GlobalGiving.org: Help Save Victimized Wildlife

Gibbon Update at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Cente

Beth Eisenstaedt — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 23:46:15 GMT

On November 17, 2011, a baby gibbon was born in the rehabilitation area at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center. The baby was born to a recently introduced pair of gibbons, but the female was very nervous and not expected to breed. Luckily, a healthy baby was born to her and she and her mate are now proud parents!

One of our main objectives with our Care for Rescued Wildlife program is to eventually reintroduce rescued animals to the wild. Other than animals that will require lifetime care, any animals that can be successfully weaned from their dependence on and familiarity with humans are intended for release. We have more than 60 gibbons at PTWRC, most of whom have been rescued, then hand-raised by humans and therefore unsuitable for release. However, all baby gibbons born at PTWRC are mother-raised. Other than the newest addition to our gibbon population, there are 3 other baby gibbons, 2 males and 1 female that have been mother-raised and therefore less accepting of humans. We hope that within a year, a pair of these gibbons would be able to be taken to a release site to start the process of reintroduction. They are currently wary of humans and kept in a 1 hectare (approx. 2.5 acre), well-treed enclosure where they are becoming more and more remote. A successful release of a pair of gibbons would help us fulfill our ultimate goal of reintroduction of wildlife.

Avian Flu - Swift Action Helped Avert Disaster

Michael Zwirn — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:00:53 GMT

Ibises lakeside

Avian influenza – “bird flu” – is one of the most terrifying diseases in Asia. Strains of the H5N1 virus have probably existed for thousands of years, but periodic mutations can lead to widespread deaths of not only birds, but people and other animals as well, including cat species.

In 2003-2004, a massive outbreak of bird flu caused the deaths of hundreds of birds at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, and also caused illnesses in the rescued cat species, including tigers, and other large cats – the first time the disease was ever found to affect felines. In 2011, bird flu has return to Cambodia. Eight people have been reported dead across the country in the past several months, and birds at Phnom Tamao have also fallen ill and died. This time, however, our Care for Rescued Wildlife program staff are better prepared, and are responding accordingly.

On July 12, 2011, the first bird deaths attributed to the most recent outbreak of avian influenza were reported - two spotted wood owls. The bodies of the dead birds were sent to the Cambodian government laboratory for testing animal disease, and they came back positive for H5N1. Other birds on Lakeside and in Quarantine died. The outbreak continued for around five days. In total, our staff found 55 birds at Phnom Tamao that died in the five-day span, including storks, greater and lesser adjutants, pelicans, and several owl species. More migratory or semi-resident birds surely died as well, with populations of lesser adjutants, painted storks, and spot-billed pelicans in significant decline.

Although tragic, this outbreak has so far been nowhere near as damaging as the first in 2003-2004. Wildlife Alliance and Forestry Administration officials took immediate action and were able to contain the disease. The section of Phnom Tamao housing the birds was closed down and disinfectant was sprayed in the relevant areas. Tires of vehicles were also disinfected and only essential staff were allowed to enter the infected areas. From a conservation perspective, the saddest loss is the two endangered greater adjutants, but the most threatened animals, like Sarus cranes, were transferred further away to minimize the risk of disease transmission.

The source of the illness is surely in local farms. We had been told that the disease was hitting local poultry farms in Takeo province, which is undoubtedly where the most recent outbreak originated.

While the initial spasm of bird deaths occurred in a very rapid period of a few days, there have been further bird deaths at PTWRC after the main outbreak. On July 20^th a black-crowned night heron died in the Waterbird Aviary. On July 22^nd a lesser adjutant was found at Lakeside and on July 31^st a woolly-necked stork died in the Aviary. We are also closely monitoring the number of the semi-migratory birds which return each year to Phnom Tamao’s lakeside area from their breeding grounds. We see that spot-billed pelicans and painted stork numbers have dropped drastically, demonstrating the widespread severity and ease of transmission of the disease.

To ensure the safety of the people and animals at Phnom Tamao, Wildlife Alliance is working with the Forestry Administration to continue to implement bio-safety protocols throughout the Rescue Center – monitoring incoming animals carefully and isolating them in Quarantine, feeding the large cats only poultry from known reliable sources, and disinfecting vehicles and people who are working with the birds in our Aviary.

