continuing steve’s dream - australia zoo...involve caring people in the support and conservation...

CONTINUING STEVE’S DREAM AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE WARRIORS

STEVE HAD A VISION FOR CONSERVATION WHERE PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE COULD LIVE HARMONIOUSLY ALONGSIDE ONE ANOTHER.

TODAY, STEVE’S LEGACY LIVES ON THROUGH THE TIRELESS WORK OF WILDLIFE WARRIORS, THE IRWIN FAMILY AND AUSTRALIA ZOO.

4 AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE WARRIORS

Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Worldwide Ltd was created by Steve and Terri Irwin, as a way to include and involve caring people in the support and conservation of the world’s most threatened wildlife species and natural habitats. Since 2002, Wildlife Warriors from around the world have joined in a global wildlife force to continue their mission and protect injured and endangered wildlife – from the individual animal to an entire species.

The internationally recognised charity is registered in Australia as Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Worldwide and in the United States as Wildlife Warriors USA. As all administration costs for the not-for-profit organisation are covered, 100% of donations go directly towards conservation projects in Australia and abroad.

AUSTRALIA ZOO RESCUE UNIT/AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE HOSPITAL BEERWAHCHEETAH CONSERVATION

CHEETAH OUTREACH, SOUTH AFRICA

RHINO CONSERVATION OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY, KENYA GREY NURSE SHARK CONSERVATION

EAST COAST AUSTRALIA

CROCODILE RESEARCH CAPE YORK, AUSTRALIA

KOALA RESEARCH AUSTRALIA

CAMBODIAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION, CAMBODIA

SUMATRAN TIGER CONSERVATION KERINCI SEBLAT NATIONAL PARK, SUMATRA

TRAFFIC SOUTH-EAST ASIA

AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE WARRIORS 5

Save one, save the species

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ED VULNERABLE: High risk of endangerment in the wild.

ENDANGERED: High risk of extinction in the wild.

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED: Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

Disappearing species

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) uses this scale to classify how threatened certain animal species are.


AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE HOSPITAL BEERWAH

2004-2017

AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE HOSPITAL

Most common animals admitted

33,088

AVIAN

10,491

POSSUM/ GLIDER

8,204

KOALA

4,143

REPTILE

4,363

BAT

75,000

TOTAL ANIMALSADMITTED

AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE HOSPITALCar accidents, domestic animal attacks and habitat destruction are devastating Australia’s native species. As one of the world’s largest and busiest purpose-built wildlife hospitals, the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital works to provide thousands of animals each year with a second chance at life in the wild.

In memory of Steve’s mother Lyn Irwin, a pioneer in wildlife care and rehabilitation, Steve and Terri renovated a small avocado packing shed into a functioning wildlife hospital. Four years later, in November 2008, a brand new state of the art facility was opened to accommodate the increasing demand for wildlife treatment and care. Equipped with a surgical theatre, intensive care units, pathology lab, x-ray room and a dedicated group of experienced wildlife veterinarians and nurses, the 24/7 emergency hospital operates to provide specialised care to sick, injured and orphaned wildlife patients, at no cost to the public.

Source: Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

The Queensland Government helps support the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.

AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE WARRIORS 7 AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE WARRIORS 7 AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE WARRIORS 7

AUSTRALIA ZOO RESCUE UNIT BEERWAH

2010-2017

AUSTRALIA ZOO RESCUE UNIT

30%+

Top reasons for rescue

25%+

CONCERNED PUBLIC

INJURED

33,000+ 5million+

WILDLIFEEMERGENCY

CALLS

KILOMETRESTRAVELLED

10%

HIT BY A CAR

7%

ENTANGLEMENT

Source: Australia Zoo Rescue Unit

AUSTRALIA ZOO RESCUE UNIT The Australia Zoo Rescue Unit travels hundreds of kilometres per day to rescue wildlife in need.

Working closely with the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, the mobile team acts as a wildlife ambulance, transporting sick, injured and orphaned native species reported within South East Queensland to the world-class wildlife facility. The specially trained team rescues everything from sea turtles and sea snakes in the ocean and on beaches, to koalas and birds in the tallest of trees. Our rescue team climb trees, swim, kayak and patiently rescue sick and injured animals from risky positions so they can receive the medical treatment they need to survive inthe wild.

Through the funding of equipment and training, Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors provide the rescue team with the tools they need to get animals to the wildlife hospital in a safe and stress-free way.

