CEO's Report

Fundraising: We formalised the establishment of a board for African Parks Foundation Switzerland, a registered entity based in Luzern, supporting our growing activities in the region and enabling us to receive Swiss donations with tax benefits. Arent Fock has joined as the Chairman, Jan Niessen as Treasurer and Thomas Ladner as the third Board member, with Tineke Floor heading its executive management as Director of Fundraising for Europe. The Dutch Postcode Lottery committed an extraordinary €3M at their annual Goed Geld Gala on the 15th of February for Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve, adding to the €4.7M already committed by the European Union for the management of the park. Also in conjunction with the Dutch Postcode Lottery, African Parks hosted the premiere of “Wildlife Savers: Unsung Heroes”, a documentary created by Pluk Media and funded by the Dutch Postcode Lottery about our work in the three parks within Malawi, the historic elephant translocation, and our exemplary staff who are making all of that happen. The EU Bêkou Trust fund has committed a remarkable contribution of €1.5M for Chinko in CAR.    

Communications: We announced the return of Africa’s most iconic big cat to Liwonde National Park on the 24th of February through a Malawian national press event following the successful translocation of two males from Majete Wildlife Reserve. The news was also shared on Instagram by National Geographic’s acclaimed big cat photographer Steve Winter (who photographed the initial lion captures) and by Leonardo DiCaprio, whose foundation along with the Lion Recovery Fund and the Dutch Government are key funding partners for this project. A larger announcement will be made later following the translocation of additional lions from South Africa to augment the populations in both Liwonde and Majete. On the 20th of February African Parks was honoured to be named by Fast Company as one of the 10 most innovative companies in Africa, listed among leading enterprises and rising newcomers that exemplify the best in innovation on the continent. We also received very positive international coverage around the announcement on the 19th of February of the formal inclusion of Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve in the African Parks portfolio, featuring in Le Monde among others.

Recruitment: We’re pleased to welcome Jerome Lidoyne, who joined our law enforcement team in February as the Francophone Chief Instructor.

Bazaruto Archipelago National Park, Mozambique: The first steering committee meeting convened on the 1st of March with the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC) was extremely positive. We are in the process of finalising key management appointments, and expect to have a legal entity registered in Mozambique imminently.

Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve, Chad: We announced on the 19th of February the formal inclusion of Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve in our portfolio. We are now in the process of recruiting an effective management team to begin implementation of the project.

Kafue National Park, Zambia: African Parks’ Deputy Director of Conservation Development is engaging at multiple levels with the ministry and parliamentary conservation caucus to advance interest in African Parks’ management model for Kafue National Park, and African Parks’ CEO visited Liuwa Plain with Ministers Banda and Mutati over the 17th and 18th of March.

Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe: The project will be submitted formally to African Parks’ board for approval at the forthcoming board meeting on the 4th of April. A board due diligence visit will be undertaken in early April, and we hope that the signature of the agreement to manage this compelling park will follow shortly after the conclusion of this visit.

Mangochi Forest Reserve, Malawi: The negotiations with the Public Private Partnership Commission and the Department of Forestry have been concluded and we are pleased to announce the signing of an agreement with the Government of Malawi expanding our management of Liwonde National Park to include the adjoining Mangochi Forest Reserve. Mangochi is an important ecological extension of Liwonde. Its remaining biodiversity, intact forest, size and connectivity to Liwonde and northern Mozambique are extremely valuable for the long-term conservation of both areas. Under the agreement, the full range of African Parks’ operations in Liwonde will be extended to protect and restore Mangochi.

Chinko, CAR: Chinko has made extraordinary progress in securing its boundaries, in spite of continued civil instability in the surrounding areas. Where only a few years ago there were tens of thousands of cattle at this time of year and almost no signs of wildlife, the aerial patrols are seeing no signs of cattle or herders and encouraging signs of wildlife returning. Just this month there were signs and sightings of several different groups of antelope, buffalo, leopard and spotted hyaena, and notably a large group of wild dog is breeding for a third consecutive year. Preliminary data from a 2018 survey of tracks show no human disturbance in a 6,000 km2 area including the core protection zone, reflecting good results from the teams’ sustained engagement with herder groups on navigating around the boundaries of the reserve. These efforts have remarkably kept 20,000 km2 free from cattle.  Chinko also hosted a ministerial delegation led by the Minister of Water, Forestry, Hunting and Fishing, whose visit in early February was extremely positive.

