REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 05150424 (England and Wales} REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1105621 Colchester Zoological Society (formerly Colchester Zoo Action for the Wildl Report of Ihe Trustees and Financial Statsments for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 SB&P Chartered Accountants & Ststtjlory Auditors Oriel House 24 Oriel Road Bootle Liverpool Merseyside L20 7EP Colchester Zoological Society (fomierly Colchester Zoo Action for the Wild) Contents of the Flnanclal Ststements for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 Page Report of the Trustees 1 to 12 Report of the Independent Audltors 13 to 16 Statement of Financial Activities 17 Balance Sheet 18 Cash Flow Statement 19 Notes to the Cash Flow Ststement 20 Notes to the Financial Ststements 21 to 27 Detailed Ststement of Financial Activities 28 Colchester Zoological Soclety (Registered number: 05150424) {fornierly Colchester Zoo Action for the Wildl Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present Iheir report with the financial statements of the Charity for the year ended 31 December 2024. The trustees have adopted the provisions of the Statement of Recommended Pracb'ce ISORPI Financial Reporting Standard 102 IFRS 102}- OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Objectlves and aims The charitys objectives are". la) the consetvation of the earth's natural resources through projects and initiatives dealing with presorvation and protection of living animals and their habitats {b) To educate the public in a formal and informal manner through educational programmes raising awareness and respect for nature (c) To carry out specific and quantitative research from which conservation and animal welfare benefits can accrue and to provide for the publication of results of such research The charity's aims are.. {al to provide financial assistance to overseas in-situ projects in order to support the conservation of endangered species (b) to provide technical assistance to in-silu and ex situ projects at both local and global levels (c) to raise awareness through education programmes and involvement of local people in community conservation projects We have referred to the Charity Commission's general guidance on public benefit when reviewing our aims and objectives and planning future activities. In particular. the trustees consider how planned activities will contribute to the aims and objectives they have set. Significant activities The charity pledges funding for third paty conservation projects world wide. The projects are selected after careful consideration of the current plight of the species to which the project relates All third paty projects funded in this manner share the same overall objectives and aims of the charity. The charity has undertaken the creation of a wldlife reserve in South Africa wlh the aid of donations from Colchester Zoo Enterprises Limited and its visitors. Volunteers The charity uses volunteers to help raise awareness of Colchester Zoological Society and the conservation work it supports and to help raise funds for supported projects. The Trustees would like to take this opportunity to thank the volunteers for their continuing efforts. Page 1 Colchester Zoological Society (Registered number: 05150424) (fornierly Colchester Zoo Action for the Wildl Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE Charltable activities Below is a review of the organisations and projects Colchester Zoological Society supported in 2024 through finanaal and technical assistance. UmPhafa Private Nature Reserve The UmPhafa Nature Reserve was fomied in 2IXI5. In October 2024, the UmPhafa Nature Reserve was given protected area status under South African law. In 2024. Colchesler Zoological Society gave a contribution of £379.005 to ensure the continued running of the reserve.. from employing field rangers, maintenance and intern staff, to ensuring continued protection of wildlife species, as well as hosting interns and provided them with the opportunity for intems to leam about conservats'on management of a reserve. 56 interns visited in 2024. which induded groups from WritUe University College, the University of Suffolk and East Coast College. A new South African student intern also joined for the year. The interns assisted with research on the bottlebrush tree and with vegetation surveys as part of the rangeland condition assessment of the reserve. led by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. 34 students from the University of Kwazulu Natal also visited for their annual soil studies trip. Poaching continues to be an issue, but thankfully al a lower level than 2023, wth a total of 25m of fence stolen. 