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Rhinoceros & Tiger Conservation Act Summary Report 1999-2000 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Rhinoceros & Tiger ... · Rhinoceros & Tiger Conservation Act Summary Report 1999-2000 ... many rhinoceros and tiger populations remain in jeopardy due

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Page 1: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Rhinoceros & Tiger ... · Rhinoceros & Tiger Conservation Act Summary Report 1999-2000 ... many rhinoceros and tiger populations remain in jeopardy due

Rhinoceros & TigerConservation ActSummary Report1999-2000

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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“The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working withothers to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and theirhabitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.”

Cover:Black rhino© Corel Professional Photo

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Above:Page from storybook on Vietnamese rhino produced with supportfrom the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund. See page 17.©Ina Becker and Trung Dung, Cat Tien National Park Conservation Project

Rhinoceros & TigerConservation ActSummary Report1999-2000

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Introduction

Rhinos and tigers are grand beasts! Theircharisma included them in the heritage ofmany cultures. They have made their wayinto storybooks, religions, medicines, andad campaigns. In their native habitats theyrepresent beauty, power, grace, and aworld kept in balance by the forces ofnature rather than the whims of man.

However, our attraction to these speciesand their habitats also threatens theirexistence. It has led to their killing fortrophies and medicines and to thefragmentation and outright destruction oftheir habitat by people seeking timber andland resources. They are now among theworld’s most endangered species.

“The tiger ismore than acharismaticpredator: itis a keystonespecies in itsenvironment.By saving thetiger in theworld, we savecomplexecosystems andhabitats thatwould other-wise bedestroyed inthe relentlessmarch ofhuman needand, all toooften, greed.”

Richard Burge

Riding theTiger*

*Reprinted with thepermission ofCambridgeUniversity Press

Left:Large blocks of the Amur tiger’s foresthabitat remain in northern China adjacentto Russian tiger habitat. With protection ofungulate species, tigers could once againfind suitable habitat in the region andnaturally re-colonize.Photo by Viktor Yudin

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During the 20th century, the populationsof all rhinos and tigers declineddrastically and two tiger subspecies werelost. But the success achieved in bringingthe white rhino, Indian rhino, and Amurtiger back from the brink of extinctiongives hope for the conservation of theseanimals. The remaining rhino and tigerpopulations will persist to the end of the21st century and beyond only if there isstrong, determined commitment to theirconservation. This must come from bothrange country governments and non-government organizations. In many casesit will require significant support frominternational organizations.

The Convention on International Trade inEndangered Species of Wild Fauna andFlora (CITES), the U.S. EndangeredSpecies Act, and the laws of many othercountries place controls on the sale of andtrade in rhino and tiger products. Still,many rhinoceros and tiger populationsremain in jeopardy due to the combinedpressures of habitat loss and growingmarkets for medicines and souvenirsderived from these animals.

In an effort to strengthen on-the-groundconservation for these species, the U.S.Congress passed the Rhinoceros andTiger Conservation Act of 1994 (asamended 1998). The Act established theRhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund,a competitive grants program designed toprovide resources to support conservationactivities.

Rhinocerosand TigerConservation Act

“The decline inblack rhinonumbers inAfrica by morethan 96 percentin just 30 yearsrepresents oneof the mostrapid declinesof any largemammal.”

African RhinoSpecialists GroupAction Plan 1999

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Congress created the Rhinoceros andTiger Conservation Fund to strengthenhabitat and ecosystem management,develop protected areas, support surveysand monitoring, and increase resouces foranti-poaching efforts, wildlife inspectionand forensic work. The Fund also supportseducational efforts to increase publicawareness of the plight of these creatures,decrease conflicts between them andhumans, and encourage use of substitutesfor their body parts and products intraditional medicine.

The Fund seeks to strengthen theconservation activities of range countriessince the ultimate survival of therhinoceros and tiger rests with themanagers, scientists, and localcommunities of these countries. It worksto achieve this goal by developingpartnerships with government and non-government entities in Asia and Africa andby leveraging matching funds.

The grant-making activity of the Fund forthe years 1996, 1997, and 1998 (54 grantstotaling $970,000) has been presented in anearlier report, “Rhinoceros & TigerConservation Act: Summary Report 1996-1998,” available on the internet athttp://international.fws.gov/.

This current report is a summary of Fundaccomplishments in 1999 and 2000. Duringthis reporting period, 51 grants totaling$1,160,600 were awarded in 13 countriesfrom the 129 proposals received. Theappropriated funds generated $2,219,151 inmatching funds and in-kind contributions(a 191-percent return). Fifty-one percent ofthe matching funds and in-kindcontributions originated from the rangecountries.

Rhinocerosand TigerConservation Fund

A female black rhinoceros peers through valley bushveld habitat at the Great Fish RiverReserve in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. She was born in KwaZulu-Natal Provinceand translocated as part of ongoing efforts to restore the species to its historic range.Peter C. Lent, University of Fort Hare

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Kaziranga National Park in India’s state of Assam has more rhinos than all other areas in Asia combined.©Corel Professional Photo

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Rhino conservation in India’s northeasternstate of Assam has demonstratedconsiderable success. At KazirangaNational Park, the Indian rhino’spopulation has risen from 12 in 1908 toaround 1,600 at present. The population atPobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has also donewell (74). Despite these advances, Assam’srhinos continue to be threatened bypoaching and other illegal activities. Theywill remain endangered until bettersecurity allows broader populationdistribution and expansion to other rhinohabitats.