Akagera National Park, Rwanda: Akagera’s revitalisation continues to serve as a model of successful conservation, promoting continued growth in tourist visitation which was up 60% this month compared to February last year. It was a busy month for the park, with management hosting a Rhino Management Specialist meeting, the new board of African Parks Foundation Switzerland and also a group from the Rwanda Development Board, including staff from Volcanoes and Nyungwe National Parks, for exposure to Akagera’s community engagement activities. We sadly report that Shema, the eldest lioness who was part of the original reintroduction, passed away as a likely result of an injury incurred during hunting.  The law enforcement team also discovered an elephant carcass with its tusks intact and no evidence of illegal interference.  

Zakouma National Park, Chad: The Siniaka-Minia Faunal Reserve project was officially opened during a successful workshop facilitating the handover of management from the Chadian Government to African Parks. Candidates are in the process of being selected to take part in basic field ranger training, which will increase Zakouma’s law enforcement capacity and contribute to the establishment of a ranger team in Siniaka-Minia. Zakouma’s teams have continued to make steady progress on preparations for the reintroduction of rhinoceros. In particular, the rhino monitoring manager along with three team leaders completed rhino tracking training in Zimbabwe. He and three rangers are now undertaking monitoring training in Majete Wildlife Reserve in Malawi; and the Park Manager attended the Rhino Management Specialist meeting in Akagera National Park. Now in peak tourist season, Zakouma has received very good visitation for all three camps and additionally hosted close to 600 local people through the Camp Salamat Environmental Education Programme.

Garamba National Park, DRC: A key highlight for law enforcement in Garamba this month was the conclusion of the ‘Mamba Strike Course’, which 24 rangers in the rapid response Mamba team completed successfully. In addition, teams detected no signs of poachers’ camps within the park boundaries, and no signs of elephant poaching. The park has been developing a National Giraffe Protection Strategy to produce a thorough plan for the conservation of DRC’s last remaining population of Kordofan giraffe which persist in Garamba. A final version of the strategy has been shared with the Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature, with a view to implementing it in the near future. Good progress was also made in community engagement, with over 100 people participating in environmental awareness programmes, among many other activities.

Bangweulu Wetlands, Zambia: The construction of Shoebill Island Camp has advanced considerably, and is nearing completion with the hope of receiving privately guided groups there later this year. The Domain Awareness System (DAS) has been installed successfully, and staff in the operations room will soon be trained to utilise it effectively to enable real-time monitoring of wildlife and operational activities. Wildlife populations are steadily growing, with increasing numbers of black lechwe, impala, puku and waterbuck being reported.

Liuwa Plain National Park, Zambia: Heavy rainfall has inundated the floodplains, and the park has begun to coordinate with the Barotse Royal Establishment on making initial preparations for the Kuomoboka ceremony, when the royal household of the Lozi people move to higher ground. Management is also beginning preparations for the construction of its new headquarters inside the park, where good progress was made on readying the site to commence construction work. Despite the elevated water levels, law enforcement operated well with teams making several arrests and confiscating bush meat and other illegal materials. Monitoring teams reported sightings of several groups of wildebeest numbering in the thousands and predator populations, particularly hyaena, are doing exceptionally well. Liuwa continued to provide significant educational support to local communities, with a particular highlight being the recruitment of six pupils to benefit from the park’s scholarship programme.

Liwonde National Park, Malawi: February heralded the return of lions to Liwonde, with the arrival of two males from Majete four years after the last lion was seen and more than 20 years since Liwonde was home to a resident breeding population. These lions are the first of several to be introduced through a translocation supported by the Dutch Government and the Lion Recovery Fund. The lions will remain in their bomas for several weeks to enable the close monitoring of their wellbeing, adjustment, and bonding with additional lions which will be translocated from South Africa in April. The Park Manager Craig Reid and Ranger Mike Polela attended the Amsterdam premiere of “Wildlife Savers: Unsung Heroes”, a documentary created by Pluk Media and funded by the Dutch Postcode Lottery to tell the story of our work in Malawi, our exemplary staff, and the elephant translocation. Liwonde is currently hosting a basic field ranger course and two patrol leaders’ courses for rangers from all three Malawian parks under management. The park completed the installation of a final thermal imaging infrared camera technology (FLIR) tower, enabling the law enforcement team to monitor human activity in the park more effectively and contributing tremendous value to their overall efforts.

Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, Malawi: It has been a productive month for Nkhotakota’s law enforcement team, which has 11 candidates undergoing basic field ranger training and six rangers on patrol leaders’ training in Liwonde National Park. While it apprehended six people, the law enforcement team reported no evidence of poaching for the entire month. The collared elephants are continually monitored, and initial planning is underway to establish an ecological research camp in the reserve which would enable greater study of the new elephant population. Valuable support was extended to local communities, particularly in education as the reserve funded 123 students’ school terms through its scholarship programme in addition to conducting several environmental education outreach programmes.

Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi: Two male lions were captured and successfully translocated to Liwonde National Park, constituting an important first step in repopulating Liwonde and diversifying Majete’s lion population.  The reserve’s current pride will be supplemented in April with an additional five lions to promote its long-term genetic health.  Majete currently has 10 new ranger recruits participating in basic field ranger training and three rangers undertaking a patrol leaders’ course in Liwonde, forming part of our overall capacity-building strategy for law enforcement. In community development, the reserve has initiated a honey production scheme, rolling out operations this month through the deployment of needed equipment and engaging local communities on project plans and expected outputs. Majete also hosted a community award ceremony encouraging participation in its reforestation initiative to celebrate UN World Wildlife Day.

Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Congo: Having completed the basic field ranger course and a firearm training component, the law enforcement team maintained rigorous patrol efforts, confiscating a young monkey, bushmeat, snares and several other illegal materials. The team reported no evidence of elephant poaching for the month. Good progress was made on improving important roads to facilitate better access for management, monitoring and law enforcement purposes. The gorilla habituation project is making positive strides with one group of gorillas, which has developed a good tolerance to human presence. This delicate process is being carefully managed. The park is engaging extensively with communities to address illegal bushmeat hunting, and this month held several educational sessions and discussions regarding sustainable hunting practices and the protection of species.                                                                                                         

Pendjari National Park, Benin: An investigation is underway in collaboration with the national police to ascertain information relating to a confrontation involving a group of traditional hunters at the park’s headquarters. This followed a law enforcement operation that had confiscated several motorbikes belonging to people who were hunting illegally in Pendjari. Peace was promptly restored and we are working alongside local and national authorities to engage the relevant groups and address the incident. The second basic field ranger course is continuing well with its training of 39 local recruits to grow the capacity of Pendjari’s ranger team. In conservation, a camera trap study in collaboration with the University of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit is underway to examine the abundance of lions in Pendjari.

Media highlights for African Parks for February 2018 included coverage by BBC News, Fast Company, Financial Times, Vanity Fair, Conde Nast Traveller, Travel and Leisure, Le Monde, CNBC, RTL, CGTN, Mongabay, Lonely Planet, All Africa, among others.

BENIN NATIONAL PARK: NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY TO HELP WITH REVITALIZATION PROJECT | CGTN, 1 February 2018

Benin, African Parks, the National Geographic Society and the Wyss Foundation have announced a 23-and-a-half million-dollar partnership to protect and revitalize one of the West African country's national parks.

BENIN AND PARTNERS JOIN FORCES TO REHABILITATE PENDJARI NATIONAL PARK | CNBC Africa, 5 February 2018

The republic of Benin, National Geographic, African Parks and the Wyss Foundation have signed a partnership that will see all parties commit an initial $23mn to rehabilitate Pendjari National Park.

AU BENIN, LE “TOURISME AU SERVICE DE LA CROISSANCE ECONOMIQUE” | BBC Afrique, 6 February 2018

Pour doper la croissance économique, les autorités béninoises misent sur la restauration des parcs naturels comme celui de Pendjari. Sa gestion par partenariat a été confiée par Cotonou à African Parks et National Geographic.