2004-2017

AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE HOSPITAL

Top reasons for koala admittance

26%

HIT BY CAR

5%

ORPHAN

9%

DOG ATTACK

43%

DISEASE

8,503

TOTAL KOALAS

ADMITTED

Source: Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital

The Queensland Government helps support the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.


KOALA CONSERVATION AUSTRALIA

KOALA CONSERVATION Despite being one of Australia’s most iconic animals, the koala is under severe threat in the wild. Habitat destruction, road accidents, dog attacks and life-threatening diseases continue to devastate populations. The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital is working to provide koalas with a lifeline.

As Australia’s busiest koala hospital, treating up to 800 koalas from Queensland and northern New South Wales each year, the facility is at the forefront of koala research and conservation. In partnership with universities, the dedicated team of veterinary staff is working to develop advanced diagnostic and treatment strategies as well as long-term solutions to chlamydiosis and retrovirus, diseases decimating koala populations. Through administering a vaccine to hand-raised orphans before their release, the team hope to protect koalas from these deadly diseases so they can live long and healthy lives.

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AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE WARRIORS 9 AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE WARRIORS 9

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GREY NURSE SHARK CONSERVATION The grey nurse shark is one of Australia’s most endangered marine species with as few as 1000 remaining in Australia’s east coast waters. Due to their fierce appearance the species was hunted almost to extinction in the 1950s, but today incidental capture by recreational and commercial fishing is the primary threat facing the population.

Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors proudly support grey nurse shark research conducted by the University of Queensland on the east coast of Australia. Steve Irwin’s purpose-built vessel, Croc One is used on ventures to discover more about their breeding patterns and to try and locate unknown gestation aggregation sites. Through photo-identification studies and satellite tracking, the team work to ensure marine nurseries and critical habitats are recognised and protected, to ultimately reduce fishing activity–grey nurse shark interactions.

GREY NURSE SHARK CONSERVATION EAST-COAST AUSTRALIA

Source: Bansemer & Bennet, 2010

2006-2008

Grey nurse shark effected by fishing gear on Australia’s east coast

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AGGREGATION SITES

113673

SHARKSIDENTIFIED

SHARKS INJURED BYINCIDENTAL HOOKING

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mOURACHAN, ST GEORGE qLD With 117,174 acres of one of the rarest habitat types in Australia, this arid region is home to an array of unique wildlife, including the endangered Queensland subspecies of woma python and the little known yakka skink. The Brigalow Belt is also the westernmost habitat for the vulnerable, yet iconic, koala.

IRONBARK STATION, bLACKBUTT qLDIronbark Station comprises 1,630 acres of prime eucalypt bushland on the Great Dividing Range. This land has undergone extensive reforestation and focuses on habitat preservation and care of marsupials, with particular emphasis on koalas.


CONSERVATION PROPERTIESAustralia Zoo and Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors have proudly attained and now protect over 450,000 acres (over 180,000 hectares) of habitat dedicated solely to conserving wildlife and wild places throughout Queensland.

© Robert Irwin


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STEVE IRWIN WILDLIFE RESERVE CAPE YORK, AUSTRALIA

2017

Biodiversity of Species on the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve

170

BIRDS

48

FISH

47

REPTILES

21

AMPHIBIANS

20

MAMMALS

STEVE IRWIN WILDLIFE RESERVE The Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve in far north Queensland is a protected haven of global importance, with a wealth of wildlife existing across its 35 diverse ecosystems.

In 2008, in recognition of Steve’s contribution to conservation, the Australian Government gifted the 333,000 acres of wilderness to the Irwin family. Just days after the announcement a mining company threatened to destroy it all, calling into action a lease hold over the most sensitive environmental area on the Reserve. No time was wasted; with the tenacity and strength that Terri Irwin is well known for she immediately launched and led the campaign, to not only prevent this from going ahead, but to also protect the Reserve in perpetuity. The Reserve is now a Strategic Environmental Area, affording the Reserve even more protection than the Great Barrier Reef.

Today, the Reserve hosts many research and conservation groups, with the aim to discover more about its unique fauna and flora, and share the importance of conserving habitats for the future of its species.

