Rapid Action Fund

by speciesonthebrink

Flood-proofing an important hatchery for the Palawan Forest Turtle (Siebenrockiella leytensis)

Rapid Action Fund

  The challenge The Palawan Forest Turtle is endemic to the Palawan island-group in the Philippines and can be found in streams in undisturbed forest. Surveys indicated an alarming 70% decline in the adult population over the past decade. Primarily threatened by collection for international trade, habitat loss and degradation are also contributing threats. The turtle is also consumed locally and utilised in traditional medicines.   Katala Foundation established a conservation breeding and reintroduction programme for the Palawan Forest Turtle in…

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by speciesonthebrink

Maximising a Philippine Eagle’s chances for survival through release and monitoring in the Bislig KBA

Rapid Action Fund

  The challenge The Philippine Eagle is endemic to the Philippines and is one of the largest birds of prey. Its small and highly threatened population has been at the brink of extinction for the past few decades. Habitat loss due to deforestation from timber extraction and shifting cultivation remain the primary long-term threat to the species. Hunting for food and as bycatch in mammal traps are also some of the recorded threats, while pesticide accumulation may be a potential…

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by speciesonthebrink

The Tawsi Project: Urgent action for the conservation of the Sulu Hornbill and other threatened birds on the isolated Tawi-Tawi Island

Rapid Action Fund

The challenge Tawi-Tawi Island is part of the southwestern Sulu archipelago in the Philippines and is home to 17 threatened bird species. Of these, four are Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Due to rapid habitat loss, these birds, which were once prevalent throughout the island, are now found only in isolated forest patches on Tawi-Tawi.    PhilBio set up the Tawi-Tawi Advocates for Wildlife Support Initiative (TAWSI) Programme to protect and recover populations of Sulu Hornbill,…

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by speciesonthebrink

Gathering the evidence needed to conserve critical habitat for Viet Nam’s most threatened amphibians

Rapid Action Fund

  The challenge Mount Fansipan is a critical habitat for the Botsford’s Leaf Litter frog Leptobrachella botsfordi and Sterling’s Toothed Toad Oreolalax sterlingae, Viet Nam’s only Critically Endangered amphibians (Update: Since March 2021, Sterling’s Toothed Toad has been listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List). Both species were described in 2013 from a stream on the mountain, and while Sterling’s Toothed Toad is also found in a nearby district, Botsford’s Leaf Litter frog is endemic to this particular area. …

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by speciesonthebrink

Strengthening mitigation measures to protect the Sulawesi crested black macaques

Rapid Action Fund ,

  The challenge The Sulawesi Crested Black Macaque occurs on northeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia and the adjacent islands of Pulau Manadotua and Pulau Talise. It is threatened by habitat loss and from hunting, both for bush meat and for live animal trade. The species can be found in several protected areas, but Tangkoko Nature Reserve is the most likely viable natural population remaining. The global COVID-19 pandemic has reduced funding for the reserve and led to an increase in agricultural expansion…

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Survey for Delacour’s Langurs

Rapid Action Fund

  The challenge Delacour’s Langur has small and fragmented populations, with the only viable population being in the Van Long Nature Reserve. Contiguous to the nature reserve is approximately 1,000 hectares of unprotected land where a few groups of the langur can be found. This land is unprotected and intended to be used for tourism development and limestone quarrying. If the unprotected land was protected, it would represent a 50% increase of protected langur habitat from the Van Long Nature…

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by speciesonthebrink

Continuing breeding programmes at Cikananga Conservation Breeding Centre

Rapid Action Fund

  The challenge CCBC has conservation breeding programmes for three ASAP songbirds, all of which are on the brink of extinction in the wild. Maintaining sustainable populations with the intention of future release is pivotal for the conservation of these species. These programmes are normally funded through zoological associations. However, due to the economic impacts of COVID-19 on the zoo community, this funding has been significantly reduced. On top of this, knock-on effects of COVID-19 have increased the price of…

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Establishing the first assurance colony for the island endemic Gigantes Wrinkled Ground Frog in the Philippines

Rapid Action Fund

  The challenge The Gigantes Wrinkled Ground Frog Platymantis insulatus is only found on the relatively remote Gigantes Islands, which sit within the larger Western Visayas archipelago in the Philippines. The frog lives in limestone karst forests and caves and is under threat from habitat changes. Guano mining and quarrying of limestone are particularly detrimental. Because of the remote location of the species and time it takes to get to Gigantes, the population dynamics of species are relatively unknown. As…

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Continued breeding success and intensive population monitoring of the Bali Starling on Nusa Penida

Rapid Action Fund

  The challenge In Nusa Penida, where there is a lack of natural nest hollows, Friends of National Parks Foundation (FNPF) engage international volunteers to install and maintain a network of nest boxes. These nest boxes, found across public, private and religious lands, allow the Bali Starling population to breed. If the nest boxes do not get regular upkeep, they are quickly overrun by bees, snakes, rats and geckos. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions, there are no international…

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