This newsletter gives an annual update of 2019 for the African Elephant Fund. The African Elephant Fund negotiated under the auspices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) brings together thirty-eight African elephant range States, donor States, the United Nations Environment Programme , the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), CITES and other wildlife conservation actors who work collaboratively to safeguard the African elephant from facing extinction.
The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the world’s largest terrestrial mammal found in more than 38 range States across Africa. It is a species of considerable economic, ecological, cultural and aesthetic value to many people and is arguably the world’s most charismatic mega-herbivore. African elephants possess extraordinary intelligence, complex social structures and remarkable abilities to adapt to their surroundings. Elephants continue to face multitude of very serious threats, including illegal killing and poaching, conflict with humans, loss and fragmentation of habitat. To reverse the trend, the African Elephant Fund was created to assist in implementing the African Elephant Action Plan.
In the 2019, the African Elephant Fund undertook several activities that contributed to the implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan including; trained military Gabon rangers, raised awareness and knowledge of human-elephant conflicts in Côte d’Ivoire, gathered technical inputs and knowledge from the African Elephant Specialist Group of IUCN and African Elephant range States for the review of the African Elephant Action Plan and held a side event in the margins CITES COP 18 as well as the successful 11th African Elephant Fund Steering Committee meeting in Accra, Ghana.
The Eighteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
On 25th August 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland, the African Elephant Fund held a side event in the margins of the Eighteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES COP 18) entitled “The African Elephant Fund: Delivering the African Elephant Action Plan”.
During the side event, the African Elephant Fund presented case studies and success stories from projects implemented across the African elephant range states, lessons learned and the observed impacts to elephant conservation. The case studies included: reduced human elephant conflict through improved monitoring, stakeholder engagement and law enforcement, in Bia and Kakum Conservation Areas of Ghana; the first aerial survey of elephants and other large mammals in north-west Namibia in 2016; reduced human-elephant conflict and zero cases of crop raid in Thuma Forest Reserve, the Dedza Salima escarpment, and Kazungu National Park, Malawi.
Other success stories featured included enabling Gabon to become self-sufficient in the traceability analysis of ivory; the establishment of a canine department in Uganda Wildlife Authority, which has strengthened the management of the ivory stock pile in Uganda; elephant dung counts and age structures estimated at Shimba hills, Mau Forest, Mt. Elgon, Mt. Kenya, and Aberdares, as a result of knowledge generated on elephant population in tropical forests in Kenya; reduced human-elephant conflict in Côte d’Ivoire by training 10 forest officers in using geographic information systems to track elephants, sensitizing the population of eight villages to protect elephants, and equipping 80 farmers with alternative sources of livelihood. The event was attended by participants from governments, non-governmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations.
Implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan
Improvement of Knowledge of elephants involved in the conflicts with human/ Amelioration Des Connaissances Sur Les Elephants Impliques Dans Les Conflits Avec Les Hommes.
In Côte d’Ivoire, forest fragmentation, destruction of natural habitats of wildlife by agricultural activities and urbanization have increased human elephant conflict. The cases of elephants present in plantations and nearby villages is increasingly recurring resulting into destruction of crops as well as human attacks. Annually at least three people died, a tenth wounded and over 200 farms were destroyed by elephants. In addition, at least five elephants have been killed in the last four years for causing destruction of property and death.
To mitigate this challenges and threats facing elephants and humans, this project collared four elephants to monitor their movement and ensure that they do not move to human plantations. By collaring these elephants, the wildlife management also secured the elephants from illegal killing and poaching from the nearby villages. Ten forest officers were trained on how to use the Geographical Information System (GIS) to monitor elephants. The project also created awareness and educated the local communities on the importance of protecting and conserving elephants. Read more
Military training for Gabon’s Park Rangers
With nearly 40,000 elephants throughout the country, Gabon is home to the fifth largest elephant population on the African continent, and 50% of the elephant population in Central Africa. This species is present on 88% of the national territory, a unique situation in Africa where the decrease in elephant populations is always accompanied by a contraction of the distribution area. Gabon is therefore a key country for the protection of elephants throughout the African continent. The pressure from poaching elephants, which remained moderate until the late 1990s, has accumulated over the past ten years. Thus, on estimates that between 2004 and 2012, approximately 10,000 to 16,000 elephants were killed, in and around Minkébé National Park, the largest park in the country.
