SURVIVAL ON THE ICE - WWF

Issue 19

MAGAZINEOCTOBER

2011

POLAR BEAR HEROWWF’s Geoff Yorkis on a mission tosave the Arctic’sfurry icons

LIGHTS, CAMERA,WALRUS!The director of newBBC series FrozenPlanet talks to Action

FARAWAY FINDSBreathtakingdiscoveries on theisland of New Guinea

JOIN THE CLUBLaunching ourspectacular kids’membership

SURVIVALON THE ICEDefendingAntarctica’spenguins fromclimate change

POLE TO POLE SPECIAL ISSUE

But not untouchable. A warming planet ismel�ng sea ice and opening up areas of theArc�c that have been inaccessible forcenturies. And that poses a new danger toits people and wildlife.

Polar bears like this one are worst hit. Theiricy landscape – which they desperatelyneed for feeding and breeding – is alreadydwindling.

We’re doing everything we can to safeguardpolar bears. We’ll give Inuit communites –who’ve lived in harmony with thislandscape for millennia – the support theyneed in ge�ng tough protec�ve laws inplace. They’re our eyes on the ground. Thewitnesses of climate change.

We’ll lobby hard to get a ban on oil and gasexplora�on. Get governments to supportan�-pollu�on measures. And ensure anyhun�ng of Arc�c wildlife is sustainable. Notonly that, we’ll be on the frontline toresearch just how the ice is being affected,and which areas will be worst hit over �me.It’s a fight we’re ready to take on. And win.And it’s all thanks to your support.

wwf.org.uk/polar

UNTOUCHED

©JordiBas

Casas/NHPA/Photoshot

That’s one thing I can promise you in this issue. Prettytimely considering that we’ll probably be getting ourfair share of the stuff over the forthcoming wintermonths (sorry to be a bringer of bad tidings!)

If ice and snow are a passing irritant for us on Britishshores, it’s a way of life for the people and animals inpolar regions. Their home is full of the stuff. It looksnice on photos but the Arctic and Antarctic are amongthe most inhospitable places on Earth. They also playhost to some of the planet’s most remarkable wildlife.

Take the embattled emperor penguin. A creature ofsuch amazing resilience that once a year they endurethe lowest temperatures on the planet – while trying toincubate their young. Read about the mighty emperors,their penguin neighbours and the people in theAntarctic who are trying to protect them (page 22).

We’ll also do a Michael Palin-esque trip to the otherpole – the Arctic. We speak to the man with (I think)one of the best jobs in the world. He goes by the nameof Geoff York, but I’ve decided to rename him ThePolar Bear Man! It must be amazing living among thebears, and doing vital research that could helpsafeguard their future (page 16).

We also get the inside track on the Arctic’s animal andhuman residents from one of the directors of theforthcoming BBC documentary series, Frozen Planet.Elizabeth White talks to us about the teeth-chatteringchallenges of filming in polar regions (page 21).

If you’re getting a bit chilly with all the ice, don’t worry.There’s a touch of glamour – not to mention warmth –in store as we join Gemma Arterton on her recent tripto see our work in the Amazon in partnership with Sky(page 26).

As we near the end of our spectacular anniversary year,you might have missed out on exactly what we’ve beenup to. So visit wwf.org.uk/50 to get the lowdown.

Have a lovely winter. And keep warm!

Best wishes

Paul Cottam, [email protected]

ICE.LOTS OF IT.

©WWF-Canon

/Steve

Morgan

Action October 2011 – wwf.org.uk

CONTENTS

NEWS

6 World of differenceHot fish, one-horned rhinosand green soya – find outthe good news behind each

8 Renewable revolution?WWF’s Nick Molhopresents the case for100% green energy

9 Electric dreamsA glimpse into the future ofcar transport

INSPIRATION

26Bond beauty hitsthe AmazonActress Gemma Artertonvisits our Sky RainforestRescue project

28Colourful charactersIntroducing our brandnew kids’ membership

30Prize copyWin a £4,000 wildlife printby acclaimed photographerRoger Hooper

FEATURES

10 Final countdownLast instalment in our50 big wins series

14 Treasure islandNew Guinea’s wildsecrets revealed

16 Flying high forpolar bearsMeet our polar bear heroGeoff York

22Land of the penguinsHow we’re protecting theAntarctic’s best-lovedresidents

Contact the editor:[email protected]

Thanks to:Barney Jeffries, Sue Parks, DavidBurrows (writers); Nick Molho andMark Wright (contributors); GeorgieBridge (design supervisor); andLorna Lawson (news).

Front cover: © Ge�y

THE ACTION TEAM

EditorPaul Co�am

DesignerMa�Wood at Neoweareneo.com

Assistant editorRuth Simms

Picture editorKate Foreshew

Editorial managerMar�n O’Halloran

Membership managerEmily Pringle

POLE TO POLESPECIAL ISSUE

©Elizabeth

White

/BBC


1 2

UK

Soya pledge:Waitrose has becomethe first UK supermarket to commit tosourcing 100% certified soya in itsown-brand range. The retailer has pledgedthat all of its soya-containing productswill be approved by the Roundtable onResponsible Soy (RTRS) by December2015. As already reported, we helpedestablish RTRS in order to protect vitalforest and savannahs from expandingsoya cultivation. It’s a huge step forwardin our campaign to save the Cerradoregion in Brazil, where expanding soyacultivation is a huge threat. We’re callingfor all the big UK supermarkets to sourceRTRS-certified soya.

wwf.org.uk/cerrado

3

BRAZIL

Amazon milestone: Our project to helpsave one billion trees in the Amazon haspassed the £1 million mark in donations.Thanks to Sky, all donations to our projecthave been matched. And we’re now wellon our way to achieving our £4 milliontarget to tackle deforestation in theBrazilian state of Acre. It’s great news –and means we’re making huge progress.For example, 150 families have joined theland certification scheme that we’resupporting, which will help them to farmtheir land without damaging wildlife orhabitats. And we’ve also helped buildnearly 40 rubber processing units –providing locals with a sustainable incomethat’s easy on the rainforest.

sky.com/rainforestrescue

MEXICO

Hot fish haven: The world’s hottest fishis just one of many species that will enjoyprotection after a landmark governmentruling. We helped bring together the localcommunity to fight for the right tomanage the San Jose de Pandos Spring –an area of outstanding ecologicalimportance. The ruling also prohibits anyfurther extraction of water. We’re nowsupporting the local community to protectthe spring, located in the ChihuahuanDesert of northern Mexico. The Julimespupfish can withstand extremetemperatures of up to 46°C – one of thehottest temperatures in the world.

wwf.org.uk/hotfish

100%of Waitrose’s own-brandproducts containing soyawill be certified by 2015.

Mapping success

46�CThe Julimespupfish can livein temperaturesas hot as 46˚C.

2

1

£1 MILLIONAmount raised so far bySky Rainforest Rescue.

3


MOZAMBIQUE

Lake protected: Africa’s Lake Niassa –teeming with wildlife and plants – is nowprotected by the government ofMozambique. Its tropical waters andshores are home to an estimated 1,000subspecies of cichlid fish, includingseveral hundred that are found only inthis area. The region also hosts diversebird populations, mammals such as theendangered painted hunting dog, andreptiles like the monitor lizard. “Thereserve will have an immediate andlasting impact on the health of itsfisheries and provide security to thepeople who depend on the lake,” saysWWF’s Rubina Haroon.

wwf.org.uk/niassa

>100

Year when scientistsdiscovered the saola –an antelope-likecreature later classifiedas critically endangered.

4 5 6

NEPAL

Rhino revival: Greater one-horned rhinonumbers have risen in Nepal by almost100 in the last three years, thanks to thegovernment, WWF and partners. Thelatest census of populations in Nepal –which we supported and helped fund –reveals that there are now 534 rhinos.Diane Walkington, who leads our wildlifework, says: “These numbers reflect thesuccess of conservation efforts for thisspecies – and are a result of improvedrhino protection measures andmanagement of habitat.”

wwf.org.uk/rhinocensus

VIETNAM

Lifeline for rare saola:A criticallyendangered animal that was only discoveredin 1992 is to be protected by a new reserve.The saola – closely related to antelopes andcattle – was found by scientists during a jointsurvey between us and the Vietnam forestrydepartment. But the species is threatened byillegal hunting for its horns, and is oftencaught in snare traps that are set for wildboar and deer. Estimates suggest thepopulation could be as low as a few dozen,but information is scarce.We’ve beenworking with the Vietnam government andother organisations to establish the reserve inQuangNam, in south-central Vietnam. Thepark will also protect other threatenedspecies in the lowland tropical forests of theAnnamiteMountains.

wwf.org.uk/saola

1,000species of cichlids– a type of fish –found inMozambique’sLake Niassa.