16 animals taken and 22 incursion attempts, however there was a higher number of InStan￿S of trespassing by poachers, with or without dogs, with 84 poachers recorded in the reserve in 2024 and one snare found. Incursion attempts did follow a downward trend over the year. likely due lo increased cameras, the purchase of a thermal drone, and improved patrolling, along with the buffalo acting as a deterrent. Donations of binoculars and cameras also assisted the field rangers in their work. Game count figures provided good totals for 2024. higher than 2023. even though animals were lost to a particularly cold snap. 2024 saw no improvement in rainfall levels, so planning ahead, the team purchased a rake and baler tr) ensure the animals have food in str)ck for the winter of 2025. Two additional boreholes were also drilled in 2024 so the team will be able to top up some of the dams to ensure constant water sources. Highester number recorded in a game count thts year 171 Species Blesbok Buffalo Common Reedbuck Duiker Eland Giraffe Impala Kudu Mountain Reedbuck Nyala Red Hartbeest Warthog Walerbud( Wildbeest Zebra Total Dec 2021 Dec 2022 Dec 2023 Nov 2024 59 88 59 30 14 10 33 112 40 360 323 17 50 57 212 66 351 551 2226 13 12 124 38 465 561 23 75 73 15 72 40 304 193 57 122 61 385 378 14 41 380 459 10 73 78 306 47 292 337 2118 56 13 254 40 185 303 1584 108 47 254 60 325 551 2589 269 481 2632 New speaes recorded for the year indude.. Mammals - African Wild Cat Birds - Purple Crested Turaco Insects- Baboon spider Amphibians- Painted Reed frog l Boettgers Dainty frog Page 2 Colchester Zoologlcal Society (Registsred number: 051504241 Ifomierly Colchester Zoo Action for the Wlld) Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 Ke Events on the Resenie January 2024 Buffalo herd started to calf February 2024 4 juvenile giraffes captured and moved off the reserve,. 2 males and 2 females 2 male wild dogs arrived The field rangers and management staff started security training and testing March 2024 Female wild dogs arrived 3 spotted eagle owls arrived from Freeme Wild and released 2 large spotted genets arrived from Freeme Wild and released The field rangers and management staff started security exams wth written and practical shooting tests First aid training for field rangers and management Aprll 2024 Cheetah permit arrived Started bonding pro￿dure with the wild dogs 101 blesbok delivered Male kudus captured for movement off Ihe reserve 10 ostriches delivered.. 2 males 8 females Electric converted to solar on the reserve's fen￿$ May 2024 Wildebeest and zebra (2ptured for movement off the reserve Thermal drone purchased June 2024 New male giraffe delivered 4 new camera traps purchased July 2024 Wild dogs left African wld cat released 2 new male giraffes released 3 male red Hartebeest delivered Cheetah collars arrived August 2024 Released 9 Buffalo induding a calf Spotted another African wild(2t on the reserve 10 common reedbuck released September 2024 The wild dogs that left in July had 5 pups at their new home Makalali. These were the only dogs bonded successfully thi5 year State vet checked the buffalo fence and it passed 56 kudu and 20 zebra captured for movement off the reserve October 2024 The team undertook a block bum of 27% of the resetve. November 2024 3 male eland arrived Spotted Eagle Owl had 2 chicks December 2024 .Eskom electricity supply switched off with conversion to solar. Page 3 Colchester Zoological Society (Registered number: 051504241 Ifomierly Colchester Zoo Action for the Wild) Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 In 2025, the team shall again be hosting intems to help with the reserve management tasks and wll continue to focus their efforts on protecting species, bringing in new animal genes with the highlight of releasing cheetah onto the reserve.. a first release of this speaesl Fisherfs Estuarine Moth Breeding Programme The Fisherfs estuarine moth is a rare and highly threatened species. The main stronghold of the species cenlred on a remote island in Essex located in the Walton Backwaters, called Skippevs Island, which is part of Hamford Water National nature reserve. Sadly, a seawall breach in 2020 has meant that approximately 70 % of suitable habitat on the island has been lost to rising sea levels. Over the last 20+ years, a collaborate project has been underway to create new habilat for the moth's larvae to feed on, with Hog's fennel planted across numerous siles in north Essex, as part of a landscape-wde o)nservation approath. Colchesler Zoo began working on this programme in 2008, setting up a captive breeding and release programme, with egg batches produced at the zoo released into newly created habitst sites to ensure the long-temi survival of this species. As of 2024. the majority of the 35 plots have now been colonised, and the captive breeding programmÈ was paused, having achieved ils objective to provide moths for release into new habitat. Colchester Zoo, however, continues its involvement with the project by annually monitoring Hog's fennel plant condib'on, scrub encroachment, larval feeding signs and adult moth counts at of the newly created sites., Cudmore Grove and Copl Hall, to help monitor the establishment of the moth at these sites. In addition. Colchester Zoo's Zoological Director and Team Leader of Reptile Sedion sit on the Fisherfs Estuarine Moth Steering Group wth partners from the Essex Wildlife Trust, Natural England, Environment Agency, Tendring District Council. Butterfy cOnse￿allOn and the National Trust to continue lo work to safeguard the future of this species. This project is a fantastic indicator of the success of an invertebrate breed and release programme, working in collaboration with various conservation organisations to increase the population size of this species. Save the Rhinos International The Minister for the South African Department of Forestry. Fisheries and Environment has announced that 420 rhinos were illegally killed in South Africa during 2024, and, of this total, 232 rhinos