Nick Marx, director of the Care for Rescued Wildlife program, feels strongly that the source of the outbreaks is the poor management of domestic poultry. He says, "This terrible disease will continue to ravage both wild and domestic bird populations until we keep our poultry more humanely, dispose of dead bodies more efficiently and behave more responsibly when disease does strike rather than selling hens on before they succumb to the illness. ...and perhaps be prepared to pay a little more for our food." He also notes that, "None of the fowl at Phnom Tamao suffered from this outbreak - peafowl, jungle fowl or pheasants. This indicates that these birds are actually less susceptible than raptors, pelicans, cranes, storks, and hornbills."

Caring for rescued wild animals is not an easy business, and death is an unfortunate part of the job. We are grateful for the many individual and institutional supporters of our Care for Rescued Wildlife program, whose gifts enable us to respond to wildlife emergencies like the bird flu outbreak. To support our Care for Rescued Wildlife program please donate now.

Baby Adjutant

Spot-billed Eagle Owl

Sarus Crane

Links:

Nick Marx: A Life’s Work Saving Endangered Animals

Michael Zwirn — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 20:25:45 GMT

Wildlife rescue director Nick Marx has devoted his life to saving endangered animals – from his roots in Great Britain, he has worked in South Africa, India, and Cambodia, running Wildlife Alliance’s Care for Rescued Wildlife program for the past ten years.

In this brand-new video, Nick offers a sense of his personal commitment to endangered wildlife, while showcasing some of the 1000 animals under his care at Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center. It’s clear that for Nick, caring for wildlife is more than job — it’s a passion that has shaped his life since he was a boy. Each of the rescued animals at Phnom Tamao, from elephants to gibbons, represents a second chance for the wildlife species of Southeast Asia that have been reduced to a tiny fraction of their historic populations. Nick knows that more needs to be done — but inside Cambodia, our work means the difference between life and death for these animals. In many cases, these animals or their offspring will be returned to the wild — replenishing populations driven to the verge of extinction due to poaching and wildlife trafficking. As Nick sees it, “People that know us, and know me, know that we do a good job. They see what can be done — with a little bit of money, and a lot of hard work and passion.”

Links:

Video: Nick Marx, Inside Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center

UPDATE: Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release Station - New Releases!

Michael Zwirn — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:19:34 GMT

Binturong in release station

Our Care for Rescued Wildlife program pledges lifelong support for rescued wildlife if needed, but our goal whenever possible is to release healthy animals back into their native forest habitat. How does this all happen?

The key infrastructure to make this possible is at our remote Wildlife Rehabilitation Station in the Cardamom Mountains. There, we bring animals after their rescue and rehabilitation in preparation for release, and continually monitor their health. In the first quarter of the year, Wildlife Rescue director Nick Marx monitored the previously released porcupines, parakeets, and hill mynahs - all were staying nearby, but no longer dependent on food. The previously released greater coucal has not been seen in months. He was a capable bird, we could do no more for him and we have to hope he has survived and moved on to another site.

In January we took five more injured porcupines that could not be released immediately to the Rehabilitation Station. They recovered and were soon ready to go. The Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team confiscated 22 long-tailed macaques from traders in February. Most of these were too young for release but we took them to the Rehabilitation Station where they will mature before release. Although they came from the wild and are still very frightened of people, we must hope they do not become too accustomed to human visitors during their time with us.

Towards the end of February, Wildlife Alliance’s veterinarian, wildlife biologist, and Wildlife Rescue Director Nick Marx traveled to fit radio collars on our pair of binturongs that we took down almost exactly one year ago. They had a baby last year, and we hoped to release the family as a group, as the youngster is still only around six months old.

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Station is ideal for releasing animals. The forest is alive with birds and a tiny sunbird couple has built a nest in the small clump of brush besides the WRS camp, a long beak poking out of the untidy cluster indicating someone was home. It is a tranquil environment - protected from hunting and habitat encroachment, and monitored continually by a group of wildlife specialists.

We fitted the collars to the “bintys” and had returned to the daily grind “up country” when Mr. Goeurn, one of our staff members at WRS, notified our wildlife biologist that more baby binturongs had been born. This seemed to be a little soon after the first, but we could do nothing about it. The binturong release had been delayed for too long already, so on March 7th our staff traveled to Chi Phat, just before the start of the heavy seasonal rains. The skies opened up and the truck got stuck when we left the main road. Outside of the rehabilitation enclosure, we set up two camera traps graciously lent to us from the Wildlife Conservation Society, opened the cage slide door and returned to camp to cook an evening meal.