THE LATEST NEWS FROM AROUNDTHE WORLD CAN BE FOUND ONOUR WEBSITE EVERY DAY �WWF.ORG.UK/NEWS

1992

Increase in the number of greaterone-horned rhinos in Nepal.

THANKS TO YOU,WHERE THERE’SWWF THERE’S

HOPE

4

5

6

ROCKETING ENERGY BILLS ARE JUST ONESYMPTOM OF OUR RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUELS,WRITES OUR ENERGY EXPERT NICK MOLHO

Update: Energy shock

As winter looms, you’reprobably dreading the prospectof steeper energy bills. We’rebound to use more energy overthe chilly winter nights. But asglobal energy prices soar,many of us are feeling thepinch all year round.

You might also have heard thatrenewable energy is to blamefor the price hikes. But that’snot the whole picture. While it’strue that moving to low-carbonenergy will cost money initially,our energy bills are also soaringas a result of higher gas, oil andcoal prices. And with globalsupplies looking insecure,further increases in energyprices are more than likely.

Renewables, on the otherhand, will in the long termbenefit the world economy,stabilise energy costs and arevery likely to lower energybills over time. Earlier thisyear, we publishedThe Energy Report. It provesthat if we use the full range ofrenewable technologiesavailable – together with

greater energy efficiency – a100% renewable energy futureis possible. The resultingenergy savings we wouldmake, together with vastlyreduced fuel costs, could savethe world economy up to€4 trillion a year by 2050.

“Renewables will in the longterm benefit the worldeconomy, stabilise energycosts and are likely to lowerenergy bills over time”So why is WWF wading intothe energy debate? Well, theuse of fossil fuels to power ourhomes, businesses and cars ispumping out greenhouse gases– and that’s acceleratingclimate change. A quarter ofwildlife species risk extinctionif global temperaturescontinue to rise. And alreadythe World Health Organisationestimates that climate changeis causing more than 150,000deaths a year due to extremeweather, disease and risingfood insecurity.

We believe that the nuclearoption is flawed for a number ofreasons (see box, below right).And so harnessing energy fromthe sun, wind and waves is ourbest hope of reducing ourdependency on fossil fuels.And given that it offers analmost limitless energy supply,it’s the best hope for futuregenerations too.

I won’t patronise anyone orbeat around the bush – totackle climate change, we needinvestment in these newsources of energy, which mayadd to energy bills at first. Inthe short term, you caninsulate yourself from higherenergy prices by insulatingyour home – check out ourGreat British Refurb campaignat our website for ideas on howto do this.

But, in the long run, arenewable transition meansstable and, most likely, cheaperenergy bills. And, even better,it will help protect preciousecosystems, wildlife – andourselves.

25%AQUARTER OFWILDLIFE SPECIESRISK EXTINCTION IF AVERAGEGLOBAL TEMPERATURES CONTINUETO RISE

€4 TRILLIONAMOUNT THEWORLD ECONOMYCOULD SAVE IF WE SWITCH TO100% RENEWABLES

� THE ‘N’ WORDAt WWF we believe thatnuclear plants pose a risk that’sjust not worth taking. Theconsequences of an accident,however unlikely, areunthinkable. A reliance onnuclear means a legacy ofhighly toxic radioac�ve waste.That’s not a risk we’re preparedto take with our natural world.


©Carlos

G.Vallecillo

/WWF-Canon


DO YOUR BIT FOR FORESTS

With forests under threat fromillegal logging, we’re supportinga great new initiative called Sizeof Wales.

The project aims to helpconserve an area of tropicalforest that’s the size of Walesitself – that’s 20,779 sq km incase you’re interested. We’reworking with the organisationas part of our mission to protectEast Africa’s coastal forests.And we think it’s a great way todo our bit during theInternational Year of Forests.

Donations will go towardsprotecting these threatenedregions – and the people andwildlife who depend on them.

You can donate to the project byvisiting wwf.org.uk/sizeofwales

It might look like an ordinary car… but this humblevehicle could help us turn a corner in the battle tocombat climate change

DRIVING A GREENER FUTURE

THANKS FOR GETTING ANGRY!

Many of you were clearlyincensed by your last issue ofAction, which highlightedEurope’s broken fisheriespolicy, including the practiceof discarding unwanted fish.We’ve been inundated withmore than 19,000 signaturesdemanding healthy seas. Andthat means an end to practiceslike discarding unwanted fish.

“This is a real boost to ourMore Fish campaign,” saysWWF’s Anthony Field, who’sleading the project to make therules governing EU watersenvironmentally sustainable.“We’ll be adding our petition toothers collected all overEurope, before handing themin to the European Parliament.”

The current proposals are a stepin the right direction, but don’tgo nearly far enough.

“For 10 years we’ve worked withfishermen and businesses tocreate solutions that are good forthe environment while earningfishermen a decent living. Therevived Common FisheriesPolicy needs to take on board allof these solutions if we’re to stopissues like overfishing.”

Thank you for standing up forour seas.

For the latest news, visit:wwf.org.uk/morefish

ARE WE IN YOUR WALLET? Our 50p anniversary coin is now incircula�on – so keep a look-out for it in your spare change! Created byaward-winning graphic designer Ma�hew Dent, it shows our pandalogo surrounded by 50 images symbolising our environmental andconserva�on work.

BECOME A GREEN AMBASSADOR Does your child’s school havean eco council or green team? Or are you thinking of se�ng one up?If so, why not register to become part of the WWF and BT GreenAmbassador scheme. It’s a new, free, na�onwide programme toinspire youngsters to embrace sustainability.Visit wwf.org.uk/greenambassadors

HAVE YOUR SAY Let us knowwhat you think about thesestories by joining our Facebookand Twi�er pages –wwf.org.uk/facebook andwwf.org.uk/twi�er

Petrol and diesel-poweredcars are among the biggestcauses of man-made climatechange, so we’vecommissioned a study to findout how much impact electricvehicles could have in thefight to combat globalwarming.

We found that at least1.7 million electric cars areneeded to replace gas guzzlersby 2020 if the UK is toachieve its stringent carbonemissions targets. And thatnumber should grow to6.4 million by 2030.

But if we want the great Britishpublic to swap their vehiclesfor an electric alternative,they’ll need encouragementfrom the government.

“Reducing the cost of electricvehicles, not having to payfuel duty and congestion fees,and more charging points willhelp to get people drivingelectric cars,” says JeanLeston, our transport expert.

Find out more… Read theElectric Avenues report atwwf.org.uk/electricavenues orcall our supporter care teamon 01483 426333 for a copy.

Issue 18

MORE FISH, PLEASE!Join our fight forhealthier seas

REVIVING THEGANGESHow we’re cleaningup the world’smightiest river

CROCODILE PARTYSuccess for peopleand reptiles in PapuaNew Guinea

BLUE MILEMake a splashfor WWF

MAGAZINEJUNE

2011

What’s making HughandWWF so angry?FISH FURY

Our world: WWF in action

© Benjamin Ealovega / WWF-UK

©Tristan

Fewings

/WWF-UK


(part three)

Concluding our anniversary seriescelebrating our 50 biggest wins

over five decades

BIGWINS

30

PROTECTING AFRICA’SELEPHANTS AND RHINOS

Fifty years ago, our foundersfirst brought the plight ofAfrica’s elephants and rhinosto the world’s attention – andwe’ve been fighting to protectthem ever since. There are nowmany more elephants insouthern Africa than therewere a decade ago, while rhinonumbers have more thandoubled in the last 15 years.But poaching and loss ofhabitat remain big threats.