Between March 1998 and January 1999,the Fund assisted the Assam ForestryDepartment’s Rhino Conservation Projectin advancing the effectiveness of the state’slaw enforcement program for rhinos. Theproject helped assemble a comprehensivedatabase on rhino poaching and illegaltrade. It also created a legal body tocoordinate court cases, monitored courtproceedings, and organized legalorientation camps; conducted enforcementtraining and coordinated workshops forthe Forestry, Police, Customs, and Judicialdepartments; and provided awarenesscamps for villagers living on the fringe ofrhino habitats. Implementation of theaction plan developed by the project willfurther advance enforcement andprosecution of criminal cases, key factorsneeded before broader populationdistribution can be achieved.

On-the-GroundResultsLaw Enforcement inAssam, India

“In KazirangaNational Parkthe very rhythmof life and itsintricate webare linked withthe annualcycle of floods.Kaziranga maybe called thegift of riverBrahmaputra.”

Rajashree Sharma,Assam Forestry Department

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Namibia is home to 95 percent of thesouthwestern subspecies of the blackrhinoceros. Save the Rhino Trust (SRT), agrassroots Namibian non-governmentalorganization, has been monitoring morethan 100 of these desert-adapted blackrhinos in a vast (25,000 km2) region of theKunene since 1982. SRT employs about 30locally based scouts who conductcontinuous surveillance patrols to obtainlong-term data on rhino survival andpopulation performance. The scouts alsoprovide significant deterrence to rhino andelephant poaching.

The Fund has provided critically neededfield equipment such as global positioningsystem units and binoculars, as well ascore support for vehicle maintenance and anewly hired information officer.

Desert RhinoMonitoring andInformation Project,Namibia

“Since theextinction ofthe Kenyanrhino from thearid areasnear LakeTurkana, thispopulation ofblack rhino isthe lastsurvivingrepresentativeof the desertecotype.”

Blythe D. Loutit,Save the RhinoTrust

Save the Rhino Trust rangers monitoring rhinos in Namibia’s Kunene Region.Save the Rhino Trust

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The Javan rhino, perhaps the rarest largemammal on earth today, once inhabited arange extending from the Sunderbans inBangladesh through Burma intoIndochina. The Javan rhino is now limitedto a tiny fraction of its former range, with asingle population of 50-60 individuals inUjung Kulon National Park, Java,Indonesia, and fewer than 10 individuals inCat Tien National Park, Vietnam. Thesepopulations are under constant threat ofextinction from many causes, including thegenetic consequences of small populationsize. The restriction of the entire speciesto just two localities makes the threat ofextinction from environmental disturbanceor other catastrophe a real possibility.

To address this problem, the Fund joinedwith the World Wide Fund for Nature-Indonesia, World Wide Fund for Nature-Indochina Program, and ColumbiaUniversity’s Center for EnvironmentalResearch and Conservation in acooperative effort to obtain informationvital to recover the Javan rhino. Geneticmaterial obtained from Javan rhino dungcollected in the field is used to identifyindividuals, their sex, and theirrelationship to other individuals. This willexpand our knowledge of the species’demography, ecology, and genetics and willallow conservationists to determine whichmanagement options are most suitable tomaximize its recovery potential.

Genetic Analysis of theJavan Rhinoceros,Vietnam andIndonesia

“There are onlya few JavanRhinocerosesleft in Vietnamand we mustact now toensure theirsurvival. Itwould be atragedy indeedif we were tohave to tell ourgrand-childrenthe story of howwe could notsave this pre-cious anduniquespecies....”

Mr. Nguyen VanDang, Vice Minister,Vietnam’s Ministryof Agricultureand RuralDevelopment

Right:Rhino dungcollection in CatTien National Park,Vietnam. DNAanalysis of geneticmaterial found inthe dung willprovide valuableinformation on thestructure of thepopulation withoutdisturbing therhinos.Vietnam’s Institute ofEcology and BiologicalResources

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Two projects focused on South Africa’sGreat Fish River Reserve—an importantblack rhino and biodiversity hot spot in theEastern Cape Province. In the firstproject, students from the University ofFort Hare, a historically black universitynear the reserve, worked closely withUniversity supervisors from naturalscience disciplines and the Eastern CapeConservation authorities to devise a long-term monitoring program for black rhinosand their habitat on the reserve.

The second project provided assistance tothe reserve manager to acquire amicrolight aircraft. With a population of 46black rhinos inhabiting 22,000 hectares, the8-man ranger unit was not able tooptimally monitor the rhino. Purchase ofthe microlight set the stage for a moreefficient monitoring system incorporatingaerial techniques.

Improved Security andMonitoring for BlackRhino at Great FishRiver Reserve, SouthAfrica

“This is idealhabitat forblack rhinos,but it isextremelydifficult tocarry outmonitoringandobservationfunctions....”