were lost to poaching in Kwazulu Natal. VWhilst these figures represent a decrease on the previous year, demonstrating that current conservation efforts are having a langible impact, ongoing investment into park rangers is essential, as rangers are on the frontline in their role lo ensure the integrity of conservation areas and the safety of rhinos within these landscapes. In 2024, Colchester Zoological Society gave a contribution of £6,900 to purchase rifle safes for the safeguarding of field rangers, rifles and tr) meet emergency repairs or rep1a￿rnent for patrol equipment for rangers. This donation helps towards Hluluwe-imfolozi National Park's objectives to reduo annual poaching levels, by enabling increased patrol coverage, decreased reaction time and by improving ranger welfare while on duty. The first quarter of 2024 saw rhino carcasses continue to be found following poaching incidents. Following a major dehorning operation in Aplll. the next quarter saw a reduction in rhino poaching and overall, this decrease continued fr)r the rest of the year. Unfortunately, there is still a market for dehorned rhino, so the teams remain ever vigilant to ensure conb'nued protection of the ￿SerVe'S rhinos. Field ranger training sessions continued in the Park in 2024, new uniform provision. ongoing efforts to maintain the field ranger camps and the purchase of new equipment. such as tents. and ration packs, all help build the ranger units, capacity, helping lo ensure individuals are more effective during deployments in the field. Page 4 Colchester Zoological Society (Registered number.. 051504241 {fomierly Colchester Zoo Action for the Wild) Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 Orangutan Foundation The Orangutan Foundation is working to save orangutans by protecting their tropical forest habitat, working th local communities, and promoting research and education. n. The Orangutan Foundation operates five orangutan post-release monitoring camps within the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. a reserve spanning almosl 160,000 acres in Indonesian Borneo. At these camps. field teams care for orphaned orangutans in a soft-release programme and continuously monitor orangutans in the surrounding forest. The young orangutans in the soft-release programme learn forest skills ne￿SSary for life in the wild and. once fully prepared, are then ready for release. From time to time, situations arise where the team help with the rescue and translocation of orangutans stranded in threatened areas, such as community land and fragmented sections of forest. Veterinary assistan￿ ensures the highest welfare standards are available to expertly treat these orangutans straight away before release into the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. In 2024. Colchester Zoological Society gave a contribution of £7,500 to cover a vet salary. post-release monitoring of the Bomean orangutan populab'on in the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and veterinary equipment for a wildlife clinic. Highlights from 2024 confimi a wTld birth to one of the females, after seven years of learning, an orphaned orangutsn gradualed from the soft-release programme and started a new chapter in the protected Lamandau Wldlife Reserve. and the other orangutans in the soft-release programme also progressed well. Approxirnately 550,000 acres of critical rainforest habitat continues to be protected through guard posts and patrols, with over 5.000 orangutans in Lamandau Wildlife Reserve and Tanjung Puting National Park safe-guarded through the habitat protection programme. Reforestation also continued in over 40 hectares of degraded rainforest habitat. 36.500 saplings were planted in over 30 hectares of degraded rainforest. A fijrther 14.4 hectares of saplings planted in previous years were also maintained through the prO￿sS of 'enrichmenf, where tsiling tree-saplings are repla￿d by stronger ones. A total of 7,000 plants from 7 different species were used in this prO￿sS to increase local rainforest diversity and success rates. Fortunately. the dry season was not as arid as expected, wth only forest fires needing to be extinguished in Lamandau Wildlife Reserve. Staff also built wells - 'boreholes' _ to encourage the growth of wetter, fire-resistant vegetation, and to provide water SoUr￿S for firefighting in fire-prone forest areas. AEECL (Association Européenne pour I'Étude et la Conservation des Lémuriens) The AEECL aims to advance Ihe understanding and conservation of Madagascar's lemur populations through saentific research, capb've propagation and protecb.on of their natural habitaL Investment in local communities through education, resource management and communication helps ensure the communities of today can forge a safe haven for wildlife tomorrow. In 2024, Colchester Zoological Soaety gave its £1,747.34 membership fee to support the work of AEECL. In 2024. during the Regional Reforeslation event. the AEECL planted 50 trees in Anahidrano village. about 25km north of Antsohihy. The project's main site for the reforestation programme is in Andranolsirilry,- the reforestab-on area begins at the edges of the Andranotsiritry forest and extends over a vast savannah. During e planb'ng season. 