25,000NUMBER OF AFRICAN RHINOSTODAY, UP FROM LITTLE MORETHAN 11,000 IN 1997

31

MONKEY BUSINESS IN BRAZIL

Monkeys don’t comemuchcuter than the golden liontamarin. In the 1980s, wehelped bring it back from thebrink of extinction with acampaign to raise awareness ofthe loss of its home, theAtlantic Forest. This is one ofseveral diverse habitats inBrazil – from rainforests tograsslands to wetlands – thatwe’re working hard to protectand restore. Our efforts includefinding more sustainable waysto produce things such as beef,soy, wood and sugar, which arevital to Brazil’s economy.

32

COMMUNITY�BASEDCONSERVATION

We’ve helped eco-tourism toflourish on the Philippine islandof Donsol. Visitors now flock tosee schools of endangeredwhale sharks, the world’slargest fish, bringing hundredsof thousands of dollars into thelocal economy. Communitiesbenefit – and so do the fish andother marine species, as localpeople recognise the need toconserve their biggest asset.

33

LOOPHOLE CLOSED

©naturepl.com

/Edw

inGiesbers

/WWF

©BrentS�rton

/Ge�yImages

/WWF-UK

©naturepl.com

/Tony

Heald

/WWF

We helped to close a loopholein the UK law that governsillegal trade in endangeredspecies. It was a detail thatturned out to be vital: on theday the amendment came

into force, police in Londonseized around 200 traditionalAsian medicine productsbelieved to contain parts ofendangered plants andanimals, including tigers andmusk deer. Previously, somespecies received differentlevels of protectiondepending on what countrythey came from. This made itdifficult to prosecute peopleselling manufacturedproducts, with investigatorsoften unable to prove whereillegal ingredients originated.

©David

Lawson/WWF-UK


36

CONSERVING THE HIGH SEAS

In 2010, our campaigning led tothe creation of the firstprotected area in the high seas –that’s the vast expanse of oceanbeyond national boundaries.Fishing and dumping rubbish isnow banned in the 94,000 sq kmarea off the South Orkneyislands in the Southern Ocean,helping species like Adéliepenguins and whales. Since

then, a further six protectedareas have been created on thehigh seas in the north-eastAtlantic.

285,000 SQ KMAREA OF THE NORTH-EASTATLANTIC PROTECTED

38

INNOVATING WITH INDUSTRY

We’ve helped convincebusinesses, including some ofthe world’s leadingcorporations, of theimportance of conservation.By setting up the ForestStewardship Council andMarine Stewardship Council,which encourage responsiblemanagement, we’vetransformed large swathes ofthe forestry and fishingindustries. And nowwe’re wellunder way with similarschemes for othercommodities, including palmoil, beef, cotton, soy and sugar.

34

FAITH AND NATURE

Owning 7% of the world’s habitable land, holding assets worthmore than £4 trillion and profoundly influencing billions ofpeople, the world’s religions have the potential to make a hugedifference for the environment. We helped set up the Alliance ofReligions and Conservation (ARC), which now includes 11 majorfaiths as members. As a result, religious leaders have made anumber of pledges to protect the environment.

35

PROTECTING WETLANDS

In 1971, we helped establish theRamsar Convention, aninternational agreement to protectwetlands and other fragilefreshwater and coastal ecosystems.By 1996, 1,000 wetlands –covering 810,000 sq km – hadbeen included in the Ramsar listof Wetlands of InternationalImportance. And our campaigninghas helped bring a further one million sq kmof freshwater areas worldwide under protection – that’s an areafour times the size of the UK.

1.8 MILLION SQ KMAREA OFWETLANDSWE’VE HELPED TO PROTECT

37

LIVING IN HARMONYWITH WILDLIFE

It’s not easy living alongsideelephants. They can destroycrops and property and evenkill people. In Kenya, we’vehelped communities protectthemselves with strategicallyplaced beehives. Theelephants are terrified of beesand keep away, while localpeople earn extra income fromselling honey, candles andother beeswax products. It’sjust one of the practical wayswe’re helping people aroundthe world to get along withtheir wild neighbours.

©Mar�n

Harvey

/WWF

39

SANCTUARY IN THEMEDITERRANEAN

The Mediterranean may be atourist paradise, but itsmarine wildlife is severelythreatened. Many of the mostendangered species live farbelow the sea’s surface. Toprotect them, we helped bringabout a ban on fishing atdepths greater than 1,000metres. We’ve also helped tocreate a massive 80,000 sq kmsanctuary in the seas betweenCorsica, France and Italy toprotect the 18 species ofwhale and dolphin that swimin the area.

18SPECIES OF WHALE ANDDOLPHIN PROTECTED INTHE MEDITERRANEAN MARINESANCTUARYWE HELPED CREATE

©Tom

Walmsley

/naturepl.com

/NaturePL

©naturepl.com

/SuziEszterhas

/WWF

©MarkEdwards

/WWF-Canon

©Roger

Leguen/WWF-Canon

©JamesM

organ/WWFInterna�onal

NUMBER OF RELIGIOUS FAITHS WHICH NOW BELONGTO THE ALLIANCE OF RELIGIONS AND CONSERVATION11


»

42

SAFEGUARDING RUSSIA’SWILDERNESS

Russia’s vast forests are someof Earth’s last pristinewildernesses, and the carbonthey store is crucial tocombating climate change.We’ve helped to createprotected areas covering over430,000 sq km – more thanthree times the size of England.And in the last 10 years, we’vehelped increase the area ofresponsibly managed forestsfrom just 300 sq km to260,000 sq km, coveringa quarter of Russia’scommercial forests.

41

COMMUNITYCONSERVATION IN NAMIBIA

Elephants and other wildlifehave made an amazingcomeback in Namibia,where we’ve helpedcommunities set up and run‘conservancies’. These allowlocal people to manage theirown natural resources,creating jobs and bringing inmore than £3 million a year.

In Kunene, one of theregions where we work,elephant numbers havetripled since the early 1980s,while giraffes have increasedfivefold. In 1982, Kunenewas home to just 400 oryx,600 springboks and 450zebras. Now there arearound 29,000 oryx,175,000 springboks and18,800 zebras – andpredators like lions, leopardsand cheetahs have returned.

500%INCREASE IN GIRAFFENUMBERS IN KUNENE IN THELAST 30 YEARS

43

USING WATER WISELY

44

SAVING SUMATRA

Tigers, elephants, rhinos,orang-utans. There’s only oneplace on Earth where all fourlive together: Sumatra. But theIndonesian island has lostalmost half its forests since1985, threatening the future ofits unique wildlife. In 2008, wehelped bring about the firstisland-wide commitment toprotect Sumatra’s forests.Right now, we’re determined totransform the paper and palmoil industries, which causemuch of the deforestation.

40

KEEPING THE MEKONGFLOWING

TheMekong is one of the lastgreat rivers not to be dammed.That’s allowed nature to thrive –including theMekong giantcatfish, the world’s largestfreshwater fish, which can weighup to 300kg. But 11 proposedlarge-scale hydroelectric damsthreaten their future, and couldbe devastating for millions ofpeople who depend on the rivertoo. Thanks in part to our work,none of the dam projects havestarted yet – we’re striving tomake sure all the risks areassessed and alternativesexplored first.

©WWF-Canon

/ZebHogan

©iStockphoto.com

©naturepl.com

/MarkCarw

ardine/WWF

©WildWonders

ofEurope/Schandy

/WWF

It can take 20,000 litres ofwater to make a single cottont-shirt – so it’s no wonderwater supplies andfreshwater wildlife are underpressure. In Pakistan, we’vehelped 40,000 cottonfarmers reduce their wateruse by 38%, while increasingtheir income by 26%. Theyalso used 47% less pesticidesand 39% less chemicalfertilisers. Brands includingIKEA, M&S and Levi’s arenow using this ‘better cotton’,and many others havepledged to join them.

40,000NUMBEROF FARMERS INPAKISTANWHOHAVE CUTWATERUSEBY38%WITHOURHELP


48

DETOXING THE PLANET

Between 2003 and 2006, weran a high-profile campaignagainst toxic chemicals inEurope, showing how they cancontaminate people andnature. It helped bring aboutthe EU chemical law, REACH,which came into force in 2007.The strictest law to dateregulating chemicalsubstances, it’s makingindustries clean up their actand influencing chemicallegislation globally.