Brad Fike, ReserveManager, GreatFish River Reserve

Black rhino numbers fell from around 70,000 in 1970 to 2,300 in the early 1990s. By the start of 1998, their numbershad risen to 2,600.©Corel Professional Photo

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In spite of major difficulties associatedwith transferring financial assistance tothe Russian Far East, the Fund supported17 Amur tiger projects, 7 from 1998 and 10from 1999/2000 appropriations.Accomplishments included:

� Strenthening anti-poaching patrolsthrough partnerships with PrimorskyKrai’s Department Tiger, KhabarovskKrai’s Wildlife Management Depart-ment, Lazovsky State Nature Reserve,Sikhote-Alinskiy Biosphere NatureReserve, and Botchinsky State NatureReserve;

� Developing guidelines for humanbehavior and livestock management intiger habitat and regulations on investi-gating and resolving “conflict” situationsadopted by Primorsky and KhabarovskKrai Governments;

� Establishing a compensation programfor livestock owners suffering losses dueto tiger depredation in the vicinity ofSikhote-Alinskiy Biosphere NatureReserve, the stronghold of the tigerpopulation of northeast Primorye;

� Environmental education programs forchildren and adults through partner-ships with the Wildlife Foundation,Lazovsky State Nature Reserve, andSikhote-Alinskiy Biosphere NatureReserve; and

� Monitoring Khabarovsk Krai’s tigerpopulation and habitat quality by the FarEastern Branch of the Wildlife Manage-ment Institute.

Amur TigerConservation, RussianFederation

“Initially notmore than athird of theterritoryinhabited bythe Amur tigerbelonged toRussia. In thecourse ofpopulationdecline andhabitatdestructionthis ratiochanged, andnow theremaininghabitat (for 80-90 percent ofthe entirepopulation) isrestricted to theRussian FarEast.”

Alexander Kulilkov,The WildlifeFoundation

Approximately 7 percent of Russian tiger habitat lies within thecountry’s reserves and wildlife refuges. If the Amur tiger is tosurvive in the wild, tiger management cannot be restricted to naturereserves.Viktor Yudin

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Due to poaching, rhino numbers in Africadeclined from about 65,000 to 2,475between 1970 and 1992. In fiscal years 1998and 1999, the Fund supported fourprojects in South Africa that focusedentirely on enhancing rhino security.Accomplishments included:

� Developing a training manual andconducting a training course in basicparamilitary anti-poaching techniquesfor 32 rangers from the southern SouthAfrican National Parks;

� Equipping and training the rhinosecurity group of the KwaZulu-NatalNature Conservation Service(KZNNCS) to uniquely mark rhinos andidentify rhino horn and carcasses usingmicrochips;

� Providing a vehicle to the KZNNCSanti-poaching unit at Hluhluwe-Umfolozigame reserve; and

� Improving security for black and whiterhino by completing the fencing of thewestern boundary of the Weenen GameReserve, KZNNCS.

Anti-Poaching andRhino Security Efforts,South Africa

“Four rangestates (SouthAfrica,Namibia,Kenya, andZimbabwe)conserve 96.7percent and98.7 percent ofAfrica’s blackand whiterhinos respec-tively. Onerange state,South Africa,currentlyconserves 80.9percent ofAfrica’s wildrhinos.”

African RhinoSpecialist GroupAction Plan 1999

Endangered species other than rhinos and tigers often benefit from the Fund’s projects.Karl Stromayer, USFWS

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The widespread trade of endangeredspecies within Cambodia is believed to bedue to lack of regulations and governmentpolicy on biodiversity conservation, lack ofaction by local law enforcement authoritiesdue to their limited resources andexperience, and lack of national andinternational cooperation. Othercontributing factors are absence of hunterparticipation in wildlife conservation issuesand decisionmaking, local beliefs inmagical and medical power of wildlifeproducts, and strong international tradepressure from neighboring countries.

In an attempt to assess this trade moreaccurately, a survey of 24 Cambodianwildlife markets and 12 internationalcheckpoints was carried out by an officialof the Cambodian Wildlife ProtectionOffice as part of his graduate work at theUniversity of Minnesota. Eight live, wild-caught tigers, 36 tiger skins, 5 kg of tigerbone, 6 tiger skulls, 43 tiger canine teeth,more than 50 tiger claws, and 1 tiger peniswere observed in trade during the 14-weeksurvey. Data were obtained on where tigerparts are sold, trade routes, and pricespaid. This information will be used togenerate recommendations to theGovernment of Cambodia on aconservation strategy to reduce killing andtrade of endangered species.

Survey of Tigers inTrade, Cambodia

“Given thewidespreadharvest ofCambodia’sforests andheavy huntingpressure froma poor ruralpopulation, itis important toinitiate ‘on-the-ground’conservation.”

James L.D. Smith,University ofMinnesota

Left:Four species of catfor sale in aCambodian wildlifemarket: tiger, goldencat, clouded leopard,and leopard.Sun Hean, Cambodia’sWildlife Protection Office

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Projects Funded ByProgram AreaAppropriated Funds:$1,160,600Matching Funds andIn-KindContributions:$2,219,151

Bold/italic type within

individual summary

indicates project matching

funds.

Surveys and MonitoringDesert Rhino Monitoring andInformation Project-1999Save the Rhino Trust, Namibia, $23,500 +$101,950—Black rhinoceros monitoring inthe Kunene region of Namibia during 1999.Funding partners: The David ShepherdConservation Foundation and SIDA(Sweden’s international developmentagency).

