2014 CONSERVATION SUCCESSES

In Giants’ Footsteps Following the devastating spring of 2014 with the death of Mark Shand, founding force behind Elephant Family and world champion of Asian elephant conservation, the encouragement from Mark’s family, friends and supporters was both humbling and empowering. For years the conservation spotlight has focused on the African elephant while the endangered status of Asian elephants has received little attention. Mark established Elephant Family to ensure their survival. He is hugely missed but we are determined to continue his mission and fervently hope all Elephant Family supporters will continue to help us pursue his life’s work. This update summarizes just a selection of many Elephant Family conservation successes in 2014 and plans for 2015.

Local communities support Asian elephant conservation

The threat of fragmented habitat

Elephants travel large distances covering a range of landscapes. These journeys allow elephants to meet their basic needs for food and water and equip them with the skills needed to survive in varied environments. The pathways created by elephants play an important environmental role in opening up forests for other animals and acting as firebreaks. Protecting these ‘elephant corridors’ is essential for the conservation of both Asian elephants and their ecosystem. When human settlements and farms are located within these corridors conflict is inevitable. Where elephant corridors have become fragmented, stressed and hungry elephants are forced to cross between forest areas where they damage homes, acres of crops, and endanger human lives. In many cases communities then retaliate by killing elephants. The voluntary relocation of people out of elephant corridors to safe new homes nearby provides communities with productive farmland without danger from elephants and allows elephants clear pathways. Safeguarding corridors allows elephants and humans to peacefully coexist.

House damaged by elephants



Elephant Family conservation strategy

Mark was an ardent supporter of elephant corridors but relocation of human settlements is an expensive undertaking. Elephant Family partner, The Wildlife Trust of India, identified 88 elephant corridors that must be saved if India’s elephants are to survive. Elephant corridor prioritisation is based on the viability of elephant populations and their habitats. From 2007 to 2011 Elephant Family funding enabled the completion of the Kerala Corridor Project in southern India where human settlements interrupted the 2,200 acre corridor for a population of 6,500 elephant. Protection of the Assam Corridors is also a top priority as identified by the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests. Elephant Family promised its support. Successful completion of this project will secure the future for 1,700 elephants and improve the livelihoods of over 200 subsistence farmers and their families.

Elephant enjoys a corridor in Kerala

The project includes the reconnection of four elephant corridors, providing safe new homes for communities, and the construction of the Mark Shand Centre, a building for learning and inspiration for communities and visitors.

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“Our new house is nearer the market where we sell our crops and we got three bullock loads more coffee this year” Kaliawa



Elephant Family conservation success

Kerala Corridor four years on By 2011, land had been secured and 54 families relocated outside the corridor. Four years on, villagers report how this has dramatically improved their livelihoods. They now have productive farms and live without the fear of elephant encounters. The Kerala Corridor is now managed by the Kerala Forest Department with 6,500 elephants enjoying secure and uninterrupted habitat. Assam Corridor 2014 After Mark’s death, an incredible £400,000 was donated to the Assam Elephant Corridor project. Achievements last year include: • Land secured outside the corridor for two villages and a total of 200 people • Start of construction of new homes for the first community • Start of construction of a community hall • Foundation stone laid for the Mark Shand Centre • Rice paddy cultivation training workshops conducted to prevent former unsustainable ‘slash and burn’ practices • The first successful harvest from the new agricultural land

Unveiling of Mark Shand Centre foundation stone

Plan for 2015 Please keep the donations coming! We urgently need to raise the final £400,000 to complete enabling communities to relocate. Only then will these families live without threat and the population of 1,700 elephants have uninterrupted passage.

“Now we are sleeping safely without the fear of elephants” Lakshmi Amma

Elephant Family CEO, Ruth Powys being shown healthy crop alongside forest covered elephant corridor

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International governments commit to Asian elephants

The conservation threat of live trade

When the Asian elephant was first listed as endangered in 1975, CITES* put in place a mandatory ban on trade worldwide. However, the illegal trade in wild Asian elephants for the tourism industry continued until Elephant Family’s campaign exposed it in 2013. Wild baby elephants are taken from the forest, and for every wild caught calf as many as five others are killed during the capture. Captured elephants are then subjected to brutal treatment to break their will and make them more manageable. Each year, along the Thai-Myanmar border up to 100 young elephants are being traded to supply tourist camps. The full extent of trade in other areas is not yet known. This trade is a significant threat to the remaining wild elephant populations that are already struggling to survive.



