World of Animals

IFAWs

Journey to Freedom ...

Orphaned elephants lead the way.

Rushing to the Rescue ...

from one disaster to the next.

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2011 Issue no. 8 A Publication of the International Fund for Animal Welfare

World of Animals
IFAWs

By days end, the elephants had already begun adapting to their new surroundings.

Journey to Freedom

Im proud to share our expanded feature this month about IFAWs ongoing efforts to protect elephants around the world, starting with the heartfelt tale of returning elephant calves to freedom in India. There are also amazing stories about brave people making extraordinary efforts for animals ... from a dedicated vet in South Africa to rescuers in Australia and Egypt. And Im thrilled to tell you that Russia has finally banned its winter den hunt for bears. As recent events have proven, the world is changing rapidly. With you by our side, IFAW is helping to change it for the better!

Fred ORegan President and Chief Executive Officer

Contents
A New Home for Soni ...
page 3 9 and efforts to protect elephants around the world.

A New Home

Animal Matters
IFAW news from around the world. page 10 12

for Soni
Soni was only four months old still a baby when her herd wandered into a villages crop fields. When her herd was chased away, she was left behind in the chaos. Villagers cornered Soni and severely cut her trunk before she could be rescued by the Forest Department.
Front cover photograph istockphoto

Orphaned elephants released in India

So often its the youngest animals that suffer the most. Thankfully, IFAWs Wildlife Rescue Center in Kaziranga, India, gives orphaned and abandoned animals a second chance to live in the wild.

A Day in the Life ...

Caring for pets in South Africa. page 13

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Unrelenting Disasters
IFAW rushes to the rescue. page 14 15

Missing Mom
Clouded leopard cubs get a second chance. page 16

Her condition quickly worsened, and she was close to death when IFaW and our partners at Wildlife trust of India were called. Soni was brought to IFaWs Wildlife rescue Center, where veterinarians quickly worked to save her.

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IFAW 2011 All Photographs IFAW unless otherwise indicated

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Journey to Freedom

Protecting Elephants Where They Live

Safe and Wild

With expert care, her condition improved. Just two weeks later she was well enough to be introduced to other baby elephants who had been separated from their herds and injured, or rescued from desperate circumstances. That was four years ago. In February 2011, Soni and four male elephants between three and six years of age were brought from the rescue center to Manas National Park, a protected reserve, to begin the final phase of their long journey back to freedom.

Convoys of Hope
IFAW has been very successful transporting elephants through the years (you may remember the recent moves of 83 elephants in Malawi and nine elephants in Zimbabwe). In Manas National Park, the calves will be watched over by caretakers until they forsake human company and are accepted by a herd. Their progress will be monitored through radio-collars. Soni and her friends are enjoying their new home and embarking on a journey made possible by IFAWs generous supporters: a second chance at living as wild elephants. In addition to raising baby elephants in India, IFAW has helped rescue, rehabilitate and release back to the wild an incredible variety of species like brown bears, rhinos, clouded leopards, falcons, wallabies, koalas, and the list goes on. IFAW is committed to making sure that, whenever possible, wild animals are returned to their natural habitat.

Veterinarians carefully tranquilized the elephants, then worked quickly to attach the collars and revive them so they suffered minimal distress. Sonis story is just one example of IFAWs commitment to making sure elephants live their lives in the wild, while also safeguarding their natural habitats. IFAWs elephant projects in India, Africa and China use different methods, but their goals are the same to protect wild elephants in their ancestral homes. Here are some of our recent efforts:

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from poaching, human encroachment and habitat destruction. To further our protection of elephants in Tsavo, IFAW and the Kenya Wildlife Service satellite-collared five bulls and females to see where they migrate and when. Three more elephants will be collared soon. This will help us learn ways to keep elephants out of conflict with humans, a key factor in the decline of elephant populations. IFAW CEO Fred ORegan was on hand for the delicate collaring exercise, and he was moved by the experience. This is conservation work on the front lines, he said. I know the data we collect from these collars will help us make life-saving decisions.

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Keeping Track of Tsavos Elephants

An elephant census was recently conducted in the Tsavo-Mkomazi ecosystem in Kenya and Tanzania so that IFAW and Kenya Wildlife Service can determine the best way to protect the pachyderm residents. The preliminary 2011 results showed 12,572 elephants an increase of 2% from 2008s figure of 11,696. This slight increase is promising but elephants are still under threat

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Safe and Wild

The Crown Jewel of Malawi
In Malawi, IFAW has entered a five-year partnership with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife to help resolve the challenges faced by Liwonde National Park, one of the most important havens for biodiversity in southern Africa. But the survival of many of Liwondes animals including its elephant population of about 500 individuals and rhinos are under threat from commercial poaching. By training and equipping park rangers and providing Liwonde with the tools and equipment needed to combat poaching and maintain security, IFAW is helping to protect this Crown Jewel of Malawis National Parks. positive impact on both animal welfare and conservation policies.