Desert Rhino Conservation andResearch-2000Save the Rhino Trust $34,600 + $193,460—Black rhinoceros research and monitoringin the Kunene region of Namibia during2000.Funding partners: Save the Rhino Trust,The David Shepherd Conservation Fund,and SIDA.

Wildlife Trade Survey in CambodiaUniversity of Minnesota $20,990 +$5,655—Survey of trade in tiger parts andproducts.Funding partner: University of Minnesota.

The Management of a Black RhinoPopulation and Proposals to Enhance ItsEffectiveness (Phase 2)Eastern Cape Nature Conservation, SouthAfrica $19,453 + $39,388—Use of amicrolight aircraft for aerial surveillanceand monitoring of black rhinoceros.Funding partner: Eastern Cape NatureConservation, South Africa.

Survey and Habitat Assessment forSouth China TigersDivision of Fauna and Flora, Departmentof Conservation, State Forest

Rhino scout team outside Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. The Fund is working tostrengthen scout team efforts for better rhino conservation.Friends of Conservation

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Administration $20,800 + $60,000—Surveyfor sign of South China tigers in fourprovinces.Funding partners: Chinese Academy ofForestry and China’s State ForestAdministration.

Design and Implementation of aMonitoring System for Black Rhinocerosand their Habitats in the Great FishRiver Reserve, South AfricaAgricultural and Rural DevelopmentResearch Institute, University of FortHare $9,860 + $11,347—Applied researchto achieve black rhino recovery andbiodiversity conservation in the EasternCape’s Valley Bushveld ecoregion. Fundingpartners: University of Fort Hare,Eastern Cape Nature Conservation, andEastern Cape Tourism Board.

Field Collection of Javan Rhino DungWorld Wide Fund for Nature-Indonesia$12,910 + $20,710—Dung collection inIndonesia and Vietnam for geneticanalysis.Funding partners: WWF-Indonesia andWWF-Indochina Program.

Genetic Analysis of the JavanRhinoceros in Relation to itsManagement, U.S.A.Columbia University’s Center forEnvironmental Research andConservation (CERC), $30,470 + $29,850—Survey of demographic and genetic statususing DNA analysis of dung collected inIndonesia and Vietnam. Funding partners:CERC and Queens University.

“The only effec-tive method ofobtainingdetailedinformation onthese popula-tions is to havesmall dedicatedteams whotrack andmonitor rhi-nos, initiallyon a full-timebasis. Themonitoringwhich is donein extremelydensevegetation isdangerous andis both physi-cally andmentallydemanding.”

Wayne Elliott,KwaZulu-NatalNatureConservationService

White rhino being prepared for ear notching, a technique used in rhino identification andmonitoring.KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service

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Projects Funded ByProgram Area(continued)

Calving Performance and Characteristicsof South Africa’s Madikwe Game ReserveWhite Rhino Population, an IUCN/SSCAfrican Rhino Specialist GroupDesignated “Key” PopulationNorth West Parks and Tourism Board$1,800 + $48,000—A comprehensivesynthesis of monitoring data regarding thewhite rhinoceros at the Reserve.Funding partner: North West Parks andTourism Board.

Inventory of Amur Tiger Habitat inKhabarovsk Krai, RussiaWildlife Management Institute-FarEastern Branch $20,710 + $11,550—Identify areas and causes of habitatdegradation for land-use planning.Funding partner: Wildlife ManagementInstitute-Far Eastern Branch.

Training of Protected Area Staff forTiger Survey and MonitoringNepal’s Department of National Parksand Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC)$25,150 + $15,915—Training to allowperiodic surveys of all of Nepal’s protectedareas inhabited by tigers.Funding partner: DNPWC.

Tiger Habitat Continuity StudyNature Conservation Society-Amravati,India $6,542 + $9,852—Gathering ofinformation about threats to tigerconservation in the vicinity of MelghatTiger Reserve.Funding partner: Nature ConservationSociety-Amravati.

“The quality oftiger habitat isdetermined bythe density ofprey as well asby the impactof man’sactivity. A lotis happeningwithin thetiger’s homerange: loggingcompanies areworking, forestfires occur, andindustries arebeing built.”

Anatoly Darensky,Wildlife ManagementInstitute-Far Eastern Branch

Roe deer are prey of the Amur tiger.Viktor Yudin

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Conservation EducationInformation Campaign on VietnameseRhinoceros, VietnamCat Tien National Park (Funds provided toWWF-Indochina Program) $24,015 +$7,802—Raise rhino conservationawareness among villagers and localgovernment institutions.Funding partner: Cat Tien National Park.

Infrastructure for an EnvironmentalEducation Center at Sikhote-AliniskiyBiosphere Nature Reserve, RussiaSikhote-Aliniskiy Biosphere NatureReserve $27,025 + $18,859—Creation of abiological training center for children andadults living in the vicinity of the Reserve.Funding partners: Sikhote-AliniskiyBiosphere Nature Reserve, The FederalEcoFund of Russia, and The GlobalEcological Fund.