50

POLAR PARK

A protected area in theRussian Arctic was set up afteryears of lobbying by WWF.The park, located on thenorthern part of NovayaZemlya, a long island that arcsout into the Arctic Oceanbetween the Barents and Karaseas, helps protect polar bearsand other wildlife from thethreats posed by industry andclimate change. All industrialactivity in the area, which isalso home to walrus, reindeerand several species of birds, isnow banned. It is hoped that,by removing these threats, thecreatures will become moreresilient to the effects ofclimate change.

49

TRIUMPH IN THE TROPICS

Our Tropical RainforestCampaign, launched in 1975,was the first campaign to lookat the bigger picture of forestloss right across the tropics. Itraised awareness around theworld of the huge importanceof rainforests and the threatsthey face. The money raisedhelped set up dozens ofnational parks in rainforestsin west Africa, south-east Asiaand Latin America.

45

TERAI ARC � SAVING TIGERSWITH SOLAR COOKERS?

Four million people get theirfood and fuel from the forestsof the Terai Arc, along theIndia-Nepal border. Butforests are being lost as thepopulation grows, threatening

47

THE GALAPAGOS:A NATURAL SELECTION

46

ROARING OUR SUPPORTFOR TIGERS

Only as few as 3,200 tigersremain in the wild, and theycould soon become extinctwithout urgent action. That’swhy, last year, we helped bringtogether leaders from the13 countries that still havetigers in the wild to attend atiger summit in Russia. Roaredon by more than 250,000WWF supporters online andvia our petition forms, leadersgave their backing to anambitious plan to double wildtiger numbers by 2022.

people’s livelihoods and theregion’s amazing wildlife –including tigers, rhinos andelephants. We’re working withcommunities to providealternative sources of energysuch as biogas stoves and solarcookers, so they don’t need tochop down trees for firewood.And we’ve helped set up anetwork of 11 protected areaswhere wildlife can roam freely.

11PROTECTED AREAS IN THETERAI ARC LANDSCAPE

©naturepl.com

/Pete

Oxford

/WWF

©SimondeTrey-W

hite/WWF-UK

©Mar�n

Harvey

/WWF-Canon

©BrentS�rton

/Ge�yImages

/WWF-UK

©EzequielScagne�

/WWF-Canon

We’ve worked for half acentury to protect theextraordinary biodiversity ofthe Galapagos Islands, whereCharles Darwin formulated histheory of natural selection. In1962, we helped establish apioneering research stationthere. And in 1998, we playeda big role in creating theGalapagos Marine Reserve –the second largest marineprotected area in the world atthe time.

©Staffan

Widstrand

/WWF


THE REALA turquoise lizard, a blue-eyed cuscus, a 2.5-metre-longriver shark… in just 10 years scientists have unearthed awealth of new species across the Pacific island of NewGuinea. Sue Parks reports

6-8%OF THEWORLD’S SPECIES ARE FOUND ONNEW GUINEA— AN ESTIMATED TWO-THIRDSOF WHICH ARE ENDEMIC TO THE ISLAND.

1,060NEW SPECIES WERE DISCOVERED IN NEWGUINEA BETWEEN 1998 AND 2008.

24%OF RAINFORESTWAS LOGGED OR DEGRADED INPAPUA NEW GUINEA BETWEEN 1974 AND 2002.

9 MILLIONPEOPLE INHABIT NEW GUINEA’S UNIQUELANDSCAPES, SPEAKING MORE THAN1,100 LANGUAGES; THAT’S MORETHAN ONE SIXTH OF THE WORLD’S TOTAL.

Our Final Frontier report – compiledas part of our 50th anniversarycelebrations – documents the discoveryof more than 1,000 fascinating speciesbetween 1998-2008.

Incredibly, new species were discoveredat a rate of two a week. One group ofscientists came face to face with a new birdspecies, the wattled smokey honeyeater,just moments after leaving theirhelicopter. Other wildlife gems includethe blue-eyed spotted cuscus (a smalltree-dwelling possum), a flesh-like orchid,and one of the most spectacular reptilefinds ever – a bright blue and turquoisemonitor lizard, which can grow up to ametre long.

WATER WONDERS

Topping the shoal of freshwater discoveriesis an extremely rare river shark, Glyphisgarricki, named after the man whoidentified it – New Zealand zoologist JackGarrick. The largest specimen recorded is awhopping 2.5 metres long. But despite itssize, this elusive shark is seldom seen, andwas immediately listed as endangered onthe International Union for Conservationof Nature’s Red List of threatened species.

Other aquatic curiosities include thered-and-orange-striped ‘zig-zag rainbowfish’, which lives in freshwater less thanone metre deep.

AMAZING AMPHIBIANS

New Guinea is second only to Madagascarfor its frog diversity. Web-footed wondersinclude a tree frog named after Sauronfrom Lord of the Rings, because of itsstriking red and black mottled eyes.

“Incredibly, new specieswere discovered at arate of two a week”

DISCOVERIESCONTINUE

In 2009 a giant woolly rat wasdiscovered in the forest inside the craterof Mount Bosavi, Papua New Guinea.Around five times the sizeof a common rat, thisrotund rodent weighed1.5kg, and measured 813mm long – aboutthe length of a widescreen TV. Anotherunusual Mount Bosavi resident is a treefrog, sporting what look spookily likevampire fangs.

TREASURE ISLAND

Zig-zag rainbow fish

The newly found blue-eyed spo�ed cuscus

This newly-discoveredmonitor lizardcan grow up to a metre long

©WWF / Lutz Obelgonner

©WWF/G.R.A

llen

©WWF/Tim

Flannery

ACHIEVING A BALANCE

It seems the more we explore this incredibleisland, the more we find, and who knowswhat other treasures are just waiting to bediscovered. But, for this to happen, we needto ensure that New Guinea’s naturalhabitats remain intact. Richly endowedwith timber, minerals, oil, natural gas,fertile soils, and fish. The island is nowrapidly being plundered for its abundantnatural resources. Vast tracts of forest arealready being cleared for logging and large-scale agriculture such as palm oilplantations – putting many of the island’sunique creatures at risk.

“One group of scientists came face toface with a new bird species, thewattled smokey honeyeater, justmoments after leaving their helicopter”Much can still be saved with two-thirds ofthe island’s forests remaining pristine. AndWWF is playing a key role in doing just that.For example, many of New Guinea’s palm oilproducers are pursuing certification throughthe Roundtable on Sustainable PalmOil(RSPO), which we helped set up thanks toyour support. This will ensure that highconservation value forests are not cleared.

The largest and most mountainous tropical island on Earth,New Guinea is divided between Papua New Guinea in theeast and Indonesia in the west. It contains the third largestrainforest in the world, and its wetlands are the mostpristine in the Asia-Pacific region. The richness of thesehabitats rivals those of Borneo, the Amazon and the Congo.The island’s seas encompass a large part of the CoralTriangle, a globally-important centre of marine life.

A TRUE WILDERNESS NEW GUINEA

“Web-footed wondersinclude a tree frognamed after Sauron,

from Lord of theRings, because of its

striking red andblack mottled eyes”

We’re working at government, industryand community levels to help ensure NewGuinea’s precious resources are managedsustainably. And we’ll keep up thepressure to achieve a balance between NewGuinea’s economic development and itsextraordinary natural heritage. This is anisland we can’t, and won’t, forget.

The wa�led smokey honeyeater

This tree frog struck scientists because of itsdis�nc�ve red iris

� TAKE ACTIONOur 50th anniversary film Astonish Mecelebrates the new species discovered inNew Guinea and beyond. Wri�en byStephen Poliakoff and starring GemmaArterton and Bill Nighy, the mini-film wasbroadcast at Odeon cinemas throughout theUK this summer. Watch the film at:wwf.org.uk/astonishme

Why care so much aboutprotecting species we might nevereven find? Our lead conservationscientist Dr MarkWright offershis perspective

New Guinea has thousands of species.Many of them found nowhere else andmany of them slightly peculiar – whereelse do you get kangaroos that live intrees? Against this backdrop, why the fussif we find new species to add to the tally?I have no doubt that it matters a greatdeal. For one, it reinforces theimportance of the work that we do. Wefocus on areas with abundant biodiversitybut facing enormous threats. Morespecies undoubtedly await discovery andyet we risk losing them in our relentlessdemand for land and resources. Wildlifelost, unheralded, before we even knowthey exist. The way we live, particularly inthe developed world, is pushing species tothe brink. But it doesn’t have to be thisway. We can co-exist; we just have tochoose to care.