The next morning the male and older baby were sitting on branches just beside the enclosure, the female was in her nesting barrel with her new babies. A second check on the binturongs during the day revealed that the mother had left the enclosure. By nightfall she had not returned. I was worried about the new infants, only around three weeks old, but we did not interfere. The following morning our worries were over. Mother had returned to care for her babies.

We had fitted the binturongs with radio collars to track their health and whereabouts. The collars we fitted give us two options for tracking the animals: One is regular VHF monitoring using an antenna to follow the signal. The second is by GSM, whereby the binturongs’ positions are downloaded and sent to us by email each day. The idea is not necessarily to see the animals firsthand – this is usually impossible in dense forest – but to know they are moving around and coping.

The way points we have received reveal that the female has not gone far from the enclosure and her new babies. The male has been moving around a little further afield. We have not seen the first born youngster as our camera traps are not functioning properly. However he may well be returning at night to eat the food that we are putting inside the cage for them all, some of which is disappearing. There have been some heavy downpours and the rainy season is just starting in Koh Kong, but binturongs don’t seem to care rain, preferring to remain in the tree tops whatever the weather rather than take shelter. It is an ideal time for release. There is an abundance of wild forest fruit available at present so there is every chance that our captive born bintys, mother, older baby and his father, who has now circled around in a radius of around 1km and returned close to the enclosure, will be fine.

We have shipped a new batch of camera traps and memory cards from the United States to improve our ability to monitor the released wild animals. Between camera traps, radio collaring, visual observation, and other assessments, we will be able to ensure the best possible life for all the animals we have rescued, cared for, rehabilitated, and released.

Baby Binty

Camara trap picture of male binty

Camara trap picture of mother with babies

Links:

Sambo the Elephant Passes Away in Cambodia

Suwanna Gauntlett — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:42:39 GMT

Dear Friends,

In an unexpected tragedy, Sambo the elephant passed away after a protracted illness from complications following a routine veterinary procedure.

Sambo was saved from a certain death sentence late last year after he killed several people in the village where he lived as a domesticated elephant. The enraged bull elephant was terrorizing a village in Cambodia’s Kompong Speu province and was coming into dangerous conflict with fearful villagers.

Had the situation persisted, Sambo would have been killed without doubt. However, thanks to the efforts of the Cambodian government’s Forestry Administration and Wildlife Alliance, Sambo was captured and transported to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, a Forestry Administration-run facility that cares for rescued animals. Thanks to your generosity, Wildlife Alliance was able to take the lead in rescuing Sambo, gathering the necessary equipment and overseeing the operation to move the dangerous elephant to a new home.

Saving Sambo from a very dangerous situation that likely would have resulted in both his death and the death of more Cambodian villagers in December was a tremendous collaborative effort.

Unfortunately, the ordeal affected Sambo dramatically and he was unable to eat and get the necessary nutrients. He was eventually convinced to consume fruit laden with antibiotics, and his appetite returned. He seemed well on his way to recovery, but a routine intervention proved too much for Sambo.

He died in February in Forestry Administration care at the rescue center. All of us at Wildlife Alliance are heartbroken by the news.

Consider honoring Sambo by following the progress of other elephants and wildlife at Phnom Tamao Rescue Center. We are grateful for your support, which ensured Sambo spent the last few months of his life cared for and loved.

Thanks,

Suwanna Gauntlett

Sambo the "Rogue Elephant" Successfully Rescued!

Juliane Diamond — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 16:30:35 GMT

Sambo

Dear Friends,

I’m pleased to update you on the status of Sambo, the “rogue elephant” whom Wildlife Alliance has successfully rescued and brought to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, thanks to the support of generous donors like you.

Sambo’s safe capture on December 15th was only the beginning of the challenge. The rescue and transport on Christmas Day 2010 was an ordeal, but despite great technical obstacles, Sambo was sedated, guided into a purpose-built cage, and lifted by crane onto a flatbed truck - in the middle of a rice paddy! Our Chief Communications Officer, John Maloy, documented the entire rescue and transport in photography and narrative for Wildlife Alliance’s field blog. I invite you to read his documentation of the eventful evening on our website.

