ifaw's top ten successes from 2019

In 2019, we stayed true to our mission to protect animals and ensure they have a secured place to call home. Our work stretched around the world, as we rescued orphaned elephants in Zimbabwe, planted eucalyptus tree corridors in Australia, and deployed to the Bahamas to rescue animals post-Hurricane Dorian.

Scroll down to check out our top ten greatest success stories from 2019.

Local koala populations in Australia are on the brink of extinction due to habitat loss and ongoing bushfires that are devastating the country. In 2019 we partnered with Bangalow Koalas to plant thousands of eucalypt trees and work towards the restoration of a vital corridor for koalas and other wildlife. The impact? A future home where koalas are safe and secure. 

In October, IFAW's President and CEO Azzedine Downes joined Wild is Life for a unique rescue operation. An elephant calf was orphaned at Mara Pools, Zimbabwe and in need of immediate airlift to safety. Once the elephant landed safely at the elephant orphanage, she was comforted by the other calves and named Amira. Amira carries great potential as she embarks on her rehabilitation journey back to the wild, where she may one day contribute to the health of local Zimbabwe elephant populations.

In August, category five Hurricane Dorian struck the Bahamas and devastated the islands. IFAW’s Disaster Response & Risk Reduction team deployed to the hardest hit areas to rescue animals trapped in the wreckage. We reunited animals with their loving families and successfully distributed over 180,000 lbs of animal and humanitarian supplies to communities in need.

Nania was found wandering alone in a small village in Burkina Faso, West Africa. She needed a new home, a place where she could develop the skills needed for life in the wild. In April 2019, IFAW’s Céline Sissler-Bienvenu and the IFAW-GRI staff made the 8.5-mile hike with Nania to her new home in Deux-Balé National Park. Every day is a new adventure for Nania as she embarks on her journey back to the wild.

IFAW brought together a group of eight young Maasai women to create team Lioness: one of the first all-women ranger units combating wildlife crime in Kenya. Team Lioness is building new opportunities for women in conservation and working to prevent wildlife crime in Amboseli.

IFAW is a member of the High Seas Alliance, a coalition of over 40 NGOs and the IUCN, it was established in 2011 to protect the high seas and strengthen its governance. The HSA is currently working to develop a new and robust, legally binding treaty under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas, that will protect marine life and result in effective conservation measures. The treaty negotiations will continue in 2020.

IFAW’s Dr. Sarah Sharp, alongside a multi-agency team, studied the causes of death of the North Atlantic right whale between 2003 and 2018. Of the causes of death that could be definitively determined, the team concluded that right whale deaths are being overwhelmingly driven by entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes. Together, we are working to implement ropeless fishing gear solutions, a critical tool to save the right whale from extinction.  

Every year, India's monsoon season displaces thousands of animals as they search for higher ground. In July, our partners, the Wildlife Trust of India rescued young rhinos caught in the flood water in Kaziranga National Park and brought them to the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation. The team even helped a tiger safely escape from inside a house after she was found seeking refuge in a community member's bed.

Chamilandu made history by becoming the first successfully rehabilitated elephant in Zambia to give birth to a calf in the wild. When she was a year and half old, Chamilandu was orphaned and brought to IFAW-GRI’s Elephant Orphanage Project for expert care. In 2015, she returned to the wild and made history with the birth of her son four years later. 

On September 30th, IFAW and Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) signed a historic conservation partnership for wildlife and people. Home to one of the world’s largest wild elephant populations, Zimbabwe is a key partner in global conservation efforts. Under the new MoU, IFAW and ZimParks will work together to advance wildlife conservation, rescue animals, rehabilitate wildlife and support vital research.