PROTECTING THE UNKNOWN


©WWF/Bruce

Beehler

©WWF/Stephen

Richard

THE POLAR BEARFLYING SQUAD

Soon after this photo is taken, WWF’s Geoff York and his colleagueson board the helicopter put this polar bear to sleep using a small

anaesthetic dart. They have just one hour to swoop in and take vitalmeasurements -- information that could prove crucial in the fight

to save the beasts. Paul Cottam finds out more

POLE TO POLESPECIAL ISSUEWWF IN THE ARCTIC

©JonAars/Norwegian

PolarIns�tute

/WWF-Canon


»

Geoff York didn’t want the ‘nine to five’.Instead he opted to live with polar bears inthe Arctic. And as our polar bear scientistfor the past four years, he’s fighting hardto help them survive the growing climatechange threat.

It’s a job that puts him face-to-face withthe beasts. Literally.

“I was kneeling next to a polar bear den,ready to attach some radio collars to somebears that we’d anaesthetised temporarily.Suddenly, my partner shouted ‘bear’ and ahead poked through the tiny entrance holeto the den.

“Polar bears are highly aggressivecreatures and I knew that it was life ordeath. I was staring at her face-to-face. Ilaid flat on my back, immobile. She simplytrotted over and checked me out, sniffingme and staring at me.

“Luckily my partner had scrambled backto the helicopter and started up the engine– and the sound scared the bear off.”

Being a mighty ice warrior doesn’t makethe polar bear any less vulnerable toclimate change. And things are movingfast here in the Arctic, the region that’sbeing hit first and worst by this globalthreat.

The research work Geoff and hiscolleagues carry out is informing oururgent efforts to safeguard the Arctic forthe sake of polar bears – and the peopleand wildlife who also inhabit thebeautiful, harsh environment.

The most serious threat to polar bears isthe melting ice caused by climate change.Polar bears rely on sea ice to hunt forwildlife like seals. Without it, they find itharder to access food and build up fatreserves for hibernation during the Arcticwinter. What’s more, there’s increasingevidence that polar bears are swimmingfurther out to sea in the hunt for floatingpack ice – and that puts them at risk ofdrowning.

Disappearing summer sea ice in the Arcticis perhaps the most visible symptom ofincreased global temperatures – andGeoff’s witnessed these effects first hand.“I’ve literally watched the polar bear’shabitat shrinking,” he tells me. “In the 11years I’ve been working in the Arctic, I’veseen a considerable change in the level ofsea ice during summer months. In someplaces the difference is very striking.”

Melting ice caps are also causingpreviously inaccessible areas to melt,opening them up to oil and gas explorationand shipping. Parts of the famous

North West Passage – for centuriesblocked by a thick layer of ice – is nowpassable by ships in summertime.

Rapid changes in ice conditions are takingtheir toll. Nine of the 19 sub-populations ofpolar bears are in decline.

“The best way to fight these threats is byhaving a great understanding of how polarbears are reacting to their environment,and by keeping tabs on them,” says Geoff.

So our intrepid polar bear team aremonitoring a select few bears inHudson Bay (Canada) and the Svalbardarchipelago in the Norwegian Arctic. Thatway, WWF can learn how polar bearsbehave, where they’re migrating to and ifthere are any changes in their breedingand feeding patterns.

Geoff and his teammate swoop in viahelicopter, fitting the bears with collars andtaking all kinds of samples such as blood,poo, navel and hair swabs. The bears,which can be as heavy as a small car, arealso weighed on industrial-sized scales!

Accompanied by a pilot and up to twobiologists, the team fly out about 400ftabove the ice. They’re looking for evidenceof polar bears – fresh tracks in the snow orholes in the ice where they might be

Above: Geoff and his colleagues work against the clock to take their measurements

MANY SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT SUMMER SEA ICE COULD DISAPPEAR BY AS EARLY AS 2030, PUTTING POLAR BEARS AT RISK

©MargaretW

illiams/WWF-US


feeding. Once they find a bear of interest,the pilot lowers the helicopter as close as15ft above. The anaesthetist will then fire adart into the polar bear’s shoulder or otherhard tissue – a procedure that doesn’tharm the animal.

“Once darted, it usually takes between 3-12minutes for the bear to go down. Most ofthe time it’s very predictable and it’s safeto approach the bears. You just have tomake sure the bear is asleep! We then haveone hour to take all the samples we need.”

A select few female bears are also fittedwith special collars that transmit GPSradio signals to a central database.

“It means we can tell exactly where thebears go, where they’re choosing to buildmaternity dens, where they’re feedingand so on,” explains Geoff.

Encounters of the furry kind happen atthe most unexpected moments, as Geofffound out during one monitoring trip inChurchill, Canada, which saw the teamliving among the bears for a week. “Wehave special tundra buggies that act asour homes as well as transport,” Geoffsays. “I was making my breakfast onemorning when a polar bear’s face poppedup at my window – so I grabbed mycamera and took a snap! From that dayon we nicknamed the bear ‘Dancer’, as hehad a habit of jumping up on the buggiesto strut his stuff.”

Being in such close proximity to polar bearshas thickened Geoff’s resolve to protectthese creatures. “For me to explain whatit’s like living among polar bears is hard.Seeing the beasts eye to eye is somethingthat I’ll never forget. It stays with you. It’swhy I’ll carry on fighting to protect them.”

It’s this determination that keeps him goingin the face of frightening predictions. Manyscientists now believe that summer sea icecould disappear by as early as 2030 –something which leaves many populationsof polar bears extremely vulnerable. Sowhat next for the Arctic icon? “The fate ofthe polar bear is a complex one. What we’rerealising is that you can study each of the 19different sub-populations and come up with19 different stories as to how each one isresponding to a warming planet.”

“I was making my breakfastone morning when a polar

bear’s face popped up at mywindow— so I grabbed mycamera and took a snap!”

Geoff York

Below: two cubs snuggle up to their mother while she’s under anaesthe�c – its effects usuallylast for an hour

»

©GeoffYork

/WWF-Canada

©JonAars/NPI


Below: a female bear is anaesthe�sed and placedin a huge sling a�ached toweighing scales

“Seeing the beasts eye to eyeis something that I’ll never

forget. It stays with you. It’swhy I’ll carry on fighting to

protect the bears”Geoff York

» The reality that some areas of the Arcticare more vulnerable than others issomething we cannot ignore. Especiallyif we’re to save polar bears and otherArctic wildlife from extinction. Scientistspredict that there will be two major‘strongholds’ of Arctic sea ice – areasthat are less vulnerable to total meltingduring the summer months. These areas,located in north-west Greenland and theCanadian High Arctic, need to beprotected from all threats – frompoaching and pollution to climate changeand overfishing.

We’re setting up and supporting a majorconference with Inuit communities in theseregions to map out how to safeguard theirfragile doorstep. Geoff says: “Conservationmeasures for the region would have towork for local people too, both ethicallyspeaking, because it’s rightfully their land,but also practically. We need their supportto make it happen.”

Action could include legislation to manageexploration and development. “It’s notjust about polar bears – it’s about allforms of life that depend on the ice, fromsingle-celled creatures under the sea ice tobowhead whales. And of course, the Inuitpeoples whose traditional culture isinextricably linked to the ecosystem.”


� YOU CANAdopt a group of polar bears in the Arc�c –sign up at wwf.org.uk/polarbearadopt andyou’ll receive a cuddly toy and threeupdates a year on your tagged bears. You’llalso be able to keep tabs on the polar bearsvia our website.

ElizabethWhite, one of the directors of new BBC documentary seriesFrozen Planet, talks to Action about filming in the polar regions

FILMING IN THE FREEZERS

� FROZEN PLANET WILL AIR ON BBC ONE IN OCTOBER.