Sambo is a full-grown, 50-year old male elephant standing more than three meters tall and weighing five tons. Since he is a known killer who was reportedly mistreated in captivity, improving his demeanor and behavior will take years. But we are already seeing positive first steps. The Phnom Penh Post reports on January 3, 2011 that “Sambo’s health has improved, and his temper and stress have decreased in captivity.” According to veterinarian Nhim Ty, “I am very pleased that Sambo has now become a kind and good elephant again, and his stress or temper now have been released from his mind.”

According to Wildlife Alliance’s Wildlife Rescue Director - Nick Marx, Sambo is comfortable in his temporary enclosure at Phnom Tamao. He will need a long-term dedicated enclosure, but it will be cheaper to construct a new enclosure for the 3 females behind our existing elephant enclosures. Building these additional enclosures and continuing to work with Sambo to ensure his happiness and wellbeing are our next steps.

But as you are aware this will be an ongoing story and therefore we encourage you follow Wildlife Alliance’s field blog, Twitter feed @wildliferescue, and Facebook page for the latest news on Sambo, Chhouk, the other rescued elephants under our care, and all our programs in forest and wildlife protection.

Please feel free to be in touch with me if you have any questions or comments. Thank you once again for your generous support!

Sincerely,

Juliane Diamond

Sambo on truck

Sambo at Phnom Tamao

Links:

Photo narrative of Sambo rescue

Rogue Elephant Emergency Update

Juliane Diamond — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:38:47 GMT

Ele Rescue

Dear Friends,

On December 8th we told you about Sambo, an Asian bull elephant that escaped captivity and turned violent. Since then Wildlife Alliance has been forging ahead to subdue, rescue and prepare a new home for the elephant before he was injured or harmed anyone else.

I wanted to give you a quick update on our progress and send a thank you to everyone who has recently donated toward our Help Save Victimized Cambodian Wildlife program.

Earlier this month Sambo killed his owner and then fled into the forest, only to return to devour rice from fields that were nearly ready for harvesting. His proximity to the village and the threat to crops put him on a collision course with terrified local residents.

Action was taken last week to prevent further harm in the tense situation when Wildlife Alliance and the Elephants Livelihood Initiative Environment (ELIE) assisted the Cambodian Forestry Administration in subduing the elephant. Sambo has been calmed and is now confined to a rice field until arrangements can be made to transport him to a more permanent home.

For the last week, elephant keepers from ELIE have been working to keep Sambo calm until he is moved to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center. Located outside the capital of Phnom Penh, Phnom Tamao is home to hundreds of wild animals rescued from the wildlife trade or too domesticated to release into the wild. The government-run center, which receives support from Wildlife Alliance, is already home to five Asian elephants.

In preparation for that move, a firm in Phnom Penh is constructing a large steel cage that will be used to transport Sambo by truck from his current location to Phnom Tamao. Crews are already busy reinforcing the barriers of an elephant enclosure at the rescue center that will serve as Sambo’s home.

This week’s transport operation may prove to be a tricky one depending on how cooperative Sambo is.
Sambo is currently in musth—a periodic condition in bull elephants that is often accompanied by highly aggressive behavior. Musth periods are not well understood, but it is hoped that when Sambo comes through the other end of this cycle that he will be a far more docile creature.

Wildlife Alliance’s Care for Rescued Wildlife manager Nick Marx is overseeing Sambo’s move to his future home:

“We will walk him into the cage if we can and then lift the cage onto the truck,” Nick said. “But if we cannot do this then we will have to sedate him and lift him into the cage—this is what I’m worried about.”

At Phnom Tamao, it is hoped that Sambo’s proximity to the other elephants will have a calming effect.

With a new home just in time for the New Year, we are hopeful he will begin 2011 happily under Wildlife Alliance’s care.

We will make sure to keep you up to date on the developments with Sambo as he makes his move and adjusts to life at Phnom Tamao. In the meantime though please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and keep an eye on our blog for timely information regarding this and other critical events.

Thank you again for your much needed support. We at Wildlife Alliance wish you the best for the Holiday Season and the New Year.

Sincerely,

Juliane Diamond

Emergency Asian Elephant Rescue

Juliane Diamond — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 16:41:00 GMT

Swimming Elephant

Dear Friends,

I hope you are having a lovely Holiday Season.

I wanted to tell you of an urgent situation in which we must act immediately to save the life of an elephant and protect communities.

We were just informed of an older bull elephant in Kompong Speu Province, Cambodia, that has escaped from captivity and turned violent. It has killed two people and is roaming the countryside. Villagers are increasingly inclined to kill the elephant to protect their families.