To combat poaching in Gabon, 60 rangers were trained at the Mokeko military training facility on patrolling, tracking, fast aid, military tactics, self-defense, firing range as well as mission planning. Through training of Gabon Park Rangers, the project strengthened the Gabon Park Rangers capacity to combat poaching and illegal trade in ivory and thus reduced poaching of elephants as well as improved protection of Gabon forest elephants. The Park Rangers gained confidence to confront and arrest the heavily armed poachers who illegally cross the Gabonese borders and poach elephants in the heart of the national parks. Today, they are able to manage emergency situations together, such as gunshot wounds, etc. This training in military techniques against poaching is essential for the security of national parks and the protection of forest elephants. Full report is available here.
Reducing human-elephant conflict through improved monitoring, stakeholder engagement and law enforcement
" Previously, all we did was to drive the elephants away from our farm. We used old methods but they have all proved futile. From the AEF project in Ghana, we have learnt new methods in addition to what we already know, so we can protect our farms from elephant crop raid and also conserve the elephants. " Ernestina Nafrani, Nafani, Community Ghana. Read more
Revision of the African Elephant Action Plan
The African Elephant Fund held a workshop on 20 July 2019 in Pretoria, South Africa to prepare technical inputs for updating the African Elephant Action Plan. The African Elephant Specialist Group (AfESG) of IUCN gathered knowledge, technical inputs and suggested reframing of the possible review of AEAP. These suggestions by the AfESG further guided and assisted range States to brainstorm and provide additional inputs.
Key issues suggested by AfESG for elevation to priority objectives include climate change, biological management (all species issue for African Elephants), contributions to Sustainable Development Goals as well as resource mobilization. Key words identified by AfESG that was proposed to be outlined in AEAP includes sustainability, connectivity, people, habitat and future. Suggestions for reordering of AEAP objectives were also provided and in many instances’ objective 1 on reducing illegal killing of elephants and illegal trade in elephant products remained as key priority objective based on the suggestions by AfESG. Human-elephant conflict was identified as a key driver contributing to illegal killing of elephants and illegal trade, loss and fragmentation of elephant habitats. Emerging issues such as illegal killing, online cyber-trafficking, demand reduction, identifying what ivory stockpile is, collaboration between Africa and Asia, trade in live elephants and sustainable use were also suggested to be included as areas of focus in the AEAP.
11th African Elephant Fund Steering Committee Meeting
The 11th African Elephant Fund Steering Committee (AEFSC) meeting was held in Accra, Ghana from the 18-21 February 2019 and hosted by the Government of Ghana. The meeting was presided by the AEFSC Chair, Ghana and members of the Steering Committee. East Africa was represented by Kenya, West Africa was represented by Ghana and Southern Africa was represented by South Africa. The donors were represented by Belgium and France. Ex-officio members were represented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UN Environment), the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). Germany attended the meeting as an observer.
The overall objective of the meeting was to review progress in the implementation of the African Elephant Action Plan, through the review of the operational and administrative mechanisms of the African Elephant Fund hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme. The Steering Committee also discussed the process for revision of the African Elephant Action Plan, assessed and evaluated eight project proposals and drafted new project proposal template as well as a selection and evaluation criteria for project approval. The Steering Committee prepared new draft for the Terms of Reference and Rules of Procedures of the AEFSC. Seven project proposals from Cameroon (2), Gabon (2), Uganda, Zimbabwe, and Niger were approved by the Steering Committee.
Please access the summary minutes here.
Call for Project Proposals/Appel à soumission de projets
The African Elephant Fund (AEF) Secretariat has launched the ninth round of call for project proposals with a deadline of 14 February 2020, midnight East Africa Time. The templates for use are available here
Le Secrétariat du Fonds pour l'éléphant d'Afrique (FEA) vient de lancer le neuvième cycle d'appel à propositions de projets avec une date limite du 14 Février 2020 à minuit, heure de l'Afrique de l'Est. Les canevas à utiliser sont disponibles ici.
Upcoming events
10-14 March 2020- 12th African Elephant Fund Steering Committee meeting, Entebbe, Uganda;
Funded by:
The African Elephant Fund is financed through voluntary contributions from the Governments of Belgium, China, France, Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, South Africa and the European Commission to assist thirty-eight African elephant range States to implement the African Elephant Action Plan.
Get involved
For more information on the African Elephant Fund or to collaborate with us, please contact us on email: unenvironment-africanelephantfund@un.org or visit our website at www.africanelephantfund.org
Disclaimer: The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views, policies or official opinion of the African Elephant Range States, Donor States, UN Environment or other contributing organizations.
Credits:
Created with images by Matthew Bradford - "Elephants in Kenya" • Damian Patkowski - "untitled image" • Julianna Corbett - "untitled image" • Isabella Jusková - "untitled image". African Elephant Fund.