IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
IUCN SSC
Asian Elephant
Specialist Group
2018 Report
Vivek Menon
Chair Mission statement Targets for the 2017-2020 quadrennium
Vivek Menon (1) The Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) Assess
does not have a mission statement, but Red List: Red List assessment of Asian
Red List Authority Coordinator has developed a mandate for the group: (1) Elephants.
A. Christy Williams (2) AsESG shall provide best available scientifical-
Research activities: (1) map the distribution of
ly-grounded evidence as to the abundance,
elephants in all the 13 range states in Asia; (2)
Location/Affiliation distributions and demographic status of Asian
develop Asian Elephant database.
(1) Wildlife Trust of India F-13, Sector-8, Noida Elephant populations in all 13 range states.
Plan
201301, India It shall also set forth advisory guidelines for
(2) World Wildlife Fund, Myanmar range states and assist in capacity building Conservation actions: produce National Action
in performing their own assessments; (2) the Plans (NAPs) on elephant conservation for 13
AsESG shall analyse threats to wild populations range countries in Asia.
Number of members
and raise awareness by communicating both Policy: (1) assist the Viet Nam Government in
115
within and outside the scientific community and arresting the decline of the elephant popula-
also set forth standards/guidelines for manage- tion in Viet Nam; (2) identify select elephant
Social networks
ment and welfare of wild and captive elephants, conservation emergencies and plan mitigation
Website: measures with technical support from AsESG.
including but not limited to the surveillance of
www.asesg.org Technical advice: (1) effective data collection
disease interfaces and economic activities that
impact elephants; (3) the AsESG shall use its and reporting for the Monitoring the Illegal
advisory mandate to guide conservation and Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme facili-
welfare issues of Asian Elephants by govern- tated by the AsESG; (2) guidelines/protocols for
ments, civil society or any other relevant stake- the conservation of Asian Elephants developed
holder. Members will also work within and in by Working Groups.
collaboration with external experts to outline Act
conservation strategies for Asian Elephants; Proposal development and funding: generate
and (4) the AsESG may choose to meet regularly financial resources to support AsESG conserva-
to share information and conduct its own activ- tion activities.
ities as well as convene gatherings in the form
Network
of conferences/workshops on specific themes
Capacity building: (1) at least 13 young emerging
open to external participants for furthering the
professionals working on Asian Elephants
protection of Asian Elephants.
supported in 2019 and 2020; (2) capacity
building training for range country officials.
Projected impact for the 2017-2020
quadrennium Membership: develop AsESG membership for
the quadrennium.
Conservation prospect of Asian Elephant across
13 range states improved through collaborative
efforts of range countries and AsESG members.
A small family unit at Kaziranga National Parki, India
Photo: Sandeep Kr Tiwari, AsESG
Communicate The Secretariat is also in contact with Govern- impact on elephants and their habitat. The
Communication: (1) communicate elephant ment of India and Lao PDR for the preparation AsESG Programme Manager visited the camp
conservation and research on Asian Elephants of their National Elephant Conservation Action site in January 2018, followed by a Working
through Gajah journal; (2) communicate infor- Plan. Both these governments have agreed to Group members’ visit in October 2018. The miti-
mation on Asian Elephants and the activities of prepare the plan and AsESG is facilitating it. gation plan is being prepared. (KSR #26)
the group through an updated website. (KSR #18) Technical advice
Scientific meetings: two meetings of the Asian Policy i. The Chair has formed a Monitoring the Illegal
Elephant Specialist Group members organised i. The Working Group has prepared the draft Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Working Group to
in 2018 and 2020. conservation plan to arrest the decline of strengthen and improve MIKE data collection
elephant populations in Viet Nam and presented protocol and to build better synergies between
Activities and results 2018 it at the AsESG members meeting in Bangkok in MIKE and SSC activities in the region. A MIKE
April 2018. Based on feedback from members, regional meeting was held on 28 April 2018 in
Assess
the plan is being revised. (KSR #27) Bangkok, with support from the AsESG, that
Research activities
ii. One of the major issues impacting elephant brought together members of the MIKE Tech-
i. The Working Group on mapping has prepared nical Advisory Group, Range State officials
habitat in Bangladesh was the influx of Rohingya
the methodology to be followed to map the and experts from the AsESG, as well as the
refugees in Cox’s Bazar in August 2017. As of
distribution of elephants in all the 13 range staff of IUCN and CITES involved in the MIKE
September 2018, about 921,000 Rohingya refu-
states, and had a meeting in Myanmar to programme. (KSR #16)
gees reside in 27 camps covering 6,000 acres
finalise the plan and work towards imple-
of forest area cleared for the camps. The camp ii. All 10 Working Groups presented the draft
menting it. AsESG plans to produce the first
area is located in the middle of an elephant guidelines/manuals/plans for the conserva-
draft of the map by end-2019.
corridor and has totally impaired elephant tion of Asian Elephants for discussion during
Plan movement between Myanmar and Bangladesh, the AsESG members meeting in Bangkok in
Conservation actions thereby increasing human-elephant conflict April 2018. Based on feedback, the guidelines
i. The Working Groups for the preparation of in the region. About 13 cases of human death on use of captive elephants for tourism and
Sabah, Indonesia and Bhutan National Action in and around the camp area as a result of manuals on management of musth in captive
Plans are working on the documents and have elephants were reported between September elephants have been finalised and submitted.
