Dear Supporter,

Dear Supporter,

6 October 2003. Talk at the Royal Institution

The Wilderness Trust and the Wild Camel Protection Foundation are jointly
organising an evening talk (7.00 p.m.) at the Royal Institution, 21 Albemarle
Street, Piccadilly, London on Monday, October 6th. I have been asked to give an
hour’s talk on ‘A Desert Wilderness - Last Refuge of the Wild Camel.’ This is
a fund-raising event for both charities. Seating is limited and tickets are
£25 each. The evening has been sponsored by the insurance company AXA Investment
Managers which will underwrite the cost of hiring the Royal Institution and
providing refreshments. There will also be a fund-raiding auction for both
charities and the WCPF is putting forward for auction a bronze of a dromedary
camel by sporting artist John King. United Kingdom members will very shortly be
sent an invitation to the event. If any UK members want additional tickets could
they please email Kate Rae stating how many more tickets they would like.
Also if any overseas members would like an invitation could they please urgently
email Kate Rae and give an address.

As The Wilderness Trust made the initial approach to the WCPF, it may be of
interest to members to learn something about this worthwhile charity:

The Wilderness Trust

Sir Laurens van der Post and Dr Ian Player, founder of The World Wilderness
Congress movement, established The Wilderness Trust (TWT) in 1974. TWT is
dedicated to preserving the world’s last remaining wild areas. This preservation is
done by lobbying, education and, wherever possible, by offering direct
experience of wilderness itself.

Wilderness journeys arranged by the TWT into wild areas involve walking
trails led by qualified guides who are deeply committed to the concept of
wilderness. They emphasise the importance of both personal solitude and togetherness,
the richness of an undisturbed natural environment and man’s ancestral links to
it. TWT uses wilderness for developing character, self-esteem and leadership
skills, particularly for young people from under-privileged, inner city
backgrounds.

TWT promotes the value of wilderness to all, particularly through schools,
youth clubs and other institutions. It aims to influence potential leaders
among youth and decision-takers from the world of business and politics. TWT works
closely with its partners, The Wilderness Foundation in South Africa and the
highly respected Wilderness Leadership Schools and The Wild Foundation in the
U.S.A. New, exciting links have made it possible for TWT to start youth
programmes for trails in Scotland that will involve minimum impact on the environmen
t, and travelling with the utmost simplicity.
Website: www.wilderness-trust.org

The link between the two organisations is obvious. The wild Bactrian camel
survives in some of the harshest and remotest wilderness areas in the world and
it will be the theme of my talk. The Royal Institution seats 430 and if we
can fill the hall, as all costs are covered by AXA, we hope to make a
substantial contribution to our funds. If we achieve this then we can make realistic
strides towards ensuring that the captive camel-breeding programme proceeds on a
sound and realistic footing.

Captive Wild Bactrian Breeding Programme. Mongolia

We have recruited a Mongolian, Mr. Enkhbileg as the Project Co-ordindator. He
is a scientist and member of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and has
extensive experience both scientific and practical of the particular protected area
where we are siting the captive camel-breeding programme. We are working with
the full support of the Ministry of Nature and Environment in Mongolia and it
is therefore necessary for us to work with the Mongolian National Commission
for Conservation of Endangered Species (MACNE) which has responsibility for
protecting all Red Book listed species and its Director Mr. Dorjraa. The
Mongolian Minister for Nature and the Environment, Mr. Barsbold has formally approved
the programme and the involvement of the WCPF in initiating the first project
phase which aims:

1. To work together and cooperate to establish the wild Bactrian camel
captive-breeding programme in an agreed area in the Great Gobi Protected Area,
Reserve A, Bayan Tooroi, Mongolia.
2. To raise awareness nationally and internationally of the plight of the
wild Bactrian camel and the work being done at the captive breeding programme
site in Mongolia to protect this critically endangered animal.
3. To protect the biodiversity of the area in and around the programme
site.

I have to-day received an Email from Mr. Enkhbilkeg which states:

‘We have done trip on captive wild camel condition in Bayantooroi and
selection for the camel centre in Bayantooroi. But also we were met with
people who erect the fence. The captive wild camels are (9) getting fat
and we planned to move them to Bayantooroi the end of September. The
herdsman of camel is selected (Tsogerdene). We have been starting to
order of fence wooden materials and it will be arrived in Bayantooroi
middle of September (15th). When materials arrived in Bayantooroi, we
planned to erect it in short period. Permission on place of camel
breeding centre is discussed and decided by local and park
administration. Resolution will be done sooner.
We will send the detail trip report soon for you.’

