Success Stories
Thanks to the generous support of the community so far, Wildlife Conservation Action has already supported a number of projects with over $216,000 raised in its first year.
Projects at Bukit Tigapuluah National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia
Recovery Team Projects for Native Western Australian Fauna
Funding an African Painted Dog Anti-poaching Team in Zambia
Projects at Bukit Tigapuluh National Park, Sumatra, Indonesia
Organisation: Frankfurt Zoological Society
Funds: $114,000
The protected Bukit Tigapuluh National Park, in Sumatra, and the surrounding area is home to over 100 rescued ex-pet and orphaned Sumatran Orangutans that have been reintroduced to the park as part of international efforts to re-establish a population of these critically endangered animals in the wild. Not all rescued orangutans are able to adapt to life in the wild and require specialist ongoing care.
WCA funds paid for the construction of an open orangutan sanctuary adjacent to Bukit Tigapuluh National Park. Set in the rainforest, the sanctuary provides ongoing care for rescued ex-pet and orphaned orangutans that cannot be successfully reintroduced to the wild with the aim that they or their offspring may eventually move into the rainforest permanently. The first phase of construction at the sanctuary included the building of holding facilities for incoming orangutans and staff facilities including sleeping quarters and a kitchen to allow staff to remain at the sanctuary full-time. The sanctuary opened in February this year with the arrival of its first two residents, female Dek Nong and male Bobo.
Dek Nong arrived at Bukit Tigapuluh on 20 February 2008. There is very little information about her history other than she originally came from Banda Aceh and preferred human contact rather than playing with other orangutans. Shortly after arriving at Bukit Tigapuluh, a release into the rainforest was attempted but she remained close to the holding area and was reluctant to venture far or find food. She was not developing the necessary skills for independence and was therefore not a good candidate for release. The necessary skills include the ability to make a night nest, spending their time in the trees, and the ability to navigate the habitat and territory and find food.
Bobo was relinquished to the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme Rescue Centre when he was nine-years-old. He was a pet orangutan from Medan, Sumatra’s capital. His owners relinquished him after he escaped from his cage and bit them. He was housed in a small iron cage but he showed no signs of physical wounds or disease. Bobo moved to Bukit Tigapuluh on 8 September 2007. He was constantly observed sucking his finger and staff at the station found him aggressive. Like Dek Nong, he was not developing the necessary skills for independence in the forest.
Dek Nong and Bobo have now been moved to the new sanctuary and are staying in separate holding areas. Gradually, they will be let out for longer periods during the day and night. If they make a night nest, they will remain outside but otherwise they will return to the security of the holding area. There are currently five keepers working at the sanctuary who look after the orangutans. When the orangutans are outside, the keepers are constantly with them monitoring their behaviour and progress.
Perth Zoo staff will visit the sanctuary at least twice a year to develop individual care programs for incoming orangutans, review the progress and programs of orangutans at the sanctuary and provide further training for sanctuary staff.
More information on the orangutan open sanctuary can be found at www.perthzoo.wa.gov.au/sanctuary.
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Recovery Team Projects for Native Western Australian Fauna
Organisation: WA Department of Environment and Conservation
Funds: $29,442 
Perth Zoo collaborates with the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) Recovery Teams on a number of projects for threatened Western Australian species in the wild. Funds from WCA supported the important work carried out by the two organisations in a number of locations around Western Australia.
Perth Zoo’s Western Swamp Tortoise breeding program has been critical to the survival of the species. Over 400 tortoises bred at Perth Zoo since 1988 have been released into the wild in areas managed and protected by the DEC. WCA funds were used to purchase radio transmitters and a receiver to monitor the movements, survival and numbers of Western Swamp Tortoises in areas where they have been released. Camera traps have also been purchased to help the Recovery Team gain a better understanding of how Western Swamp Tortoises use their nest sites and the impact of predators and potential predators such as rats and bandicoots.
The Sunset Frog is one of Western Australia’s most threatened frog species. It is found in ancient peat bog swamps in Walpole but its numbers are declining. Perth Zoo is studying the Sunset Frog as part of its frog research breeding program and has successfully bred Sunset Frog metamorphs (froglets) in captivity – a world first. WCA funded population monitoring surveys during the second half of 2008 and information was also collected to determine if the frogs were breeding. Over the past two years, the population has been declining and very few males have been heard calling in the wild, a sign that the population may be decreasing. Water in the peat bogs is also registering a high acidity level which could be fatal to tadpoles, so further study is needed.
The Woylie, or Brush-tailed Bettong, was the first Australian mammal to come off the endangered species list. However, since 2006, Woylie numbers have declined again at an alarming rate and the reason is unclear. Current evidence indicates the population declines are driven primarily by mortalities associated with predation or scavenging by feral cats and foxes. However, it is likely other factors, notably diseases, are involved which may predispose individuals to predation. Perth Zoo is a member of the Woylie Recovery Team trying to solve the mystery of the declining Woylie numbers. WCA funds have been used to pay for the health screening of Woylies brought in from the wild and to research possible factors associated with Woylie declines including disease analysis.
The DEC’s Rangelands Restoration project seeks to rehabilitate the ex-pastoral lease of Lorna Glen in northern Western Australia and reintroduce 11 mammal species native to the area by 2020. The project includes controlling feral species and monitoring the progress of released native animals through radio tracking and trapping. WCA funds provided radio collars to track released Bilbies. Perth Zoo staff were involved with the tracking and releasing of Bilbies and Brushtail Possums at Lorna Glen.
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Funding an African Painted Dog Anti-snaring Unit in Zambia
Organisation: Painted Dog Conservation Inc
Funds: $10,000 
South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, Africa, is home to one of the last viable populations of African Painted Dogs in Africa. However, their numbers are declining due to poaching and snare wire traps. The snares, which are cheap and easy to make, are set in great numbers in the national park and the surrounding area to catch animals for bush meat. While the main targets of the snares are herbivores such as antelope, other animals of varying sizes – from Painted Dogs to giraffe – are trapped. The snares usually tighten around their neck or legs and are nearly impossible to remove without human assistance. The snares lead to severe injuries or death.
Zambia’s first African Painted Dog anti-snaring unit was established in 2008 through the collaboration of African Wild Dog Conservation and the South Luangwa Conservation Society, with funding from WCA and Painted Dog Conservation Inc. Other anti-poaching units operate in the national park but this is the first one dedicated to work with African Painted Dogs. The unit’s main goals are to stop poachers and clear snare wire traps in the South Luangwa National Park. The four men from communities around Luangwa who make up the Painted Dog anti-snaring unit underwent rigorous training to become members of the team. The unit has been on patrol since August 2008 and has removed many snares and apprehended suspected poachers. In addition to helping to save African Painted Dogs and other animals from snares, the anti-poaching unit is providing employment for local communities.
Sightings of African Painted Dogs are increasing in Zambia but so too are snaring incidents. Increasing the number of anti-snaring units is a priority for conservation groups working in the country – and for the Painted Dog’s survival.
Find out more about Wildlife Conservation Action or how you can help make a difference.