertently contributing to the loss of pangolin habitats!