All this is most encouraging. So our latest endeavour to save the critically
endangered wild Bactrian camel is underway. Incidentally, the overall plan is
not to release the progeny into the wild but initially to build up a captive
group in the Protected Area. In this way we hope to ensure that the unique
genetic make-up of the wild Bactrian camel is preserved should any unforeseen
disaster occur in either the Chinese or the Mongolian Gobi Reserves.

Sponsorship: Captive Wild Bactrian Camels

The captive wild Bactrian camels once relocated to their new site will have
to be protected and properly managed. This will mean paying local herders and a
person on site to watch the camels daily. During the winter and spring months
it will be necessary to buy feed for them and this is expensive to buy and
also to transport to the site. Medicines will be required for the females and
their offspring during the first five years. A number of Foundation members,
individuals and organisations have already generously agreed to sponsor a young
camel. However we need twenty more sponsors if we are to cover the costs for
the coming year.

If you are interested and want more information please contact Kate Rae, a
WCPF trustee or you can easily download the SPONSORSHIP FORM
and post it to the head office.

The cost of sponsoring a new born camel for five years is £500 per year or
£2,500 for five years. ($750 per year or $3,750). This covers the cost of winter
feed, the herders to protect the young camels from wolves and medical costs.

Lop Nur Wild Camel Reserve

The Lop Nur Wild Camel Nature Reserve in China has now been upgraded to a
National Nature Reserve. This means it comes under the direct supervision and
protection of the State Environment Ministry (SEPA). The Nature Reserve has
benefited from the East West gas pipe line compensation from Petro China as
outlined in Newsletter Number 9. The Reserve management Headquarters has sent the
WCPF a budget in general terms for this money. We still need to see more
financial detail and will be pressing for this over the coming months. The pipeline is
not welcome, but inevitable. On the supposition that ‘it is an ill-wind that
doesn’t blow some good’ we are determined that these funds will be put
towards underpinning the long-term future, and development of the Nature Reserve.

It will be seen from the following item that we have at last secured a
scientific partner for the vitally important work that needs to be carried out in
the Lop Nur Reserve and Mongolia.

Salzburg Zoo

Kate Rae and I made a visit to Salzburg Zoo in Austria which already has
strong links with Mongolia and holds a number of Prejewalski horses at the zoo.
This species which became extinct in the wild in Mongolia in 1969 is currently
being re-introduced into the wild in Mongolia. Our captive camel breeding
programme can learn from the wild horse programme and Dr Chris Walzer, the head of
the zoo, agreed to help us with our wild camel project in both China and
Mongolia. As a result of our meeting, Dr Walzer wrote to us as follows:

I suggest we establish a simple wildlife / livestock / other activities
monitoring system in both the Gobi A and the Lop Nur Reserve in China.

We will base this on the Cybertracker® system. This system has found it’s way
into conservation programs world-wide. The simple field computer is designed
to be quick and easy to use in the field, even by non-literate users. Using a
sequence of screens on a hand held computer (Palm OS), displaying simple and
easily recognisable icons, rangers are able to record and store data in minute
detail. They can for example record sightings, species and feeding behaviour,
carcasses with additional criteria for example natural death, poached and
predation. Basically there is no real limit from the technological side as to the
type of data recorded. The program automatically stores this data along with a
GPS fix and time for later downloading onto a PC. Detailed further analysis
with mapping applications (Geographic Information System (GIS) e.g. ArcView®)
and statistical packages is then possible.

In a first phase the cybertracker would have to be programmed (simple) and
the screens customized to match the areas and rangers needs. In order to carry
out this stage I will need significant input from you concerning the various
species and datasets of interest in the Lop Nur Reserve. Changing the set-up is
easily carried out. Adaptations can be implemented together with the rangers
in the field.

I suggest we start implementing monitoring in China and initially wait to see
what the GEF-UNDP Grant may bring the Gobi A. This grant contains significant
amounts of resources for ranger training and monitoring implementation (I
would hate to duplicate efforts here). However, once we have a working system we
would immediately demonstrate it to the rangers in the Gobi A – (and possibly
get a mandate from the GEF-UNDP project).

Before going into China we would test the set-up under field conditions with
our "own" rangers in the Gobi B.

2.) Scientific Field Surveys and Research in Lop Nur

The field surveys would initially be carried out using the above-described
system. We would train a local scientist to manage the database and carry out
some of the further analysis. Further input and planning would really need a
field trip to the area. This trip would provide an insight into the needs of the
local scientists and rangers and clearly define priorities. As we can combine
this with point 1 we would already be implementing a first scientific
monitoring phase on our initial trip.