6.586 young plants from four species were provided by the 2 community nurseries and these We￿ planted over 4ha. Young plants continue to be checked over and watered and the area around them tidied to help with the tree gro￿. AEECL support the women in local communities in Antsohihy and in celebration of Intemational Women's Day in 2024, provided 25 T-shirts, and a special celebration meal to all participants who represented AEECL. The team attended the biodiversity annual event in Anjiabory which included a ￿lebratIon lunch, information stands. speeches by the authorities in attendants and ne￿OrkIng with tte NGOS who wort in the Sofia region. AEECL donated to support the celebration. A Masters research student, supported by AEECL. studied at various locations throughout the area, looking at 'assessing the potential for soil restoration in rice paddies in the Sahamalaza region, using soil tests and soaal science., The AEECL helped the student to organise her research permit, organised a Malagasy student to assist her and supported her data collection. The AEECL hosted another day of road repairs whith saw 178 people attend from lour villages and approximately 17km of road either fixed or newly creatsd. Most of the worst sections were fixed and AEECL provided food for the event. AEECL subsidises 78 teacher wages from 3 communes to ensure they are eaming a salary whilst teaching the children good skills. including nature-ba5ed studies. By subsidising their salaries, the AEECL can improve the educational programmes of the local ¢xJmmunities. Page S Colchester Zoological Society (Registered number: 05150424) Ifomierly Colchestsr Zoo Action for the Wild) Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 Elephant Orphanage Project The Elephant Orphanage Project (EOP) is working to rescue, rehabilitate and release elephants that have been orphaned as a direct result of poaching. In 2024, Colchesler Zoological Society gave a contribution of £10,000 to help provide food and medical treatment for the orphans and to support the wage of one of the elephant caregivers. Aaron. who has worked al e project Sin￿ 2012. At the end of 2024, the Elephant Orphanage Project's had 26 elephants undergoing care or monitoring, spanning the SIX Stages of release.. 17 elephants in rehabi5ilab.on {5 elephants in Stage 1 rehabilitation at the Lilayi Elephant Nursery and 12 elephants in Stage 3 at Ihe Kafue Release Facility who remain inside the protective boma overnight). 9 elephants actively monitored {6 of these in Stage 5 spending nights outside the boma, remaining with the orphan herd less than 50P/o of their time and wth one calf born in tre wld, and 3 in Stage 6 living full time in the wild and being monitored). Stage 5 elephant female Chamilandu and her herd continue to periodically visit the Stage 3 release phase orphans to socialise on their daily walks and, throughout the last quarter of the year, maintained a consistent home range within 5 - 7 km radius of the Release Facility. These encounters eviden￿ the strong bonds forged be￿een the elephants and the trust they have built over time. Some of the Stage 5 orphans-, Tafika. Rufunsa, and Mosi, have begun to explore other areas of the Kafije National Park, likely in search of more abundant and nutritious food SoUr￿s. This break away from Chamilandu's leadership and expansion of their range marks Iheir growing Independen￿ and confidence in navigating the w(Id. Tafika ventured south and explored overlapping ranges with wild herds,. this behaviour is essential for long-term survival and adaptation in male African elephants. After five months of exploring the wld, Stage 6 sub-adult bull Musolole, now 13.5 years. made an unexpected return to the Kafue Release Facility, reuniting with the orphans, likely in search of water due to the drought. He had been spotted in a group of around 50 wild elephants just 2 weeks before his return in excellent body condition. In November. an orphaned elephant was captured. He was in poor condition, which is currently very common during ihis extreme drought. but he was already of weaned age, so rather than go to Lilayi Elephant Nursery, he was immobilised to provide some basic medical treatment and immune boosters and relocated to an area doser to the National Park. away from settlements with more plent1￿1 vegetation. Subsequent reports by the monitoring Rangers confirm he joined with a herd and moved off lowards the Park. Elephant Herpe5 Wirus (EEHV) Research Funds Appeal Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus {EEHV), of which there are 11 Isub)species. continues lo be a devastating infectious disease posing a significant threat to the long-term conservab'on of Asian elephants in zoo populations and is the most frequent cause of death in young Asian elephants,. over the last 35 years, 12-17 % of all Asian elephant calves born in Western zoos succumbed to EEHV-HD before reaching adulthood. The disease is also found in wild populations, where infections and falalib'es are more challenging to track, and more recently, African elephants have been shown lo be affected as well. In 2024. Colchester Zoological Soaety provided a donation of £866.63 to support research projects that slrive toward5 finding a solution against this fatal disease. Promising lines of research work continue, with researchers at the University of Utrecht maktng remarkable progress towards developing a vaccine against EEHV. A scientific paper was published in 2024 highlighting progress with the work