Using Science to Inform Policy

In partnership with the Conservation Ecology Research Unit of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, IFAW has made an enormous contribution to enhancing our understanding of elephants and their population dynamics in southern Africa. Through this work, IFAW has played an instrumental role in ensuring the South African Government maintains its 1994 moratorium on culling in national parks. Now IFAW is working to ensure that future management decisions and policies in southern Africa continue to be based on sound science to achieve long-term protection for elephants. There are few better examples of science having such a IFAW is working to safeguard habitat for elephants and other animals in Malawi.

Studying Social Bonds

A severe drought and poaching in East Africa in 2009 killed close to 400 of 1,550 elephants in Amboseli, Kenya. Nearly all the experienced matriarchs died, and the surviving family members appeared to be in a state of social confusion. IFAW is working with The Amboseli Elephant Research Project to study how the families will cope with these losses and the effect on the stability of the elephant society as a whole. We are studying elephant families to learn more about their social dynamics.

IFAW follows many paths in our efforts to protect elephants from habitat loss and trade:
In India, IFAW and our partner the Wildlife Trust of India have identified 88 elephant corridors along critical migration routes and we are working to secure them. In China, IFAW has been working for 11 years to protect Yunnans last 300 elephants through micro-loans to farmers and environmental education. Now 25 villages voluntarily monitor elephants in the area to prevent conflict with communities. IFAWs investigations of Internet markets have exposed ivory on sale in China, Germany, the Netherlands, UK and US. We have convinced many online retailers to remove ivory from their sites but more must be done to end this deadly trade. IFAW is training rangers in a number of elephant range countries to combat wildlife traffickers. At INTERPOL, we have funded a Criminal Intelligence Officer for Wildlife since 2006.

IFAW is helping to train and equip rangers in Malawi to catch poachers in Liwonde National Park.

From saving young calves in distress to defending whole herds against poaching ... fighting to stem the loss of habitat and key migration corridors ... and studying social bonds when matriarchs die too soon ... IFAW is working hard to help elephants survive.
This spring, villagers in Yunnan, China, celebrated when a new calf reached its 100-day birthday!

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Protecting Elephants

Ivory Trade
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Combating

Some of IFAWs most important work occurs far from the African plains and Asian forests. To completely stop the international trade in ivory, we must also work with governments and regulatory conventions to close ivory markets.
Following the legal sales of ivory stockpiles that were permitted a few years ago, seizures of illegal ivory have skyrocketed. IFaW believes that the legal ivory trade cannot be controlled and always fuels poaching. Since the european union (eu) has a tremendous influence politically in protecting elephants, we have launched a massive campaign to urge the eu to oppose any further international ivory trade and to support african and asian countries striving to crack down on elephant poaching.

! Say No to Ivory
When you are traveling abroad or even antique shopping at home please be on the lookout for ivory. It may be whittled into chopsticks, strung together for jewelry, inlaid into furniture or carved into ornaments, but every piece of ivory represents a dead elephant. Please buy local handicrafts or non-ivory antiques and keep elephants alive!

Protecting Elephants All Around the World

With your support, IFAW can put an end to the ivory trade and habitat destruction that is threatening the survival of the earths magnificent elephants. We know you join us in hoping to see little elephants like Soni and her friends grow up secure in the wild in their native lands, free to live and raise their families in peace.

Seeing these magnificent animals

in their natural habitat inspires me, and I hope all of us, to work even harder to protect them from the everincreasing threats they face as their world shrinks around them.
Fred ORegan, IFAW CEO

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Brief news of IFAWs recent activities and successes around the world
Victory! Baby Bears Saved from Hunt
RuSSia

Animal matters
In March, Russia passed legislation banning the cruel hunting practice of rousing bears from their dens during winter hibernation and then shooting them. Often this left tiny bear cubs orphaned and the cubs would quickly die of starvation or freeze to death. IFAW has campaigned to end this hunt since 1995. To date, IFAW has successfully rescued, rehabilitated and released more than 150 orphaned cubs from our bear rescue center back to the wild.

Saving Sharks Protecting Island Treasures

St. Lucia

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IFAW on China Radio International

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This year marks the 10th anniversary of IFAWs Beijing Raptor Rescue Center. To honor the occasion, China Radio International ran a story on our efforts to rehabilitate injured and sick birds of prey. For the last decade, the center has cared for more than 3,000 birds, with an average of 55 percent of them released back into the wild.