3.) Captive Breeding in Mongolia

As I had already pointed out we would need to have the mandate from the
government to carry out this project. No point in starting and then finding the
surveyed camels moved to another area.

1. mandate
2. establish breeding station (personnel, communication modus, fences,
sufficient fodder Reserves etc.)
3. move potential wild camels to the breeding facility
4. take samples for genetic analysis (compare with domestic and samples from
China)
5. reproductive evaluation (general health exam, ID animals, non-invasive
faecal steroids, ultrasonography of the reproductive tract)

Once the animals have been moved to the breeding facility and are available
for examination we would require a single short fieldtrip (total 14 days from
Europe) to collect samples and for reproductive evaluation. The personnel would
have to be trained in communications and faecal sample collection, labelling
and storage (list restricted to immediate veterinary needs). As far as I
remember you are presently using a genetics lab for camel identification – would
this facility be available and able to process and analyse these further
samples? If not I could find a partner at Vienna University.

Awareness-raising, Educational Booklets

Through the generous sponsorship of the Fred Foundation in the Netherlands
and Shell China, work has started on two more awareness-raising booklets. The
first will cover the valuable and endangered plant species within the new Nature
Reserve in China many of which are used for medicinal purposes. The second
will highlight the plight of the Chirru antelope, its habitat is contiguous with
the Reserve, and its persecution by poachers to obtain its fine hair which is
woven into scarves and sold at inflated prices to rich westerners. These
booklets will be translated into Chinese, Uigher and Kazakh as were the two
previously published books: The King of the Gobi (about the wild Bactrian camel) and
Blowing in the Wind - the Fight Against Desertification. Both books have been
written for a young readership and are available from the WCPF priced at
£5.00 each.

MSP- Mongolia

As outlined in Newsletter 9, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
and the GEF have, with the Mongolian government drawn up a project for
biodiversity protection in the Mongolian Great Gobi Reserve A. This is the same kind
of medium-sized project that enabled us to work with SEPA to establish the Lop
Nur Wild Camel Nature Reserve in China. The main aim of the MSP is to
increase the capacity and infrastructure of the Reserve A. Because of limited
financial resources and several severe winters the local protected area staff have
been under funded. This has also meant little real opportunity for the protected
area staff to study the habitat of the wild Bactrian camel, maintain and
improve water points and the manage the threats, e.g., wolves, to the wild
Bactrian camel.

One element of this MSP relates to trans-boundary co-operation between China
and Mongolia especially when the migrating camel crosses the international
boundary. It has protection in Mongolia but not in China where it is frequently s
hot or poisoned. Kate and I met with the UNDP project manager and it appears
highly likely that the Wild Camel Protection Foundation will be responsible for
implementing this part of the project, building on the success of the
Mongolian/China International Wild Camel Conference which WCPF organised and funded
in Beijing in August 2001. At this Conference a Letter of Intent was signed
between the two countries to implement inter-country co-operation and
information exchange on the wild Bactrian camel. WCPF has been invited to attend the
Inception Meeting for the Mongolian MSP in September 2003. Kate Rae is planning
to attend this meeting. As you will have read, we hope to involve the Salzburg
Zoo and Dr. Chris Walzer in this programme.

Visit to Abenteuerland Walter Zoo, Gossau, Switzerland.

I was invited to speak at the Abenteuerland Walter Zoo in Switzerland during
their first Camel week-end that the zoo had organised over 6/7 September. Over
2,000 people attended the zoo over the two day period and I gave two
lectures. I was intrigued that there should be so much interest in camels especially
with visitors from Germany, Austria and Sweden. The zoo has domestic Bactrian
camels and offered to sponsor one of our captive wild camels in the breeding
programme which is very welcome news.
The new European members we signed up, the publicity WCPF obtained and the
contacts made during this visit means that there is now greater awareness of
the work of the Foundation in Europe. In addition, we now have an English
wildlife park and a Swiss zoo sponsoring a captive wild camel as part of the
breeding programme.

Funding

As members and supporters you are aware that the work of the Foundation is
funded entirely by donations.The major work to start the captive wild bactrian
camel breeding programme in Mongolia has been funded through a donation from
an Australian donor, Hunter Hall Investment Management Ltd. We are very
grateful for their support for without it this vital and important work could not
have started.

Membership Renewal

These will fall due in October. So will members who have not yet renewed
their annual membership for 2003/2004 please send £15 (or its equivalent in foreign
currency). Also emails addresses as this saves on postage.

Thank you once again for all your most generous and highly valued support.

Yours faithfully

John Hare