Video on Tiger Poaching in RussiaTV and Picture Company “VELES”$21,800 + $27,550—Outreach on the causesof poaching and its negative aspects to winpublic support to stop poaching andconserve tigers.Funding partner: TV and PictureCompany “VELES.”

Public Education on Siberian TigerConservationNational Detecting Center of Wild Faunaand Flora of China $22,550 + $4,600—Outreach on the ecological significance ofthe Siberian tiger in China, the threats tothis population, and the conservationmeasures needed to restore it.Funding partner: National DetectingCenter of Wild Fauna and Flora of China.

Community-based Monitoring andConservation of Tigers in Cambodia’sMost Important Tiger ConservationUnits (TCUs): Cardamom Mountainsand South of Sre PokUniversity of Minnesota $36,450 + $114,530(1-year of funding for a 2-year project)—Training, field surveys, law enforcement,conservation education, health care, andalternative economies to give local people astake in tiger conservation.Funding partners: Save the Tiger Fund,Cambodia’s Wildlife Protection Office,University of Minnesota, Fauna and FloraInternational, and ESRI.

Training of Tiger Range CountryOfficials in Wildlife ManagementGlobal Tiger Forum $29,000 + $30,684—Tobe provided at the Wildlife Institute ofIndia for range officers (3 months) andpark directors (9 months).Funding partner: Government of India.

“Conservationeducationaimed atchildren is thesingle mostimportantinvestment inan ecologicallysound future.”

Nepal’sEnvironmentalCamps forConservationAwareness

Above:This storybook about the Vietnamese rhinowas produced in both English andVietnamese, with support from the Fund, forchildren living in the vicinity of Vietnam’sCat Tien National Park. Rhinocerossondaicus annamiticus is known to occuronly at this site; the species is known onlyfrom this and one additional site inIndonesia.Ina Becker and Trung Dung, Cat Tien National ParkConservation Project ©

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Projects Funded ByProgram Area(continued)

Training Video for India’s ForestPersonnel on Estimating Tigers in theWildMULTI MEDIA $21,150 + $13,500—To beproduced in Hindi and English.Funding partners: Government of Indiaand various state governments of India.

TIGER LINK Network, IndiaRanthambhore Foundation $17,390 +$38,000—Strengthening thecommunication and coordination capabilityof the TIGER LINK program.Funding partner: RanthambhoreFoundation.

Education and Awareness Program atSimlipal National Park, IndiaWildlife Society of Orissa $20,360 +$1,670—To educate villagers about thetiger and how their annual hunting ritual(akhand shikar) affects its existence.Funding partner: Wildlife Society ofOrissa.

“Khao YaiConservationProjecttypifies theproblemssurroundingmost tiger-inhabitedareas acrossAsia—a frag-mented islandof forest, tigers,and otherwildlifesurrounded bya sea ofhumanity thatviews the parkmore as aresource thanas anagriculturalwatershed oran interna-tional bastionof rarebiodiversity.”

Steve Galster,WildAid

Children, charmed by wildlife during a youth camp organized by the Khao YaiConservation Program, developed such a strong appreciation for the park’s resources thatmany were moved to tears on their departure from the camp. Although they came from poornearby villages, this was their first visit to the park. Strong local support is essential to thefuture conservation of tigers, their prey, and their habitat.Krisana Kaewplang, WildAid

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Law EnforcementConservation of Amur Tiger, Anti-poaching Teams, Russia 1Department Tiger, Primorsky Krai StateCommittee on Environmental Protection$19,800 + $23,115—Anti-poaching patrolsfor Kirovsky region of Primorsky Krai.Funding partners: Primorsky KraiAdministration and WildAid.

Training in Anti-Poaching Techniquesfor Rhinoceros Security in SouthernNational ParksSouth African National Parks $17,000 +$19,000—Training of rangers in basic fieldtechniques and security operations.Funding Partner: South African NationalParks.

Purchase of a Toyota Land Cruiser forthe Anti-Poaching Unit Operating inHluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, South AfricaKwaZulu-Natal Nature ConservationService $23,333 + $23,333—Equip theHluhluwe anti-poaching unit withvehicular support for field operations.Funding partner: KwaZulu-Natal NatureConservation Service.

“RhinoProtectionUnits are agood example ofgovernment, theprivate sector,national parksand localpeople workingtogether toconserve apreciousnaturalresource, theSumatranrhino.”

Phillip WellsInternational RhinoFoundation

1 This $19,800 grant included $3,671 re-programmed from the fiscal year 1998appropriation and $16,129 from the 1999appropriation.

The Fund supports Rhino Protection Units for Sumatran rhinos (pictured here) in bothSumatra and peninsular Malaysia. Units for protection of Javan rhinos are supported bythe Fund in Java.International Rhino Foundation

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Projects Funded ByProgram Area(continued)

Sumatran Rhino Protection Units forWay Kambas National Park, Sumatra,IndonesiaInternational Rhino Foundation $34,485 +$31,763—Continued operation of threeunits and establishment of a fourth.Funding partners: International RhinoFoundation (with support from theHoward Gilman Foundation and The WaltDisney Company Foundation) and WWF-Indonesia Program.