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DIFFERENT ECOSYSTEMS

2016-2017

Crocodile tracking in the Wenlock River

870km

DREWSize: 14ft 2in

(4.32m)

Source: University of Queensland

277km

BETTY CROCKERSize: 9ft 8in

(2.95m)

983km

WALDOSize: 12ft 3in

(3.75m)

182km

DISCOVERSize: 9ft 1in

(2.77m)

1,034km

BIG DUNCSize: 14ft 10in

(4.29m)

160

CROCODILES WITH TRACKING

DEVICES

2017


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CROCODILE RESEARCH CAPE YORK, AUSTRALIA

CROCODILE RESEARCHWaterways across northern Australia are home to one of the most mysterious and misunderstood predators in the world, the saltwater or estuarine crocodile. In 1996, Steve Irwin began formal crocodilian research using his own capture and study techniques to unlock the secrets of thisancient reptile.

Working in partnership: the University of Queensland, Australia Zoo and Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors continue to make monumental strides in the field using Steve’s techniques. An annual research trip focuses on capturing and tagging estuarine crocodiles in the Wenlock River which runs through the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve. Since 2008, the team have fitted more than 160 crocodiles with acoustic tags, making it the longest and most comprehensive research project on the species ever conducted. The aim of the study is to provide insights into crocodile habits and their movement, to better understand how crocodiles and people can co-exist. If we can keep people safe we will also protect the crocodile.

AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE WARRIORS 13 AUSTRALIA ZOO WILDLIFE WARRIORS 13

CAMBODIAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION CAMBODIA

CAMbODIAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION Habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching and human-elephant conflict are major issues pushing Asian elephants to the brink of extinction.

Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors support the efforts to conserve Cambodia’s Asian elephant population in the Cardamom Mountains. One of only 20 sites globally, this location offers a viable area to sustain such a population in the long term. Through a partnership with Fauna and Flora International, a range of strategies have been developed to assist local communities in mitigating human-elephant conflict, deterring poaching and deforestation, as well as raising appreciation of elephants and their conservation needs. These strategies include creating safe boundaries between villages and elephant habitat by utilising bamboo and beehive fencing, deploying incident response teams with flashlights and noise-makers to deter crop-raiding elephants, as well as establishing education programs in elephant hotspots that would otherwise receive none. As a result, in the last two years there have been no elephants lost to poisoning or poaching in the areas the program operates.

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Source: Fauna and Flora International

2016

Asian Elephant Conservation in Cambodia

<600

CAMBODIA’S ASIAN ELEPHANT

POPULATION

73

FARMERS SUPPORTED

20

VILLAGE GUARDING

GROUPS

5,600km

ELEPHANT HABITAT

SURVEYED

3

EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAMS

1900-2017

World cheetah population

100k

1890

40k

1950

6.6k

2017

18k

2000


CHEETAH CONSERVATION SOUTH AFRICA

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CHEETAH CONSERVATIONDespite their status as the fastest land mammal on earth, cheetahs are running out of time with as few as 6,600 remaining in the wild.

Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors work in partnership with Cheetah Outreach to eliminate conflict between South Africa’s farmers and wild cheetah. Unfortunately, when a predator threatens a farmer’s livestock, they also threaten the farmer’s livelihood. Through Anatolian Livestock Guarding Dog Program, farmers are provided with a non-lethal solution to manage predators. Since inception in 2005, the program has placed more than 250 guardians dogs on farmlands. This has resulted in a vast reduction in livestock losses, consequently reducing cheetah-human conflict.

Through covering the costs of placing the guardian dogs, as well as providing food and veterinary treatment for the first 12 months, more farmers can partake in the program and observe its success before taking on the care of animal. In return, the farmers work with the team on the ground to report injured cheetah, and help facilitate their care and conservation in the area.

2005-2017

Livestock Guarding Dog Program in South Africa

Source: AWF and Cheetah Outreach

358,326ha

PREDATOR-FRIENDLY FARMLAND

257

LIVESTOCK GUARDING DOGS PLACED

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RHINO CONSERVATIONRhinos are under extreme threat due to illegal poaching to source rhino horn.

Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors proudly support rhino conservation in partnership with the largest black rhino sanctuary in east Africa, Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The 90,000 acre conservancy works to safeguard and grow a population of over 100 critically endangered black rhinos, more than 30 southern white rhinos and the world’s last remaining two northern white rhinos. Through deploying armed anti-poaching patrols, a specially trained K-9 unit, and extensive surveillance equipment, the conservancy is taking steps to ensure other species don’t succumb to the same fate as the northern white rhino.

Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors support the Conservancy in strengthening these security measures and creating better living conditions for the team on the ground. Initiatives such as the construction of housing blocks around the Conservancy provide rangers with safe places to rest, improve response times in emergencies, and better equip the team for the demanding and dangerous job of protecting rhinos from poachers.