When I agreed to work on a programmecalled Frozen Planet, I knew there was apre�y good chance it’d involve spending�me in the cold. That turned out to be anunderstatement! Documen�ng life for thepeople and animals of the two poles was anepic experience. I spent 39 weeks in thepolar regions – filming in the Antarc�cPeninsula and the Canadian, Alaskan andRussian Arc�c. Temperatures ranged froma posi�vely toasty 5°C to a bone-chillingminimum of -44°C.

Those lucky enough to visit the Arc�c orAntarc�c o�en fall under its spell. They’redrawn back again and again. I think it’s thatsense of ‘other-worldliness’ – untouchedlandscapes so alien to us that they could befrom another planet.

We were fortunate to see – and film – sometruly remarkable things. Spending �me inthe company of killer whales in the Antarc�cas they hunt minke whales among the icefloes, was a truly moving experience that I’llnever forget. And of course, I will alwaysremember the first �me I saw a polar bear asit pulled its dripping wet body out on to thesea ice before us.

But the people of the polar regions also holda special charm. Two programmes in theseries look at human endeavour:explora�on, indigenous cultures and alsohow it’s helped us understand climate andweather pa�erns.

I spent many weeks working with indigenouspeople in the far reaches of the Canadian andAlaskan Arc�c. These people are some of themost adaptable in the world – keen to retaintheir tradi�onal culture, but open to newtechnologies and acutely aware of theoutside world.

But their world is changing. In the �nycommunity of Clyde River on Baffin Island inthe Canadian Arc�c, we worked with a teamof tradi�onal hunters who are carrying out ascien�fic pilot study. As they travel the ice, bydog sled or skidoo, they carry weather sta�onsand GPS satellite tracking units. Their pathsacross the ice are recorded on a centraldatabase, while the hand-held GPS allowsthem to record ice condi�ons, such as cracks,weak ice or grounded icebergs. These peopleare our eyes on the ground and so they seeclose up how things are changing.

The Inuit peoples name their months a�er theice condi�ons that are associated with the�me of year – ‘qiqsuqqaqtuq’ means June andrefers to the way the ice melts and refreezesto form a crust at night. But ‘June’ ice is notbeing seen in June any more – it’s turning upin May. As David, our guide said – things arenot so predictable now as they once were.Climate change is clearly having an impact.

But for visitors, the poles are s�ll lands ofwonder. It’s hard not to be allured by theirbeauty, and the amazing resilience of theanimals and people who live there.

©Elizabeth

White

/BBC

©MargaretW

illiams/WWF-US

In the dark depths of the Antarcticwinter, a colony of emperorpenguins huddle together in theirhundreds on the sea ice. Shrieking100mph winds give thebone-chilling -50C° temperaturesan unbearable intensity

The group slowly shuffles round, eachtaking its turn bearing the brunt of the galebefore taking shelter in the centre.Miraculously, they manage to keep theireggs and chicks warm through it all.

Tough as it may be, this annual battle forexistence is a natural cycle they’ve enduredfor millennia. But emperors – and a wholehost of other penguin sub-species – facean altogether less natural danger.

In fact, there’s evidence that climatechange is already taking its toll on emperorpenguins – the hardy stalwarts of theAntarctic winter. And some have alreadyfallen victim.

British scientists began monitoring acolony of emperor penguins on EmperorIsland, off the West Antarctic Peninsula, in1948. Back then, there were around 150breeding pairs, but numbers have been inslow decline. By 2009, none remained.

“It’s the first documented loss of a colony,and it’s due directly to the decline in seaice,” explains Rod Downie, WWF’sAntarctic expert. “The Peninsula is one ofthe most rapidly warming parts of theplanet, with temperatures rising by three

THEGATHERINGSTORM


“There is a theory that, as the Antarcticwarms, emperors and Adélies coulddecline and their distribution wouldretreat southwards, while other specieswould benefit. Gentoos, for example, needice-free ground to breed, and may expandtheir range southwards,” says Rod.

Numbers of many species are alreadydeclining. That’s largely because of ashrimp-like creature whose tiny sizebelies its tremendous importance. Only5cm long, krill is the mainstay of mostpenguins’ diets – not to mention a vitalfood for whales, seals, fish, squid andseabirds. The whole Antarctic food chaindepends on it. And krill depends on seaice to spawn.

Higher temperatures mean less sea ice.Less sea ice means fewer krill. So wheredoes that leave the penguins?

That’s something French researchers,supported by our ‘Adopt-a-Penguin’programme, are trying to find out. Theteam is based at the Dumont d’Urvilleresearch station, on an island just off theAntarctic continent. It’s a region whichhasn’t yet experienced significanttemperature rises. They’re monitoring acolony of Adélie penguins which nest onthe island during the summer – and theemperors which congregate in winter.

degrees over the last 50 years. Since the1970s, there’s been a huge reduction insea ice – and emperor penguins need seaice to breed.”

Only two of the world’s 17 species makeAntarctica their permanent home – theemperor and the Adélie. Another three –chinstraps, gentoos and macaronis – nest onthe northern tip of the peninsula. Others,like king penguins, stick to the comparativelybalmy sub-Antarctic islands. Al ogetherthere are millions of penguins across theSouthern Ocean. It’s an impressive statisticthat begs the question – “why bother withpenguins?” But the figures hide an unsettlingtruth. Huge numbers of penguin populationscould be vulnerable to even small-scalechanges in sea ice conditions.

POLE TO POLESPECIAL ISSUEWWF IN THE ANTARCTIC

»


©Fred

Olivier

/N

aturepl.com

Using the latest technology, includingequipping Adélies with microchips andGPS devices, allows them to get amazinginsights into the penguins’ lives. They cantell whether each bird has successfullyraised a chick, how long they spend at sea,how far they need to travel for food andhow much food they’re getting. By loggingdata for each individual, the researchersget a picture of the whole colony, and howit’s changing.

“It helps us fully understand the penguins’habits and their evolution through time,which is essential to estimate both thisspecies’ health and that of the Antarcticecosystem they inhabit,” explainsresearcher Françoise Amélineau. “As theyare at the top of this ecosystem’s foodchain, all changes that affect their preyaffect the birds too.”

While the scientists try to improve ourunderstanding of the long-term threatspenguins face, there are more immediateways we can ease the pressure. Overfishing,particularly of krill (which is then fed tofarmed fish) and pirate fishing is a bigthreat to the penguins.

And we’re making real progress here.Last year, a marine protected area wascreated off the South Orkney Islands –an important foraging ground for Adéliepenguins. This was the world’s firstmarine protected area in the high seas.Now we’re aiming for at least 10% of themassive Southern Ocean to be protectedby marine reserves. We campaigned longand hard for sustainable fishing in thearea, and data from Antarctic scientistsis instrumental in making it happen.With more research, we’re hoping topersuade international governments ofthe urgent need to better protect theempire of the penguins.


»

SCIENTISTS BEGAN MONITORING A COLONY OF EMPERORPENGUINS ON EMPEROR ISLAND IN 1948. BACK THEN,THERE WERE AROUND 150 BREEDING PAIRS, BUT NUMBERSHAVE BEEN IN SLOW DECLINE. BY 2009, NONE REMAINED

ADÉLIE

Live: around the AntarcticcontinentHowmany: 2.5 million pairsThreats: loss of sea icereduces their breeding areaand access to foodFact: as with several otherpenguin species, Adéliechicks form crèches once theyleave the nest while theirparents go fishing

GENTOO

Live: the Antarctic Peninsulaand sub-Antarctic islandsHowmany: 300,000 pairsThreats: its relatively smallpopulation leaves the gentoovulnerable to declining krilland fish stocks, althoughthere is some evidence that itsdistribution is currentlyexpandingFact: young gentoos havebeen known to travel as faras New Zealand and Africa

MAGELLANIC

Live: southern Argentina,Chile and the Falkland IslandsHowmany: 1.8 millionbreeding pairsThreats: large colonies arevulnerable to oil spills, whichkill thousands of magellanicsevery year off the coast ofArgentina. Falling fish stocksare also a major threatFact:magellanic penguinsmate with the same partneryear after year, usuallyreturning to the same burrow

MACARONI

Live: nesting in thesub-Antarctic and theAntarctic PeninsulaHowmany: 12 millionbreeding pairsThreats: the world’s mostnumerous species of penguin,macaroni numbers have fallensharply and they’re listed as‘vulnerable’. They eat moremarine life (mainly krill) thanany other seabird, so fallingprey numbers affect them badlyFact: with their immaculatelycoiffured golden eyebrows,macaronis get their namefrom a hairstyle favoured by18th century dandies!