Sumatran Rhino Protection Units forPeninsula Malaysia: Taman NegaraInternational Rhino Foundation $25,000 +$95,024—Provide support for moreeffective operation of five anti-poachingunits.Funding partners: International RhinoFoundation (with support from theHoward Gilman Foundation and The WaltDisney Company Foundation) and theGovernment of Malaysia.

Sumatran Rhino Protection Units forPeninsula Malaysia: Endau Rompin,Belum, Ulu Selama,Gunung Inas, JeliInternational Rhino Foundation $25,000 +$86,840—Provide support for moreeffective operation of six anti-poachingunits.Funding partners: International RhinoFoundation (with support from theHoward Gilman Foundation and The WaltDisney Company Foundation) and theGovernment of Malaysia.

Conservation of Siberian Tiger onLazovsky State Nature Reserve, RussiaLazovsky State Nature Reserve $21,800 +$76,600—Law enforcement patrols,upgrading radio communications, anddeveloping a database on poachingincidents.Funding partner: Lazovski State NatureReserve.

Siberian Tiger Protection Activitieswithin Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve’sKolumbe River Basin Tract, RussiaSikhote-Alinskiy Biosphere NatureReserve $21,580 + $17,152—Developinfrastructure needed for law enforcementon the tract.Funding partners: Sikhote-AlinskiyBiosphere Nature Reserve and PrimorskyKrai Administration.

Checking Vehicles and Cargo as a Meansof Controlling Illegal Trade in Tigersand Tiger Prey Parts and Products,Sikhote-Alin, RussiaSikhote-Alinskiy Biosphere NatureReserve $21,547 + $30,776—Equipmentand material needed to intercept shipmentof tigers and tiger prey illegally removedfrom the Reserve.

“India’sMelghat TigerReserve, whichis home to anestimated 80tigers, is underintense pres-sure frompoaching,encroachment,dams, androad building.Many of thecorridorsconnectingtiger habitatsare beingfragmented,isolatingwildlifepopulationsand threaten-ing their long-term geneticviability.”

Kishor Rithe,NatureConservationSociety - Amravati

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“The protectionand breedingof black rhinosin fencedsanctuariessuch as TsavoWest NationalPark’s NguliaRhino Sanctu-ary continuesto be a vitalholding actionin sustainingthe presentmodest but realgrowth in blackrhino numbersin Kenya.Rhinos bred inthe sanctuariesare moved toTsavo EastNational Parkwhere they arefree to roam .”

Dr. Philip Muruthi,Chief Scientist,African WildlifeFoundation

Funding partners: Sikhote-AlinskiyBiosphere Nature Reserve, WWF-Germany, and The Federal EcologicalFund of Russia.

Tiger Conservation in Its Most NorthernHabitat, RussiaBotchinsky State Nature Reserve$21,582+ $16,700—Equipment and suppliesneeded for anti-poaching patrols.Funding partner: Bothchinsky StateNature Reserve.

Para-Military Training of FieldRangers in the Parks DepartmentSouth African National Parks$25,269 + $8,277—Enhancement of rangerability to protect rhino and otherendangered species inhabiting SouthAfrican protected areas.Funding partner: South African NationalParks.

Khao Yai Conservation ProjectWildAid $30,000 + $141,642 (1-year offunding for a 3-year project)—Linkage ofscience, anti-poaching techniques, andcommunity outreach for the protection oftigers in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand.Funding partners: Wildlife ConservationSociety, WildAid, and Save the Tiger Fund.

Continued Development of a Database onTiger Poaching, Trade, and otherWildlife Crimes in IndiaWildlife Protection Society of India $18,950+ $16,440—Data on impact of criminalactivities on tiger conservation will beuseful in obtaining government resourcesto strengthen law enforcement.Funding partner: Wildlife ProtectionSociety of India.

Desert adapted black rhino in Kunene habitat, Namibia.Save the Rhino Trust

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Primorsky Krai Tiger InspectionDepartment’s Wildlife Protection Efforts,1999-2000Phoenix Fund (Russia) $22,238 +$178,200—Modern communication andrecording equipment, computers, copiers,and night-vision equipment for theDepartment.Funding partners: WildAid, StichtingTigris, International Bear Foundation,21st Century Tiger Fund, Save the TigerFund, David Shepherd Conservation Fund,La Torbiera Zoological Society, Wild AboutCats, and the Barbara Delano Foundation.

Anti-poaching Kits for Field Staff withinIndia’s Rhino ReservesWildlife Trust of India $10,000 + $6,977 (1-year funding for a 3-year project)—Tobetter equip forest guards and boostmorale.Funding partners: The David ShepherdConservation Foundation and the WildlifeTrust of India.

Anti-poaching Kits for Field Staff withinIndia’s Tiger ReservesWildlife Trust of India $30,000 + $18,603(1-year funding for a 3-year project)—Tobetter equip forest guards and boostmorale.Funding partners: The David ShepherdConservation Foundation and the WildlifeTrust of India.

Projects Funded ByProgram Area(continued)

“As manystudies haveshown, rhinopopulationssuffer theirbiggestdeclines wherefieldconservationexpendituresare low.”