RHINO CONSERVATION OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY, KENYA

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Source: Ol Pejeta Conservancy

2 32 90,000ac 7 10 10

WILDLIFE PROTECTION

SQUADS

ARMED GUARDS

PROTECTED AREA

K-9 UNIT INFRA-RED CAMERAS

RANGER HOUSING BLOCKS

2017

Rhino Conservation in Ol Pejeta Conservancy

SUMATRAN TIGER CONSERVATION KERINCI SEBLAT NATIONAL PARK SUMATRA

SUMATRAN TIGER CONSERVATIONIn the last 60 years the world has lost three sub-species of tiger; the Balinese, Caspian and Javanese tigers. With continuous habitat destruction, poaching and prey depletion, the Sumatran tiger could be next in line with fewer than 350 remaining in the wild.

Working in partnership with Fauna and Flora International, Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors support one of five national parks in Asia where tiger numbers are increasing, Sumatra’s Kerinci Seblat National Park. The program’s success is contributed to the tireless work of the Tiger Protection and Conservation Units (TPCUs) and the engagement of the local community. The TPCUs conduct forest patrols to disable snares, perform wildlife rescues and execute law enforcement actions against wildlife criminals. The establishment of community-managed park-edge forests and information networks has helped create a buffer-zone of more than 40,000 hectares surrounding the national park to protect critical tiger habitat and assisted in collecting evidence for investigations that have led to the arrests of prominent wildlife criminals.


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Sumatran Tiger Protection in Kerinci Seblat National Park

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RANGERS

1.38m ha

FOREST PATROL AREA

1,395

CONDUCTED FOOT PATROLS

39 60

LAW ENFORCEMENT

ACTIONS

ARRESTS AND PROSECUTIONS

412

DISABLED TIGER SNARES

Source: Fauna and Flora International

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TRAFFIC SOUTH-EAST ASIA


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TRAFFIC IN SOUTH-EAST ASIAWith an estimated value of $7 to 23 billion annually, the illegal wildlife trade threatens endangered species around the globe. Southeast Asia is a hotspot for the illegal wildlife trade. Poachers and traders use this area to buy, sell and move product due it’s abundance of wildlife and remote location, which provides windows for illegal product to be moved without detection. TRAFFIC is a monitoring organisation providing evidence to close these windows.

Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors has assisted TRAFFIC by contributing to multiple investigations leading to arrests and ongoing staff positions that allow them to uncover illegal activity, as well as education programs to teach the community about the importance of conservation. Through its programs, TRAFFIC aims to reduce the demand for wildlife parts and products, in turn, eliminating the market that fuels poaching and trafficking activities.

© Robert Irwin

Sources: TRAFFIC 2018

2006-2015

Wildlife products traded between Africa and Asia

1,393,003 individuals

LIVE

1,558,794 items

SKINS

2,009,377 kgs

MEAT

YOU CAN HELP US KEEP STEVE’S DREAM ALIVEAustralia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Worldwide invites you to make a difference in wildlife conservation, habitat preservation and the protection of the environment by supporting the work started by Steve and Terri Irwin. We seek sponsors and partners whose values align with our mission and who can help us implement our global wildlife conservation programs.

YOU CAN HELP US KEEP STEVE’S DREAM ALIVEAustralia Zoo Wildlife Warriors Worldwide invites you to make a difference in wildlife conservation, habitat preservation and the protection of the environment by supporting the work started by Steve and Terri Irwin. We seek sponsors and partners whose values align with our mission and who can help us implement our global wildlife conservation programs.

“It is so important for us to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, as Wildlife WarrIors, protectIng our incredible wIldlIfe and wIld places for future generatIons. I invIte you to join us as a partner and continue steve’s dream.”

TERRI IRWIN

“It is so important for us to stand together, shoulder to shoulder, as Wildlife WarrIors, protectIng our incredible wIldlIfe and wIld places for future generatIons. I invIte you to join us as a partner and continue steve’s dream.”

TERRI IRWIN

For more information about becoming a partner or donor, please contact a member of our team.

Australia Zoo Wildlife Warriors PO Box 29Beerwah, Qld, Australia 4519P +61 7 5436 2026 E [email protected]

Wildlife Warriors USA Po Box 11347Eugene, OR 97440P +1-541-687-4788 E [email protected] 4

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continuing steve’s dream - australia zoo...involve caring people in the support and conservation...

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