The Cambodian Forestry Administration has asked us to rescue the elephant and bring it to Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, where it would come under our Care for Rescued Wildlife program headed by Nick Marx. This amounts to a race against the clock to save the life of the elephant and protect the local community.

We wanted to alert you to this emergency situation. You have helped to make our Care for Rescued Wildlife program a great success by donating to Help Save Victimized Cambodian Wildlife through Global Giving. We sincerely appreciate your involvement and hope you enjoy hearing about our on-the-ground response to crises like this one.

We understand that taking on the care of another elephant is a substantial financial burden. We will need to build a new enclosure, increase our feeding budget, and provide veterinary care over the course of the elephant’s life -- but we feel that the need to protect the elephant and the community is just too urgent.

To keep up with this story, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or our blog. If you are interested in helping us cover the costs of this elephant, and the other rescued animals under our care, please visit Global Giving’s Help Save Victimized Cambodian Wildlife page.

Please feel free to contact me at diamond@wildlifealliance.org with any questions or comments.

Warmest regards,

Juliane Diamond

Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team Saves Animals from Illegal Trafficking

Nadia Miller — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 19:07:26 GMT

Leopard Cat

Last week the Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team rescued 2 Burmese Pythons, 6 Giant Asian Pond Turtles, 383 Geckos, and a leopard cat. The geckos, turtles, and pythons, as well as 25 additional pythons from the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center were released into the wild in the Koh Kong Province. The leopard cat is now being cared for at the rescue center. Great job WRRT!

Links:

Check Out Our Wildlife Rescue Blog!

Attend a Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Event!

Nadia Miller — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:28:22 GMT

Join us for our Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation events in Houston, New York, DC, Los Angeles, and San Francisco this September! Show your support for Wildlife Alliance and meet Nick Marx, Wildlife Rescue Director, on his annual trip to the U.S. to talk about his work protecting and caring for species victimized by the illegal wildlife trade; as well as the entire scope of Wildlife Alliance's projects in Southeast Asia. We hope to see you at an event, and please feel free to bring a friend and spread the word about our vital conservations programs. Please click on the link below for more details!

Links:

Summary of Wildlife Alliance's events this September

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Newsletter, Issue 2

Nick Marx — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:13:43 GMT

Please view the attached Wildlife Rescue Newsletter to read updates on caring and rehabilitating animals that have been victimized by illegal wildlife trade in Cambodia. Thank you for your support!

Attachments:

Wildlife Rescue Newsletter, Issue 2 (PDF)

Plastic leg returned an elephant to full health

BBC News — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:07:54 GMT

More coverage of our favorite elephant celebrity - Chhouk! A nice video piece by the BBC.

Links:

Watch the video about Chhouk's full recovery!

Pictures of Quarantine Area of Rescue Center

Nick Marx — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:23:28 GMT

Roofs in need of repair

Hello from Cambodia!

It is busy here at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center! We have been hard at work fixing the enclosures in the quarantine area so that the animals are protected from the elements and can get healthy and hopefully be returned back to the wild!

Attached are pictures of the roofs that are starting to fall apart due to the extreme weather in Cambodia.

As always, thank you so much for your support! If you are interested in continuing your support, this Wednesday, June 16th is GlobalGiving's Matching Day, where they will match every gift 50% for up to $1,000!

Cheers, Nick Marx Wildlife Rescue Director

Roofs in need of repair

Support Chhouk by Voting for Wildlife Alliance!

Nadia Miller — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:31:10 GMT

Wildlife Alliance Photo Entry

Dear Friends,

As I am sure many of you already know, Wildlife Alliance is a finalist in Global Giving's photo contest! The winner of the contest will win $1,000 and be highlighted on Global Giving's homepage on bonus day, June 16.

Wildlife Alliance's photo is of Chhouk and Lucky enjoying a swim. Recently Chhouk developed an abscess on his leg due to wearing a small prosthesis while his new “shoe” was being repaired. Chhouk is being treated and doing well. Chhouk is a growing boy and he continues to outgrow his prosthetic foot in addition to the wear and tear you can imagine an elephant would put on it! To ensure that Chhouk will have a properly fitting shoe as he grows, we appreciate continued support from generous people such as you.