Elephant Family conservation strategy

Since the world’s focus continued to concentrate on the illegal ivory trade, Elephant Family started to lobby CITES in 2011 to ensure the trade in Asian elephants was not ignored. It was imperative that countries be called to account by changing laws, increasing enforcement activities, closing legal loopholes and introducing stricter penalties.



Elephant Family conservation success

After years of campaigning, the first major breakthrough came in 2013 when Elephant Family secured the support from the UK government and successfully lobbied CITES to include trade in live Asian elephants in the convention. Member countries were called on to take urgent action to stop the trade. However several countries failed to uphold this legally binding agreement so in 2014 Elephant Family again secured the support of the UK government to call on CITES to conduct a review of countries that were failing. This resulted in a new commitment, with all countries agreeing to investigate and report back to the CITES meeting later in 2015. Elephant Family is proud to have moved the discussion of trade in elephants in a new direction to include Asian elephants. This is a positive step towards curbing illegal trade and protecting the remaining wild elephants across Asia.

Elephant Family delegates at CITES meeting in Bangkok

Plan for 2015 Elephant Family will continue to support independent investigation into the extent of live trade and lobby both the UK government and CITES to ensure governments enforce the ban on trade in Asian elephants. Your support for further investigations and lobbying activities is urgently needed. *Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

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European families help protect Asian elephant habitat

The threat of palm oil plantations

Palm oil is a key ingredient in hundreds of supermarket products, including chocolate, margarine and cream cheese. As the demand for palm oil increases, many palm oil suppliers clear forest unsustainably to make way for plantations, tearing into the heart of elephant habitat and forcing stressed and hungry Asian elephants out of the forests and into conflict with humans. Palm oil can be farmed sustainably without destroying more and more forest. Food manufacturers were under no obligation to list whether palm oil was an ingredient let alone if it was sourced sustainably. The first step was to enlist public support and then lobby the European Union for new legislation to force food manufacturers to list palm oil as an ingredient.



Elephant Family conservation strategy

In partnership with Sumatran Orangutan Society, Orangutan Foundation, Save the Rhino, Ape Alliance, The Jane Goodall Institute UK, and the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, Elephant Family launched the ‘Clear Labels, Not Forests’ campaign raising awareness with consumers of the common use of palm oil and the need for labelling and ultimately a sustainable supply.



Forest destruction for new palm oil plantation

Elephant Family conservation success

The response to the ‘Clear Labels, Not Forests’ campaign was phenomenal. Thousands of people spoke up to show that they do not want to consume forest-destroying palm oil. As a direct result of the campaign new European Union legislation passed in December 2014 now mandates that food manufacturers include palm oil in ingredients labelling from 2015. European families will be able to make informed choices about what they buy. © Ulet Ifansasti

Palm oil plantation cutting into elephant forest habitat

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Elephant Family looking ahead We look forward to seeing our family grow in 2015 and to continuing the vital work to safeguard the survival of the Asian elephant.



New conservation strategic plan

We are in the process of developing our new five year strategic action plan, which will take our Asian elephant conservation programme to 2020.



Myanmar elephant conservation

Myanmar, formerly Burma, is believed to be one of the last strongholds for Asian elephants with an estimated population of up to 5,000 elephants. In an encouraging indication of future environmental policy, the government of Myanmar invited Elephant Family to a workshop in the capital city of Nay Pyi Taw this January to start the process of planning a Myanmar Elephant Conservation Action Plan. We are honoured to be involved in developing conservation strategy with the new Myanmar administration.

“Elephant Family is a unique conservation organisation established by an extraordinary and charismatic man. It is more important than ever that our family of supporters stay loyal and true to the cause. Please help us to keep Mark’s dream alive.” James Young, Executive Director

Thank you for your incredible support in 2014 Last year Elephant Family contributed a total of over £2 million to its programmes of Conservation Partnerships, Education and Training, Lobbying and Mobilising Public Concern.

This is a massive achievement!

In addition to direct financial support for our conservation programmes, there are many ways we would welcome support including corporate partnerships, independent fundraising events, legacies or prizes for our celebrated auctions. Please do contact us to set up a meeting to discuss how you can help.

Elephant Family UK Individual Donors and Corporate Partnerships: Mary Powys, [email protected] Trusts and Foundations: Monica Wrobel, [email protected] 17-18 Hayward’s Place, London EC1R 0EQ Phone: +44 (0) 2072515099 UK Charity Registration Number 1091671

Elephant Family USA Individual Donors and Corporate Partnerships: Ruth Powys, [email protected] Trusts and Foundations: Monica Wrobel, [email protected] 375 Hudson Street, Floor 15, New York, NY 10014 Phone: Lexi +1 917 544 5406 USA Charity Registration Number 46-3085568

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