SUNSHINE, SMILES AND WILDLIFE IN MALAWI | Yahoo News, 8 February 2018

Malawi, like many African countries, is realising the potential for tourism by restocking parks and reserves denuded of wildlife through poaching and community conflict.

PRIMAL GREEN: RWANDA | Vanity Fair, 11 February 2018

Gorillas are the draw, but Rwanda astounds with its timeless old-growth rainforest and a new generation driven to live a meaningful life. Vanity Fair covers Rwanda as a rising global tourist destination, featuring Akagera National Park and its remarkable recovery.

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHAD SIGNS A NEW AGREEMENT WITH AFRICAN PARKS TO MANAGE ENNEDI, A SPECTACULAR WORLD HERITAGE SITE IN CHAD | African Parks, 13 February 2018

The Republic of Chad and African Parks announced on Monday 19th of February the signing of an agreement to manage and restore Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve.

RWANDA: THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT SAFARI SPOT RIGHT NOW | Conde Nast Traveller, 13 February, 2018

Rwanda's sprawling, vibrant cities have a charming small-town feel, smart lodges are cropping up in the mountainous national parks and the safari scene is still gloriously under-the-radar. In Akagera National Park, game is increasing, and the admirable African Parks has successfully reintroduced lion and black rhino.

BRITISH TROOPS AID MALAWI WILDLIFE ANTI-POACHING FIGHT | BBC News, 16 February 2018

British soldiers are to be deployed to Africa to boost the fight against illegal wildlife poaching. The force will train rangers in tracking, infantry, bushcraft and information analysis skills, held in conjunction with conservation non-profit African Parks.

IN SEARCH OF THE ANCIENT ROCK ART OF CHAD | Financial Times, How To Spend It, 17 February 2018

Lucia van der Post ventures to Ennedi in deepest Chad on an expedition to document some of the world’s oldest rock art – encountering vast deserts, magnificent caves and poignant vestiges of forgotten eras.

LE TCHAD A SIGNE UN ACCORD AVEC UNE ONG POUR LA RESTAURATION DE LA RESERVE D’ENNEDI | RTL, 19 February 2018

Le Tchad a signé lundi un accord avec une ONG pour la restauration de la réserve naturelle d'Ennedi (nord-est), a annoncé l'ONG African Parks.

AFRICAN PARKS NAMED BY FAST COMPANY AS ONE OF TEN MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES IN AFRICA | African Parks, 20 February 2018

Fast Company announced its annual ranking of the world’s Most Innovative Companies, naming African Parks as one of the 10 Most Innovative Companies in Africa.

THE IT LIST: BEST NEW HOTELS IN THE WORLD | Travel and Leisure, 20 February 2018

Every year, Travel + Leisure editors look at thousands of hotel openings and renovations around the globe with one mission in mind: what properties will truly be game changers for their readers. King Lewanika Lodge in Liuwa Plain National Park, Zambia, was selected for their 2018 It List of the best new hotels in the world.

MALAWI: LIWONDE NATIONAL PARK TO HAVE LIONS | All Africa, 20 February 2018

African Parks, managers of the Liwonde National Park in Malawi's Machinga, have announced they will be relocating lions from South Africa to the park. They said they would also be introducing lions to Majete Wildlife Reserve.

AU TCHAD, LA RENAISSANCE DE LA RESERVE D’ENNEDI CONFIEE A UNE ONG SUD-AFRICAINE | Le Monde, 23 February 2018

Un accord a été signé entre African Parks et le gouvernement pour la restauration du massif montagneux classé au patrimoine mondial par l’Unesco.

BANGWEULU AND LIUWA: ZAMBIA’S SAFARI SURPRISES | Lonely Planet

Striking antelopes found nowhere else on earth, the world’s quirkiest bird, Africa’s second biggest wildebeest migration, and the legend of a celebrity lioness. All this set amid beguiling backdrops of vast golden savannah and a labyrinth of lily-strewn waterways.

AFRICAN PARKS TO MANAGE GORGES, ROCK ART AND CROCODILES OF CHAD’S ENNEDI | Mongabay, 27 February 2018

The government of Chad has enlisted the aid of conservation NGO African Parks to run a massive national park in the country’s northeast that is home to signs of human habitation stretching back 10,000 years.