In Castries, St. Lucia, IFAW and the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Fisheries and Forestry conducted a workshop for 35 officials from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The workshop taught customs agents, forestry officials, police officers, veterinarians and wildlife law enforcement officials ways to more effectively prevent illegal wildlife trade across the region. This area is home to many endangered and threatened species such as parrots, snakes and amphibians. However, illegal trade is a major threat to these animals. They are often captured to supply the global demand for exotic pets, meat and luxury goods.

In many parts of asia, shark fins fetch high prices because they are the key ingredient in a traditional delicacy - shark fin soup. the uS Congress has passed legislation to end the practice of shark finning in uS waters and encourage other nations to do the same. the Shark Conservation act, which prohibits the inhumane practice of removing fins from sharks and discarding their carcasses at sea, was signed into law by President Barack obama in January. the legislation represents over a decade of collaboration between IFaW and shark champions in Congress like Senator John Kerry, representative madeleine Bordallo, and representative eni Faleomavaega.

Neglected Dogs Seized

When more than 350 dogs and 15 cats were seized from cruelty and neglect in Ohio, IFAW staff rushed to help document evidence, shelter and care for the sick and frightened animals. Many of the dogs had wounds, skin conditions or illnesses. Some were aggressive or difficult to handle because they had never been socialized or felt a loving touch. The owner of the deplorable facility where these animals lived is facing eleven criminal charges. IFAW responded after the ASPCA and the local humane society requested our assistance due to our expertise in large-scale rescue operations following disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina which slammed Louisiana in 2005. The case is pending in court.
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Tiger Caught on Camera

An endangered Royal Bengal tiger who was radio-collared and released last year in Assam, India, was caught by a camera trap 9 months later, showing it is doing well. The tiger was originally captured after it strayed into a house and killed two people. Following a rare decision by officials to spare his life, the tiger was taken to IFAWs Wildlife Rescue Center, fitted with a radio collar and transported by truck some 280 miles (450 km) to the protection of Manas National Park in the foothills of the Himalayas. The really good news here is that there have been no reports of attacks on people by this tiger since its release, which strengthens the case for rehabilitation of tigers that accidentally come into conflict with people, said Ian Robinson, IFAWs Emergency Relief Director.
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Animal matters

Watching Miracles Happen

A Day in the Life of an IFAW Vet
It is still dark when IFAW veterinarian Dr. Saskia Karius rises in her bedroom in Johannesburg, South Africa, and she is never quite sure what the day will bring.
Saskia is the sole veterinarian at the IFAW-funded clinic which services the animal welfare needs of 37 impoverished communities. Indeed, she is the only veterinarian that many of these animals and their owners will ever see. On a typical day Saskia will first treat all the inpatients waiting eagerly for her arrival. Patients like Calico, an endearing kitten whose jaw was fractured in an automobile accident. Or Sugar, a puppy suffering from parvovirus, a deadly disease very prevalent in the communities. Or Meide, an older dog, who was the victim of eating rat poison. Then Saskia will move on to her daily surgeries, while in between treating an average of ten emergencies a day, not to mention her outpatients the dogs and cats brought in because they are not eating or have kennel cough. Every day is different, but what I love most about my job is the challenge of dealing with difficult cases that are not in the book, watching the seemingly hopeless cases get better and then finding them special homes if the owners dont want them any more. One of Saskias favorite patients was Patches, a little fawn colored stray. Patches was a little skeleton when he came in. He had biliary; he couldnt keep any food down and vomited badly. I took him home for the weekend and carried him

In Profile

Clearing the Way for Turtles

DOminica

Many thanks to everyone who voted for Clearing the Way for Sea Turtles at the Disney Friends for Change Project Green website! IFAW has won $50,000 to eliminate plastic bag litter in coastal communities on the Caribbean island of Dominica. Endangered leatherback sea turtles, the largest sea turtles, easily mistake plastics in the ocean for its primary prey jellyfish. Dominicas beaches are one of the few remaining leatherback nesting sites. IFAW will use the funds to distribute cloth shopping bags to more than 2,000 students and teachers through our Floating Classroom marine educational program, reducing the demand for plastic bags on the island. Thanks to Disney, IFAW is making a big difference for turtles in a small, but critical, corner of the world.