Rajashree Sharma,AssamForestryDepartment

Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary of Assam, India, lost all its rhinos to poachers before beingdesignated a protected area. Although a few rhinos sometimes stray into the area, they haveno future there until firm protection can be provided.Assam Forestry Department

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Housing for Forest Guards and theirFamilies near Satpura National Park,IndiaLIFEFORCE $22,988 + $14,621—Improve guard effectiveness and morale.Funding partner: Government of MadhyaPradesh.

Five Anti-poaching Camps for Assam,India’s Pobitora Wildlife SanctuaryAssam’s Wildlife Areas Development andWelfare Trust $35,085 + $45,265—Neededto prevent poaching of rhinos and to stophuman encroachment on rhino habitat.Funding partner: Forestry Department ofAssam.

Six Anti-poaching Camps for Assam,India’s Orang National ParkAssam’s Wildlife Areas Development andWelfare Trust $42,102 + $64,609—Neededto prevent poaching of rhinos and tigersand to stop human encroachment on theirhabitat.Funding partner: Forestry Department ofAssam.

Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary SecurityTony Fitzjohn/George Adamson AfricanWildlife Preservation Trust $18,350 +$95,600—Support for black rhino securityand surveillance operations at theSanctuary.Funding partner: Tony Fitzjohn/GeorgeAdamson African Wildlife PreservationTrust.

Ujung Kulon Rhinoceros ProtectionUnits2

International Rhino Foundation $32,548 +$41,950—Patrols to protect Javan rhinos.Funding partners: International RhinoFoundation (with support from theHoward Gilman Foundation, The WaltDisney Company Foundation, and AnnaMerz), WWF-US, and WWF-IndonesiaProgram.

Protected Area ManagementThe Evaluation of Ante-Mortem Tests forBovine Tuberculosis in White and BlackRhinocerosSouth African National Parks $22,000 +$30,300—Develop and validate reliableante-mortem test(s) for the detection ofbovine tuberculosis in black and whiterhinos.Funding partners: SmithsonianInstitution, Friends of the National Zoo,and British Airways. Indian rhino calf orphaned when its mother was electrocuted by poachers.

Assam Forestry Department

2 This $32,548 grant included $737 re-programmed from the fiscal year 1998appropriation and $31,811 from the fiscalyear 2000 appropriation.

“The successachieved inrhinoconservation inIndia andNepal has beendue to theextraordinarydedication andcommitment ofthe fieldstaff....”

IUCN/SSCAsian RhinoSpecialistGroup, KazirangaNational Park, 1999

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Tiger Conservation Near an Urban Area,RussiaBolshekhekhtsirsky Nature Reserve$5,886 + $1,800—Behavioral and ecologicalstudy of tigers living adjacent to urbandevelopment.Funding partner: BolshekhekhtsirskyNature Reserve.

Evaluation and Updating of theConservation Action Plan for VietnameseRhinocerosVietnam’s Institute of Ecology andBiological Resources $12,870 + $3,500—Needed to ensure sustained progress inimplementing conservation actions for thiscritically endangered species known onlyfrom Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam.Funding partner: Institute of Ecology andBiological Resources.

Technical Assistance on Evaluation andUpdating of the Conservation ActionPlan for Vietnamese RhinocerosInternational Rhino Foundation $3,180 +$4,950—Support for international rhinospecialist’s participation in review of theAction Plan.Funding partner: International RhinoFoundation.

A Workshop to Develop a Recovery Planfor the Amur Tiger in North ChinaWildlife Conservation Society $30,000 +$22,200—An opportunity for Russian andChinese scientists to exchange ideas ontiger conservation.Funding partner: Wildlife ConservationSociety.

Establishment of a Viable Population ofGreater One-horned Rhinoceros(Rhinoceros unicornis) in Royal BardiaNational Park, NepalWWF Nepal Program $42,350 + $33,250—Translocated 10 rhinos from RoyalChitwan National Park to Royal BardiaNational Park.Funding partner: WWF Nepal Program,Nepal’s Department of National Parksand Wildlife Conservation, and the KingMahendra Trust for Nature Conservation.

Development of a National Tiger ActionPlan (NTAP) for CambodiaWildlife Conservation Society $30,500 +$98,054 (1-year of funding for a 3-yearproject)—Tiger survey techniquestraining, conducting surveys, mapping,GIS data analysis, and workshops, allculminating in development of a NTAP.Funding partners: Save the Tiger Fund,Wildlife Conservation Society, and theWorld Wildlife Fund-US.

Projects Funded ByProgram Area(continued)

“The alluvialgrasslands ofNepal are thelast tinyremnant of aonce-extensiveecosystem.These grass-lands areexceptionallyrich, givingrise to grassthat grows to aheight of over 7meters andsupportingsuchendangeredspecies asgreater one-horned rhinos,tigers, swampdeer, pygmyhogs, andhispid hares.”

WWF NepalProgram

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Support for Kenya’s Black RhinoManagement and Population Expansionin the Tsavo EcosystemAfrican Wildlife Foundation $33,040 +$152,738—Material, technical, and trainingsupport for black rhino (D. B. michaeli)management units at Nguila and TsavoEast free release sites.Funding partners: African WildlifeFoundation and the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Substitutes for Tiger/Rhinoceros ProductsTranslation to Chinese of theProceedings of the First InternationalSymposium on Endangered Species Usedin Traditional East Asian Medicine:Substitutes for Tiger Bone and Musk,ChinaTRAFFIC East Asia $20,000 + $15,000—To be made available to traditionalmedicine associations, relevant agencies,and academic institutions.Funding partner: World Wildlife Fund-U.S.