©Fred

Olivier

/Naturepl.com

©MichelG

unther/WWF-Cano

©WimvanPassel/

WWF-Canon

©iStockphoto.com

©iStockphoto.com

Françoise is one of 27 peoplestationed at the Dumontd’Urville research station.Around half are scientists(biologists, glaciologists,meteorologists) while the restprovide the support essentialfor survival in polar conditions.They include a doctor,mechanics, a radio technicianand a cook.

Françoise uses the few hours ofdaylight during the Antarcticsummer to observe theemperor penguins, which arenesting around ten minutes’walk from the base. “I wear abig insulated suit and thick-soled boots that isolate my feetfrom the ice or the snow,” shesays. “When it’s windy, everypart of my body is covered,even every inch of my face.”

As many as 90 people at a timepass through the base insummer, including many morescientists. But they’reoutnumbered by the hundredsof pairs of Adélies.

“In summer, Adélie penguinsare nesting everywhere on theIsland, even between andunder the buildings. They areused to our presence, and wetry to disturb them as little aspossible. We often getemotionally attached to someof the penguins that nest closeto the base. We see theirchicks growing as the seasonprogresses.”

LIFE ON THE ICE

� TAKE ACTIONYou can help Françoise and her colleagues in their vital quest to protectAntarc�ca’s Adélie penguins. Sign up to our penguin adop�on andyou’ll get three updates a year on your adopted colony, plus a cuddlytoy penguin, cer�ficate and a welcome pack filled with goodies! Visitwwf.org.uk/penguinadopt or call 0844 736 0036.


CHINSTRAP

Live: the Antarctic Peninsulaand sub-Antarctic islandsHowmany: nearly eightmillion pairsThreats: numbers and rangeappear to be increasing, butfalling krill and fish numberspose a future threatFact: more than 100,000pairs of chinstraps may livein a single colony

EMPEROR

Live: Antarctic sea iceHowmany: 200,000breeding pairsThreats: loss of sea icereduces their breeding areaand food suppliesFact: a male emperorpenguin goes without food fornine weeks while incubatinghis egg, losing nearly half hisbody weight

KING

Live: sub-Antarctic islandsHowmany: onemillion pairsThreats: once hunted fortheir oil, flesh and skins,numbers are now recoveringFact: king penguins can takeup to 13 months to raise theirchicks, so only have twochicks every three years

ROCKHOPPER

Live: sub-Antarctic islandsHowmany: 4million pairsThreats: pollution anddisturbance from fishing, aswell as falling food supplies,mean numbers in some placeshave fallen alarminglyFact:while many species ofpenguins slither about on land,rockhoppers – as their namesuggests – are good jumpers

Above right: Françoise gets up closeand personal with a pair of penguins

©Staffan

Widstrand

/WWF

©WimvanPassel/

WWF-Canon

©Fritz

Po l̈king/WWF

©Pete

Oxford

/naturepl.com

©Bruno

Jourdain/WWF


Main:©

PerAnders

Pe�ersson

Inset:©David

Fisher/RexFeatures

BONDBEAUTYTURNS

AMAZONADVENTURER

Gemma Arterton swaps the red carpet for the Amazon


What were your impressions of the Amazon,and in par�cular, Acre, the area SkyRainforest Rescue is working in?I had preconceived ideas about theAmazon as being a place of isolatedcommunities that didn’t have much of aconnection with the outside world. Butcoming to Acre and meeting the peoplewho live here made it a really comfortableplace to be. They live within their means.And everyone is so friendly. It was a realeye-opener seeing how they make do withso little.

What did you learn about the work that SkyRainforest Rescue is doing to help people andthe environment?Looking down from the plane as we flew into Acre, I was struck to see the gapingholes where areas of rainforest should be.But then we hovered over the area of Acrewhere Sky Rainforest Rescue is working,and it’s still intact. Later, I learnt workingso closely with the communities is what ismaking the big difference. The local peopleare the ones we have to work with becauseat the end of the day they are the peoplewho look after the forests.

Who did you meet?The rubber tappers I met live an hour anda half into the forest. They have to coverbig distances to get the latex. There wasone tapper who had done it since the ageof eight and he’s now in his seventies. It’sunbelievable to see his dedication and howwell respected he is in the community.

What surprised you?The rates of deforestation were shocking.As was seeing the number of trees thathad been cut down. Sometimes therewould be rainforest as far as the eye couldsee, but then you would travel to areasthat had been completely deforested. Thatwas really shocking. The thing that alsostruck me was the deep sense ofcommunity out there.

You went to a school and met the nextgenera�on of Acre. How was that?There were a couple of girls who spoke upand they were really eloquent and had areal sense of what they want to do to keepthe forest standing. One girl had writtenan amazing poem about herself and the

forest and how she wants to become afamous writer. They were really polite andpositive and happy and were allconscientious about the environment.Several of them said how the forest was‘life’ and I thought that was reallyprofound.

Can we really save a billion trees – the aim ofthe project?Yes! The biggest message I got from thetrip was that people don’t actually want tocut down the trees. They want to farm andpreserve and find other ways to make aliving while the forest remains standing,but they didn’t have the resources in thepast. This can work and hopefully otherstates in Brazil and the wider world willsee what’s happened, see the results andjoin in.

Former Bond actressGemma Arterton was shaken and stirred by a recent Amazon tripto see our Sky Rainforest Rescue project. She talks to Action about her experiences

©PerAnders

Pe�ersson

� YOU CAN HELP…Adopt a jaguar or sponsor an acre. Visit sky.com/rainforestrescue

SKY RAINFOREST RESCUEWWF and Sky are supporting the Acrestate government to help save one billiontrees in the Amazon rainforest, home ofthe jaguar. We are doing this by workingwith local people to give them analternative to cutting down trees in an areathreatened by increased deforestation.Funds raised through Sky RainforestRescue will help to improve people’s livesby supporting sustainable farming methodsand promoting long-term conservation ofthe rainforest in Acre.

Every pound you donate is twice asvaluable because Sky has pledged to matchall dona�ons, up to the overall campaigntarget of £4m.

Gemma found the local familiesin Acre a real inspira�on


You can help

Introducing our new and exclusive children’s membership for7–11 year olds. Sign up today and your mini adventurers willexplore the world with our GoWild Club, where they will beguided by some new friends including Tiago the hyacinth macaw,Lottie the otter, Roary the tiger, and Shelley the turtle. They’llalso receive six magazines a year, full of fascinating facts, gamesand competitions; access to a cool interactive website and awelcome pack filled with goodies.

Each magazine will feature the world’s most awesomedestinations, with Steve Backshall giving us his own view on thewild wonders that live there.

Steve says: “WWF works hard to protect endangered speciesand safeguard their habitats. That’s why I’ve lent my support tothe Go Wild Club. It’s so important to get kids engaged andinspired at a young age so that they will want to protect ourplanet in future.”

F just £ a month, members will be taken ona mesmerising journey through the world’smost exciting widlife and habitats.

And as a valued member of WWF we’re offeringyou the chance to sign up those special childrenin your life for just £1.50 a month. Please visitwwf.org.uk/gowildoffer

Kids’ TV star Steve Backshall backs our exciting new children’s membership

GOWILD FOR OUR 5OTH

THIS IS ROARYHe’s a beau�ful Bengal �ger.Join Roary on a journeythrough Asia, where you’lllearn not only about �gersbut the other widlife that livehere. Plus the lowdown onthe threats facing thesecreatures – and what we’re

doing to help.

HERE’S SAKARITHE POLAR BEARSakari will reveal how herfurry body is speciallyadapted to withstand thefreezing Arc�c. And you canlearn about the otheranimals who’ve made theinhospitable polar regionstheir home. Plus, what isWWF doing to protect thishabitat and the animals that

live there.

