WCC 2016 Res 014 - Activity Report

The EWT conducted Wildlife Poisoning Response training to 247 learners from the conservation, veterinary and law enforcement sectors in South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya and Botswana.
Following the training of trainers in Kenya at the end of 2016 and in September 2018, a further 400+ people have received training in this regard in Kenya during 2018.

See comments on the Wildlife Poisoning Workshop hosted by DEA in Pretoria in August 2018.
A lead poisoning focus group has been established and will focus on addressing the threat of lead poisoning to wildlife and people in southern Africa. the first workshop for this group is scheduled for the 18th and 19th of February 2019.

We are currently working on awareness materials aimed at all sectors of society with regard to the human health risk associated with the use of wildlife products acquired by means of poisoning which will be dissemenated through our various networks upon completion, probably towards mid-2019.

The EWT has secured a significant grant from the US Fish and Wildlife Service in September 2018. The funding will be used to conduct further Poisoning Response Training in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Zambia working with a range of in-country partners aiming to train at least another 50 individuals per country.
We will also identify individuals in these target countries and conduct train-the-trainer workshops to enable them to also conduct training in this regard independently within their areas of operation.

The EWT has been working in support of the South African Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) towards the implementation of the CMS guidelines for the prevention of poisoning of wildlife in the SADC region. A workshop to discuss implementation and cross-border cooperation in this regard was hosted by DEA in Pretoria in August 2018.
DEA has also engaged in the drafting of a National Conservation Action Plan for Vultures based on the CMS Vulture MsAP which includes a significant focus on the combatting of wildlife poisoning which is the most significant threat that impact these birds. Similar discussions have also been engaged with Botswana, Mozambique and Kenya.
As a result of the Wildlife Poisoning Response Workshop conducted in Kenya in 2016, the Kenya Wildlife Service in February 2018 has formally adopted a protocol to combat illegal wildlife poisoning within Kenya and all their conservation staff will be trained in this regard.

Continue the management and maintenance of the African Wildlife Poisoning Database that attempts to capture and collate data on all wildlife poisoning incidents in Africa that are known. The database also has an App that enables people in the field to up-load data directly after registration. Data from this database was instrumental in drafting a range of poisoning risk and maps for incusion in the CMS Vulture MsAP.