Photo Contest Rules: * Voting is open to anyone on Facebook and individuals can vote by clicking "like" on the photo that they want to support. * Each person can only vote for each photo one time, but can vote for as many photos as they would like to support. * The photo with the most "likes" overall wins the $1,000 cash prize and is featured on the GlobalGiving homepage on bonus day, June 16. The photo with the most "likes" in the remaining four regions will each be featured for one day on the GlobalGiving homepage and will be highlighted in the GlobalGiving's social media efforts. * Voting runs through Friday, 11 June at 5pm EST.

Thank you for all of your support!

Sincerely, The Wildlife Alliance Team

Links:

Latest Care for Rescued Wildlife Newsletter

Nick Marx — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:50:38 GMT

Hello Friends!

My latest newsletter on Wildlife Alliance's Care for Rescued Wildlife program is now available and attached below.

Thank you again for all of your support!

Cheers, Nick Marx

Attachments:

CRW Newsletter Spring 2010 (PDF)

Wildlife Alliance Assists in Saving 126 Rare Turtles

Nadia Miller — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:05:31 GMT

At the end of last month, Wildlife Alliance and its Wildlife Rapid Rescue Team helped intercept a truck holding 126 endangered turtles! Please read the attached article about the great work of the rangers and the lucky turtles that will recuperate at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center and be quickly released back into the wild.

Sincerely,

Nadia Miller

Remember to vote in support of Wildlife Alliance in Global Giving's photo contest! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/photo.php?pid=4200757&id=5878048748

Links:

Truck intercepted with a load of 126 rare turtles

The Plight of Cambodia's Primates

Nadia Miller — Mon, 17 May 2010 17:21:59 GMT

According to the Wildlife Alliance more than 90 percent of primate species in Cambodia are at risk for extinction. Thousands of them are sold every year as pets, for food or for use in medical experiments. The widespread destruction of the primate's natural habitat, mostly by illegal logging, is also reducing their numbers.

Cambodia's tropical forests are home to 10 known species of primates, including monkeys, gibbons and long-tailed macaques.

During Cambodia's long years of civil war the country's forests were often out of bounds to poachers and loggers. This enabled the primate population to flourish.

But in recent years the number of primates in Cambodia has fallen sharply as thousands are poached each year, mainly for sale in the illegal wildlife trade.

Roth Bunthoeun is the head biologist at the Cambodian government's Forestry Administration.

"Most species of primates are facing big problems in Cambodia now. They're being heavily hunted. In the old days people used to go and set snares just to catch tigers and bears. But now that those species are becoming harder to find, more and more people are going into the forests to hunt primates."

Nick Marx is the manager of Wildlife Alliance's Primate Rescue Programme in Cambodia. He says the illegal wildlife trade is making local primates' lives very difficult.

"They're eaten in certain countries, including Cambodia. They're also used for experiments—long-tailed macaques are used in experiments in the west. There's a trade for them there. Pirated gibbons, adults will be shot, and the babies will be taken and used as pets, sold as pets. The illegal wildlife trade is decimating populations of all species and is extremely cruel."

In 2000 the Wildlife Alliance in partnership with the Cambodian government set up the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre to rescue and rehabilitate primates and other endangered animals.

Covering an area of more than 2,200 hectares, the rescue center cares for more than 1,000 victims of the illegal wildlife trade, including Asian elephants and other threatened species like Asian tiger.

The center also runs Cambodia's only dedicated primate rescue and rehabilitation program which currently cares for more than 400 primates.

On arrival, the primates are kept in quarantine for 40 days to make sure that they are disease-free before they mingle with other animals. But the main aim is to prepare the animals for their re-release into the wild.

The Phnom Tamao rescue center has reintroduced more than three thousand primates since it opened in 2000. But Marx says with thousands more being depleted every year, it's an uphill battle.

"The situation for all wildlife, including primates, is becoming serious with deforestation and with trade, with expanding human populations. And it depends on how strongly governments and conservation organizations work as to whether they're successful in conserving primates and other species."

For CRI, I am Li Dong.

Links:

Text and Link to Listen to Radio Broadcast

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center on ABC!

Dan Harris — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:47:35 GMT

We’re delighted that Dan Harris of ABC News had the chance to visit our wildlife rescue and care programs in Cambodia. Yesterday and today, ABC’s Nightline featured our work at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center, including rescued elephants Chhouk and Lucky, tigers, sun bears, and gibbons.