to better define which animals are al risk of EEHV-fatal haemorrhagic disease {EEHV-HD} using blood tests from 164 Asian elephants in European zoos. The study strongly suggested which young elephants with low antibody leve15 were at risk of developing fatal EEHV-HD. confirmed by the fact all 23 studied fatalities had such low antibody levels (which represents a large subset of 56010 of the total reported fatalities} Overall, the research found that Specific testing can be used to idents'fy animals at risk of EEHV-HD and further research will now look to determine the exact antibody level above which animals are protected against EEHV-HD. The fvture of zoo elephant populations depends on understanding how to manage this awful disease. In the long tem). research serves to protect captive elephants against fatal EEHV-HD and contribute to the preseNation of this endangered animal species. Page 6 Colchester Zoological Society {Registered number: 05150424) Ifomierly Colchester Zoo Action for the Wlld) Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 Centre de Rehabilitation des Primates de Lwiro Founded in 2002 by Congolese government institutions, The Lwiro Primates Rehabilitalion Centre ILPRC) was fomied to prowde a permanent solution for the escalab'ng number of orphaned primates confiscated around Kahuzi-Biega National Par IPNKB). The centre plays a vital role in caring frjr confiscated wildlife and in working to slop the illegal animal trade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo IDRCI. At the end of 2024. Lwro serves as a sanctuary for 129 chimpanzees, 108 monkeys of 14 different speaes. 46 parrots. 3 tortoises and a porcupine. The centre 15 committed to delivering high-quality wildlife health and welfare services, emphasising long-term captive care, with a strong focus on rehabilitation and conse￿atron edu(2tion. In 2024. Colchester Zoological Sooety gave a contribution of £4.973.34 towards the purchase of essential sustenance, promob'ng the health and vitality of the PTimates residing at Lwiro. Over six weeks, from April 2024 to May 2024, the donation facilitated the provision of fresh fruits and vegetables to a total of 287 animals housed at LPRC. This initiab've not only adds variety to Iheir diet. but also enhan￿S the overall quality of nutrition. contributing to the holistic well-being of the primates. The support enables the LPRC to maintain its care capacity. ensuring the continued reception of confiscated animals. This not only aligns with LPRC'S mission. but also contributes to compliance wth Congolese law. A significant portion of the funds was dedicated to supporting local women farmers in Lwro. This not only ensures a regular supply of fresh and diverse nutritional options for the primates. but also sustains the livelihoods of local famiers, providing them with a sustainable income source that help5 protect Kahuzi Biega National Park from exploitation. Free the Bears Free the Bears IFTBI is working lo protect, preseNe and enrich the lives of bears throughout the world by offering a safe sanctuary ft)r bears rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. In 2024, a record 34 bears were rescued. This included the worfd's largest rescue of threatened bear cubs. involving 16 tiny cubs ranging in weight belween 1.3kg and 4kg. Sadly. one of the cubs didn't make it. however. Ihe 15 SUNivors are now healthy and strong. Many of the other bears rescued were also OTphaned cubs. kn of which had horrific wounds from wire snare traps. although Ihankfijlly both are now on the road to recovery. Older bears were also rescued, that had been caged for many years. including a golden moon bear. All of these bears have been spared a life of pain, fear and suffering and will join the hundreds of rescued bears at Free the Bears, sanctuaries. In 2024. Colchester Zoological Society gave a contribution of £7,500 towards Free the Bears, £6000 towards the expansion of the Laos sanctuary's sun bear facilities to help creale a second facility and new group of sun bears during 2025, as four sun bears were rescued in 2024. The other £1,500 towards recruitment of a new Behavioural Research Assistant. including sample collection from a male sun bear who will have an implant fitted to control sperm production. This represents a rare opportunity to integrate behavioural obseNations with hormonal monitoring to analyse the effects of contraceptive use on male social and reproductive behaviours to help infom fijture wntraceptive praCtI￿S in captive bear populations. Page 7 Colchestsr Zoological Society (Registered number: 051504241 (formerly Colchester Zoo Actlon for the Wild) Report of the Trustees for the Year Ended 31 December 2024 Vulpro African vultures are some of the most threatened speaes on the planet. wth some populations having declined by over 80/0 in the last three decades. VulPro has been at the forefront of vulture conserwalion, conducting extensive breeding surveys and analysing trends across southern Africa Sin￿ 2010. By identifying critical nesting siles and understsnding the Challenges facing breeding vultures, VulPro contributes invaluable data to the fight for their survival. In 2024, Colchester Zoological Soaety gave a contribution of £4,994.22 towards vulture monitoring expenses. covering researcher costs to monitor breeding sites of the criti(2lly endangered tree nesting African white-bad