Great Strides in China

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IFAW was delighted to see an unprecedented number of animal welfare and conservation proposals put forth at the annual meetings of China Peoples Congress and Peoples Political Consultative Committee. The proposals covered issues we have been working on for many years tiger farming and trade ... Canadian seal imports ... bear farming ... shark fin trade ... and enacting the countrys first animal welfare legislation. Even as we savor this historic moment, we are working to ensure these proposals are passed into law.

Dr. Saskia Karius treats Patches

into the garden to go to the bathroom. I put him on a drip, kept treating him, and stayed with him at the clinic. We just didnt give up and look at him now! Hes healthy, happy and plays with other puppies at his foster home hes even bossing them around. I love watching miracles happen and trying to save as many little souls as we can. So far Saskia and the clinic under the direction of wonderful Cora Bailey have helped over 64,721 little souls. The IFAW-funded clinic truly saves lives every day. I am so grateful for the support of IFAW donors. Contributions have paid for a new van, an x-ray machine, and for medicine, bandages, even blankets to comfort recovering cats and dogs. Right now the clinic desperately needs to expand. If you can, please make a contribution to help animals today by mail, or online at www.ifaw.org/woadonate. Thank you for helping.

Sally the Seal Loves Nova Scotia

Sally the Seal attended I Love Nova Scotia Day in February with IFAW and the Atlantic Canadian Anti-Sealing Coalition, to deliver a special valentine to Premier Darrell Dexter. Unfortunately the Premier spurned Sallys advances although the crowds loved her. Three days later, the government authorized a slaughter of up to 60,000 grey seal pups in the province. IFAW is urging Premier Dexter to protect the regions wild seal populations as part of its natural heritage rather than allowing them to be inhumanely hunted for their fur.
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In Focus

Rushing to the Rescue

Over the past few months, communities around the world have witnessed unrelenting disasters ... from floods and a cyclone in Australia, to political turmoil in Egypt and neighboring countries, to the terrifying chain of catastrophes in Japan.
The number of individual animals needing rescue increased as well ... a two-weekold abandoned rhino in India ... three new orphan bear cubs in Russia ... 114 neglected horses seized from a US farm ... 482 starving penguin chicks in South Africa. From the largest to the smallest, thousands of animals have received life-saving care because IFAWs Emergency Relief team was there. rescuers and trained volunteers carried the half-ton whale up a 40-ft. dune, transported it via trailer to deeper water and successfully released it. Following record-breaking floods and a category 5 cyclone in Australia, IFAWs veterinary team treated all kinds of animals from a koala with a wrist injury and a wallaby with a head trauma, to barn owls and cockatoos and starlings with fractured bones. In addition to hands-on help, IFAW conducted a clinic to teach local rehabilitators about acute and long-term veterinary procedures, food and supplements, and translocation and sheltering techniques for displaced animals. When violence erupted in Cairo, hundreds of horses that normally caravanned tourists to the pyramids were left to starve. IFAW rushed emergency funds to help feed over 430 horses. We also helped house and care for more than 250 dogs and cats abandoned or lost as people were forced to evacuate during the turmoil. Following the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis that devastated Japan in March, IFAW dispatched teams to the hardest hit areas to offer support to those caring for animals. IFAW also met with local and federal representatives to discuss the dangers to animals inside the radiation evacuation area and advised on monitoring, treatment and evacuation of contaminated animals.

Internationally Respected
IFAWs Emergency Relief team is trained to operate in difficult circumstances. We work with local communities, often at the request of governments, to alleviate suffering during emergencies. In partnership with numerous coalitions and alliances, we also assist local officials in preparing for future disasters. Over the past five years, IFAW has responded to more than 50 disasters and emergencies in more than 25 countries worldwide.

Whales to Wallabies, Saving Lives

When a pilot whale stranded in rough surf along the Massachusetts shore, IFAW

you can help us be ready for the next disaster at www.ifawrescue.org. Please join our efforts today!
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Lost his Mom

In March, a man cutting wood inside Indias Greater Manas National Park came upon two clouded leopard cubs and scooped them up.
Fortunately they were confiscated and given to veterinarians from IFAW and our partner organization Wildlife Trust of India, who rushed them back to the forest in hopes of finding their mother. But their mom never returned. So the vets transferred the two-month-old cubs to the Kokrajhar Mobile Veterinary Service (MVS) unit a satellite station of IFAWs Wildlife Rescue Center for care until they are stronger and can return to the wild. We expect to reintroduce these rare leopards to the wild when they are ready. In 2009, we successfully released two other orphaned clouded leopard cubs back to the wild.

Founded in 1969, IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) saves animals in International Headquarters 290 Summer Street Yarmouth Port, MA 02675 crisis around the world. With offices in 15 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and their habitats.

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