Please visit ABC’s website (http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/video/wild--10294740) to watch this six-minute sequence –please tell your friends about the work you’ve been supporting through your contributions and membership!

Thanks for your support of Wildlife Alliance and all of its programs - and please continue your generous support to ensure animals like you've seen in this video continue to benefit from Wildlife Alliance's work.

Links:

ABC News coverage of the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Center

Rescue Newsletter Issue 4

Nick Marx — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:24:19 GMT

Latest Edition!!

The Winter issue of The Rescue Newsletter is available for download, written by our Wildlife Rescue Director, Nick Marx.

In this issue...

*Read about the Cambodian School of Prosthetics and Orthotics visit to fit Chhouk with his new foot *Get front-line details of the leopard skin bust near the Phnom Kulen National Park *Meet Senior Head Keeper, Try Sitheng *...and more!

Thank you for being part of our Rescue Family! Your questions and comments are welcome at info@wildlifealliance.org

Attachments:

Rescue Newsletter Issue 4 (PDF)

Phnom Tamao site visit

Bill Brower — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:22:11 GMT

Bill Brower is a Field Program Officer with GlobalGiving who is visiting our projects throughout Southeast Asia. On January 29th he visited Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center outside the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

Nick, the extremely hands-on Program Manager for Wildlife Alliance, knows how to impress. This was the scene literally within a couple of minutes of my arrival at Phnom Tamao: http://www.youtube.com/user/GlobalGiving#p/u/0/Tt0zrJmfwuY I’ve seen elephants in zoos and as rides at tourist traps before but to have them come right up to me like that was a thrill. I trusted Nick wouldn’t put me in a dangerous situation, but my heart couldn’t help but race having an animal of that size coming right up to me (though I think actually my Pepsi was in greater danger than I was).

But it’s not all just for show. Nick showed me a well run facility for caring for rescued wildlife and educating the public. And to talk to Nick, looking very much the part of the protector of wildlife, for one minute is to know his love for and devotion to his job and the animals. They have worked for about a decade to replace the original small cages with large enclosures, appropriate to each species. À la Jurassic Park, the cages are big enough that you don’t instantly see the healthy-looking animals within. And Phnom Tamao has it all: Asian black bears lounging in the sun, gibbons calling out for all to hear, creeping crawling crocodiles, loads of birds, otters doing back-flips.

Driven by the lucrative Chinese medicine market in the region, exotic appetites of Cambodia’s nouveaux riches, the pet trade and the destruction of natural habitats, there is unfortunately a thriving animal trade market and abundance of vulnerable animals in Cambodia. As I wrote about as part of a recent blog (http://blog.globalgiving.org/2010/02/06/a-tougher-sell/), Wildlife Alliance has a harder time raising funds for animals less captivating and familiar than elephants and tigers. Your donation helps them to sustain their efforts as the preeminent rescue center in Cambodia that never turns away any animal that shows up at their gate. Thanks!

Links:

Close encounters of the pachyderm kind

Care for Rescued Wildlife Year End Report

Nick Marx — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:59:29 GMT

Please read about our sucesses and challenges over the past year at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center in the attached PDF. Thank you!

Attachments:

PTWRC Year End Report (PDF)

Thanks To Your Generosity We Reached Our Goal!

Nadia Miller — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:49:58 GMT

We here at Wildlife Alliance would like to thank all of you who generously donated to us through GlobalGiving, allowing us to reach our goal and to permanently receive a spot with GlobalGiving. Now we will be able to reach and educate more people of our efforts to protect wildlife and the lands they live on.

Big Thanks

Nick Marx — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:12:15 GMT

Chouk, Lucky, and the Team

Thank you to everyone who has given to our Care for Rescued Wildlife project - your generosity is greatly helping the animals under our care. I want to ask for your help in spreading the word - we still need to raise $95 by midnight TONIGHT 12/21 (EST) to gain a permanent spot on GlobalGiving. Many thanks for all of your help!

Besties Lucky and Chouk try out the new pool made just for Chouk

Care For Rescued Wildlife Newsletter

Nick Marx — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:41:10 GMT

Please see the attached “Rescue E-Newsletter” for photographs and updates about animals recently rescued who are being cared for at the Rescue Center, including black bear cubs, a baby sambar deer, and Bengal monitors.

Please see the attached PDF

Attachments:

CRW_newsletter_Issue3_final.pdf (PDF)