Positive White Rhinoceros Identificationand Monitoring for their SuccessfulManagement in the MpumalangaProvince, South Africa.3$9,286 + $10,688—Mpumalanga ParksBoard. Implementation of acomprehensive white rhino monitoringprogram in four Mpumalanga Provinceprotected areas.Funding Partner: Mpumalanga ParksBoard.

3Re-programmed funds from the fiscalyear 1998 appropriation supported thisgrant. It is therefore not included in thefiscal year 1999 funding analysis.

Poaching of ungulates, the major food source for tigers, is a serious threat to tigerconservation.Vietnam’s Forest Protection Department

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Grants — AfricaFiscal Years 1999 and 2000

©Indian, Javan, Sumatran, and White rhino images courtesy of Dr. Nico Van Strien/IUCN/SSC AsRSG and IRF

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Grants — AsiaFiscal Years 1999 and 2000

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FiveFiveFiveFiveFive-----YYYYYear Summaryear Summaryear Summaryear Summaryear Summary of of of of ofAppropriationsAppropriationsAppropriationsAppropriationsAppropriations

Annual Appropriations Amount Available for Grants*

Fiscal Year 1996 = $ 200,000

Fiscal Year 1997 = $ 400,000

Fiscal Year 1998 = $ 400,000

Fiscal Year 1999 = $ 500,000

Fiscal Year 2000 = $ 700,000

Total $2,200,000

$ 194,000

$ 388,000

$ 388,000

$ 485,000

$ 675,600

$2,130,600

* Amount available for grants after removal of 3 percent for administration costs and the fiscal year 2000 recission.

FiveFiveFiveFiveFive-----YYYYYear ear ear ear ear Program BudgetProgram BudgetProgram BudgetProgram BudgetProgram BudgetSummarySummarySummarySummarySummary

U.S. Congressional appropriations

3 percent expended for fundadministration

Government recission fromfiscal year 2000 appropriation

Available for grants

Expended for grants

Matching funds leveraged

$2,200,000

$ 66,000

$ 3,400

$2,130,600

$2,130,600

$3,967,767

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Distribution of FundsFiscal Years 1999 and 2000

Indian Rhino

White Rhino

Javan Rhino

Black Rhino

White & Black Rhino

Sumatran Rhino

Protected AreaManagement

Surveys & Monitoring

Conservation Education& Outreach

Tiger/Rhino ProductSubstitutes

Law Enforcement

Among Target Species

Asian Rhinos & Tigers

African Rhinos

Asian Rhinos

Tigers

11%

20%

17%

52%

Among Rhinoceros Species23%

.32%

21%

25%

16%

15%

Among Tiger Sub-Species

15%

20%

19%

2%

44%

Program Areas Funded

Organizational Funding

Country NGOs

International NGOs

Country Governments

29%

40%

31%

*

*These funds benefited both Asian rhinoceros and tigers

Grant Funds$1,160,000

Matching Funds &In-Kind Contributions

$2,219,151

34%

66%

Grant and Matching Funds

Amur Tiger

South China Tiger

Bengal Tiger

Sumatran Tiger

All Subspecies

Indochina Tiger

34%

3%

28%

5%

7%

23%

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Five YFive YFive YFive YFive Year Summaryear Summaryear Summaryear Summaryear Summary of Grants of Grants of Grants of Grants of GrantsAAAAAwarded by Country and Specieswarded by Country and Specieswarded by Country and Specieswarded by Country and Specieswarded by Country and Species

Black RhinosGrants FundingCountry

Botswana

Democratic Republicof Congo

Kenya

Namibia

South Africa

Tanzania

TOTAL

4

2

6

2

14

72,350

58,100

50,980

48,830

230,260

Africa

Funding

20,818

19,680

72,350

58,100

200,392

48,830

420,170

TotalGrants

1

1

4

2

17

2

27

Black and WhiteRhinosGrants Funding

8

8

130,201

130,201

White RhinosGrants Funding

1

1

3

5

20,818

19,680

19,211

59,709

Asia

TigersGrants FundingCountry

Cambodia

China

India

Indonesia

Malaysia

Nepal

Russia

Thailand

Vietnam

TOTAL

3

4

10

2

2

17

2

4

44

87,940

93,350

216,180

47,970

30,150

345,154

39,637

59,238

919,619

Funding

87,940

93,350

439,824

319,164

76,680

116,728

345,154

39,637

191,953

1,710,430

TotalGrants

3

4

19

13

3

5

17

2

12

78

Tigers and RhinosGrants Funding

6

2

2

1

3

14

144,499

66,885

50,000

13,874

53,420

328,678

RhinosGrants Funding

79,145

204,309

26,680

72,704

79,295

462,133

3

9

1

2

5

20

Funding is in U.S. dollars

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Notes

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For more information about the Fund,please contact:

Chief, Division of InternationalConservation

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 730Arlington, VA 22203703.358.1754

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U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceDivision of International ConservationWashington, DC 20240

http://www.fws.gov/http://international.fws.gov/

Summer 2000