SAY HELLO TO TIAGOHe’s a hyacinth macaw living in the Americas. Fly highwith Tiago as your kids explore the La�n Americanforests, the many animals that call it home plus howwe’re helping to keep the region a haven for itswildlife and people.

SHELLEY THETURTLE

She’s going to show youaround her watery world soyou can learn more aboutsome of the other speciesthat share her ocean home.We’re commi�ed to

protec�ng Shelley’s habitat.

FIND OUT MOREWhy not take a look atthe Go Wild Club websiteto meet the whole gangand to find out moreabout them.

Visitwwf.org.uk/gowild


INTRODUCINGLOTTIE

This European otter willguide young readers through

Europe’s habitats,introducing other animalsresiding in these parts. Aswell as giving the lowdownon her own threatenedspecies. You can also learnmore about how WWF isworking to protect her andother wild animals both inthe UK and throughout

Europe.

MEET THE GANGINTRODUCING A FEW OF THE WILD CHARACTERS THAT WILL GUIDE READERS THROUGH EACH ISSUE

Your chance to win


All compe��on terms and condi�ons can be viewed online atwwf.org.uk/compterms or by calling our supporter care teamon 01483 426333.

NAME: KATE THOMSON

AGE: 25

LIVES: EDINBURGH

HOW SHE SUPPORTS US:VOLUNTEERS FOR OURCAMPAIGNS � RECENTLYORGANISED BIG CLIMATECONNECTION CAMPAIGN

“I felt like I had a greatopportunity to go anddo some grass-rootscampaigning for you.WWF plays a pivotalrole in getting the bigenvironmental issuesout there into thepublic domain”

SPOTLIGHTON YOU

ICE VIEW

PRIZE PRINTSAn acclaimed wildlife photographer andWWF supporteris offering members the chance to see his works at anexclusive exhibition

Lucky winners will attend a preview of Roger Hooper’s upcomingexhibition, and receive one of his limited-edition prints worth £450.

We’ve got four pairs of tickets to give away for the opening night ofRoger’s Christmas exhibition in London on Thursday 1 December.There’s also an opportunity to meet Roger andWWF staff.

All you have to do is answer the following question:

Which species does WWF’s Geoff York help protect? Is it:a) Polar bearsb) Penguinsc) Walruses

Send your answers, together with your name, address and telephonenumber, to: ActionMagazine, Exhibition Comp, Panda House,Weyside Park, Godalming, Surrey Gu7 1XR, or email your answer to:[email protected] ‘Exhibition Comp’ in the subject line.

Good luck!

Closing date for entries is 28 October.

We’re giving away fourcopies of the BBC seriesFrozen Planet on DVD

With seven hours of footageplus added extras, this is theperfect prezzie for Christmas.Or just for yourself!

To be in with a chance ofwinning, just answer thefollowing question:

How many weeks did directorElizabeth White spend filmingin the Poles? Was it:a) 12 weeksb) 2 weeksc) 39 weeks

Send your answers, togetherwith your name, address andtelephone number, to: ActionMagazine, Frozen PlanetComp, Panda House,Weyside Park, Godalming,Surrey Gu7 1XR, or emailyour answer, with ‘FrozenPlanet Comp’ in the subjectline, to: [email protected]

Closing date for entries is 10 November.

What made YOU become aWWF supporter? Email us atac�on�wwf.org.uk and youcould feature in a future issueof Ac�onmagazine.

CALLING ALL CREATIVESIn partnership with Tetra Pak,we’re invi�ng students agedbetween 7-14 to design animage that represents‘renewability’ for use in ourjoint campaign. The winningentrant will receive £100 forthemselves and £2,000 for theirschool! For more info, visit:renewableidea.co.uk

©Elizabeth

White

/BBC

©Roger

Hooper


June 2011 issue answers Prize word: LOGGING Across 6.Biodegradable 7.Iceland8.Cocoa 9.Eagle 10.Gaur 13.Dams 14.White 16.Horns 17.Plateau 18.Carbon dioxideDown 1.Foreign 2.Sewage 3.Grid 4.Vapour 5.Flood 6.Boiler 10.Gas 11.Siberia12.Refuge 13.Danube 14.Weapon 15.Polar 17.Pods

Here’s a Sudoku with a difference.Instead of using the numbers 1 to9, you instead need to use the 9le�ers that make up the wordSCRUBLAND.

Usual rules apply – fill in the gridso that each row, column and 3x3box contains these le�ers.

And remember, each of these 9different le�ers must feature onlyonce in each row, column and box.

1 2 3 4 5

6

7 8

9 10

11 12 13

14 15

16

17 18

19 20

21 22

23

A R U L SL

B A U DN C

A C RC A

C N U DB R D C

S B R U

CROSSWORD PRIZE CROSSWORD 19: October 2011 issueCompiled by Aleric Linden SUDOKU Sudoku 4: October 2011 issue

PRIZE CROSSWORD 19: October 2011 issue

Name:

Address:

Postcode:

Telephone:

Prize Word:

Please return by 21 October to: Ac�on crossword, WWFUK, Panda House,Weyside Park, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XR

Or email your answer to: crossword�wwf.org.uk

Thewinner of prize crossword 19will receive a copy ofaerial photography book The Earth from the Air.

A�er solving the crossword, take each le�er from theshaded squares (going from le� to right and top tobo�om) to spell out the prize word.

DANRULBSCCSUDBNRALRLBSCAUNDBRLANDCUSANCUSBDLRSUDCLRABNLCANRUSDBUBRLDSNCANDSBACLRU

Clues Across1 Renewable energy form (10)7 Elephant – world’s largest land animal(7)

8 _ sea dragon, rela�ve of the seahorse(5)

9 Climate change is causing Arc�c ice to_ (4)

10 _ waves, seismic result of anearthquake (5)

14 This country contains mountaingorillas (6)

15 Corn _, it can be used tomakebiodegradable pens (6)

17 Oil _, occurred in the Gulf of Mexicolast year (5)

18 Robert _, environmentalist andexplorer (4)

21 Caribbean na�on, suffered anearthquake in January 2010 (5)

22 Galapagos _ , home to the world’ssecond largest marine reserve (7)

23 The Amazon is the world’s largesttropical _ (10)

Clues Down1 Mountain creatures, cri�callyendangered (8)

2 Killer whale (4)3 It’s regarded as Japan’s mainland (6)4 Move animals to a new habitat (8)5 _ insula�on, cost-effec�ve way ofimproving home energy efficiency uptop (4)

6 _markets, which sell locally-sourcedfruit and veg (7)

11 Animal sponsorship – a popularWWFgi� (8)

12 Fishing device in which dolphins o�enfall vic�m (5,3)

13 Tradi�onal _ medicine – rhino horn isa prized ingredient (7)

16 Pacific weather phenomenon (2,4)19 Shahtoosh shawls aremade fromwhich part of the Tibetan antelope?(4)

20 _ whale, Earth’s largest living creature(4)

WWF-UK, registered charity number 1081247 and registered in Scotland number SC039593. A companylimited by guarantee number 4016725. © 1986 panda symbol and ® “WWF” Registered Trademark ofWWF-World Wide Fund For Nature (formerly World Wildlife Fund), WWF-UK, Panda House, WeysidePark, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1XR, t: +44 (0)1483 426333, e: [email protected], wwf.org.uk

WWF.ORG.UK·ACTION·OCTOBER2011·ISSUE19

100%RECYCLED

Tell us what the Panda made you do at:wwf.org.uk/do-it

©Shu

erstock.com

“THE PANDAMADE ME CHOOSESUSTAINABLEWOOD”VICTORIA PEREGRINE, LONDON

“THE PANDAMADE ME SIGNA PETITION TOPUSH FORHEALTHIERSEAS”DANNY SMITS, ABERDEEN

“THE PANDA MADEME PROTECT POLARBEARS IN THEARCTIC”WWF'S GEOFF YORK

“THE PANDA MADEME SWITCH OFF MYLIGHTS FORWWF’SEARTH HOUR”CLAIRE LOWE, WWFMEMBER, SURREY

SURVIVAL ON THE ICE - WWF

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