prepared the draft which is being reviewed. The 2017 and October 2018. AsESG has formed a The other plans are also being finalised and we
final document is expected to be ready by 2019. working group which, along with Bangladesh expect to have them next year. Following the
Forest Department and IUCN Bangladesh, is
working on a mitigation plan to minimise the
Vets and other officials from Cambodia and Viet Nam
in India for capacity building training
Photo: AsESG
AsESG members meeting, the Chair constituted
three more Working Groups to help prepare the
Bhutan National Environmental Action Plan,
minimising the impact of Rohingya camps on
elephants and emerging diseases; the groups
are working towards the mandate. (KSR #26)
Act
Proposal development and funding
i. The AsESG Secretariat is funded by Elephant
Family and International Fund for Animal
Welfare (IFAW). It also raised money from Wild-
life Reserves Singapore, WWF International
(The Wildlife Practice), MIKE Asia and Golden
Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation for partially
supporting the AsESG members meeting. It
received support from the Department of
National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conserva-
tion, Thailand to host dinner for the members
meeting in Bangkok. It is also coordinating with
other donor agencies to support AsESG activi-
ties. (KSR #19)
Network
Capacity building
i. As part of AsESG’s mandate to help in
capacity building of range country members
for the conservation of the species, AsESG
Working Group members at Rohingya
Camp Cox Bazar, Bangladesh
facilitated a training programme on radio
Photo: AsESG collaring of elephants and strategies for miti-
gating human-elephant conflict for six dele-
gates from Cambodia (including two vets) and
three delegates from Viet Nam (including two
vets), led by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) at its
Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conser-
vation (CWRC), Kaziranga National Park, Assam
from 26 November to 2 December 2018. WWF
Cambodia and WWF Viet Nam supported the
exposure visit-cum-training programme.
(KSR #17)
Membership of the meeting were prepared and circulated Summary of activities 2018
i. AsESG membership comprises about to AsESG members and range state repre-
Species Conservation Cycle ratio: 5/5
110 experts as voluntary members from 19 sentatives. All the Working Group conveners
Assess 1 |
countries. We previously had no members presented their outcome documents for review
and discussion. Apart from this, other elephant Plan 5 |||||
from Viet Nam. In 2018, about 20 experts from
diverse skill sets joined the group, including conservation issues were also discussed. The Act 1 |
three from Viet Nam. The group also has 14 next meeting of the group is in Sabah, Malaysia, Network 2 ||
ex-officio government members nominated in December 2019, and the preparations are in Communicate 3 |||
by range countries and four other ex-officio progress. (KSR #28)
Main KSRs addressed: 16, 17, 18, 19, 26, 27, 28
members.
Acknowledgements
Resolutions addressed: WCC-2016-Res-041,
Communicate
WCC-2016-Res-100
Communication The AsESG Secretariat would like to thank KSR: Key Species Result
Elephant Family and the International Fund for
i. Two volumes of the Gajah journal (Vol 48
Animal Welfare (IFAW) for supporting the activ-
and 49) were published with articles on Asian
ities of AsESG. We are also grateful to Wild-
Elephant research, conservation and develop-
life Reserves Singapore, WWF International
ments along with news updates. The Secretariat
(The Wildlife Practice), MIKE Asia and Golden
has also submitted an article on the population
Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation for partially
status of Asian Elephant and key threats to the
supporting the AsESG meeting cost in Bangkok.
International Zoo Yearbook. (KSR #28)
The Chair would also like to extend his thanks
ii. The new AsESG website was re-developed
to the Government of Thailand, the Hon’ble
and launched. The website was reviewed by the
Minister of Natural Resources and Environ-
AsESG Communications Working Group, AsESG
ment, Kingdom of Thailand General Surasak
members and then hosted. This needs to be
Karnjanarat, the Officials of the Department of
further improved with more content to make it
National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation,
informative to viewers. (KSR #28)
Thailand for extending all support for hosting
Scientific meetings the AsESG meeting in Bangkok. The Chair
i. An AsESG members meeting was organised expresses his thanks to the Range Country
in Bangkok, Thailand from 25–27 April 2018. In Government representatives for coming to the
total, 130 people participated in the meeting, AsESG meeting in Bangkok as well as actively
including AsESG members, Range Country contributing to the conservation of elephants
Government officials from all 13 range coun- in Asia. We would also like to thank all our
tries and other experts. The chief guest of the members of the AsESG for extending their
meeting was General Surasak Karnjanarat, support. We are grateful to the Working Group
Hon’ble Minister of Natural Resources and Envi- conveners and members for working on the
ronment, Kingdom of Thailand. The minutes issues assigned to them and for developing the
guidelines/manuals/plans. The AsESG Secre-
tariat would also like to thank Prof. Jon Paul
Rodríguez, SSC Chair and his team for extending
all help and assistance to AsESG.
You can also read
