**Annual Report** and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 5th April 2025
**Contents**
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**Report Introduction** Bob Evans Chairperson of the Board
**Our Charitable Objectives and How We Deliver Them**
## **Introduction**
Francesca Mahoney Founder & Executive Director
**Trustees’ Report** Highlight of our Activities
**Structure & Governance Financial Statements**
Front Cover © Francesca Mahoney
**Report Introduction Bob Evans - Board Chair**
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## **On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am honoured to present the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 5 April 2025.**
After reading this year’s Trustees’ Report, I am once again struck by how far Wild Survivors has come — not simply in scale, but in clarity and impact. What began as a belief that human–elephant conflict could be addressed through community-led, non-lethal approaches has matured into a disciplined, proven model for coexistence across some of Tanzania’s most complex shared landscapes.
This year marked an important transition. Our work in Ngorongoro and the Serengeti continued to deliver measurable reductions in conflict while deepening trust and local ownership. At the same time, we launched **our most ambitious programme to date in the Rukwa–Katavi ecosystem** — a region of extraordinary ecological importance and longstanding under-investment.
What has been most encouraging is how this expansion was undertaken. **As always, we began by listening.** Communities, women, farmers, village leaders, and local authorities shaped the pace and priorities of engagement. Trust was not assumed; it was earned. As a result, the foundations laid in Rukwa–Katavi are strong, ethical, and durable — essential for any long-term coexistence effort.
Across all our programmes, one theme stands out with increasing clarity: **women are central to sustained coexistence.** Women are no longer simply participants; they are leaders, enterprise managers, and stewards of shared landscapes. Their growing confidence and economic agency strengthen the social fabric that makes conflict reduction possible and lasting.
We also made significant progress in understanding and protecting elephant landscapes. By integrating **advanced biodiversity monitoring** with community-led coexistence work, Wild Survivors is helping build the evidence base needed for corridor protection and informed land-use planning. This is quiet work, but foundational — and it positions the organisation to contribute meaningfully to conservation well beyond individual project sites.
## **Trustee Spotlight: James Fountain**
**We were delighted to welcome James Fountain to the Board of Trustees in August 2024** . James brings a rare blend of environmental expertise, strategic leadership, and deep commitment to justice and sustainability.
**Report Introduction Bob Evans - Board Chair**
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His career spans more than fifteen years at BDO, Deloitte, and Booz Allen, advising organisations on complex environmental and governance challenges. Earlier, he worked as a cartographer with the National Geographic Society, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Department of Agriculture. James also brings a strong advocacy background in support of indigenous communities worldwide. He holds a Master’s in Sustainable Leadership from Cambridge University, a Master’s in Cultural Geography from the University of Montana, and a BA in Geography and Environmental Systems from Ohio State University.
## **James brings a thoughtful, systems-level perspective that strengthens Wild Survivors’ governance and long-term strategy.**
From a governance perspective, the Board is pleased with the organisation’s continued financial discipline and transparency. Income remained stable, expenditure was carefully managed, and the charity continues to operate with strong oversight and independent examination. These fundamentals matter. They allow Wild Survivors to remain adaptive, credible, and trusted.
I would also like to recognise our ongoing conservation partnership with **Weston Table** through **1% for the Planet.** Their support reflects a shared belief that responsible business can play a meaningful role in protecting people, wildlife, and the landscapes they share. Thank you, Weston Table.
Finally, I want to extend my personal thanks to **Francesca Mahoney.** Fran continues to lead with humility, courage, and deep respect for the communities and ecosystems we serve. Her ability to navigate complex social and ecological systems is central to the organisation’s integrity and impact. Thank you, Fran, and **thank you to the entire Wild Survivors team across Tanzania.**
**None of this progress would be possible without the commitment and generosity of our supporters.** Your belief in Wild Survivors enables us to remain community-led, evidenceinformed, and principled in environments where sustained, long-term approaches drive lasting impact. Thank you for your unwavering support.
As Wild Survivors looks ahead, we do so with confidence — not because the challenges are small, but because we now know what works. Coexistence is not an abstract ideal — it is already happening, village by village, landscape by landscape.
## **Thank you for walking this path with us. With gratitude,**
**Bob Evans | Chairperson of the Board**
On behalf of Wild Survivors’ Board of Trustees
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**Our Charitable Objectives and How We Deliver Them**
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During the year ended April 2025, Wild Survivors pursued the following charitable objectives. These objectives are delivered through integrated, community-led programmes across three priority ecosystems in Tanzania: Ngorongoro, Serengeti, and Rukwa–Katavi.
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## Objective 1
## **Protection of elephants and people through human–elephant 3 coexistence initiatives 9**
To reduce conflict between people and elephants by implementing safe, non-lethal, nature-based coexistence solutions that protect livelihoods, improve community safety and enable elephants to move through shared landscapes without harm.
## Objective 2
## **Safeguarding biodiversity and maintaining elephant connectivity across shared landscapes**
To conserve biodiversity and sustain elephant movement between protected areas by supporting community stewardship of wildlife corridors, buffer zones, and village land that are essential to long-term ecosystem health.
## Objective 3
## **Empowering rural communities — particularly women — through sustainable, environmentally responsible livelihoods**
To strengthen the resilience, leadership, and economic independence of rural communities, with a particular focus on women, by developing nature-positive livelihoods that are directly linked to conservation outcomes.
**Our Charitable Objectives and How We Deliver Them**
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## **How These Objectives Are Delivered in Practice**
Wild Survivors’ work is intentionally designed so that each activity contributes to multiple objectives simultaneously. For example, a beehive fence reduces crop-raiding (Objective 1), guides elephant movement and reduces pressure on corridors (Objective 2), and generates income and leadership opportunities for women and farmers (Objective 3).
For clarity and transparency, activities in this report are presented under each charitable objective, and then described by ecosystem. This approach reflects both our governance responsibilities and the integrated nature of our programmes.
The Trustees have had due regard to the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit in accordance with section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 when making decisions, ensuring our activities remain focused on delivering measurable positive outcomes for the community we serve, with all resources dedicated to our charitable aims.
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> **Introduction Francesca Mahoney - Founder & Executive DirectorIntroduction** Francesca Mahoney Executive Director
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## **In Tanzania today, the future of elephants is inseparable from the health of the landscapes and communities that steward them,**
as corridors become severed, biodiversity declines, and conflict intensifies on village land. This reality continues to guide Wild Survivors’ work, shaping how and where we respond, and reinforcing the importance of solutions that are rooted in coexistence, connectivity, and local leadership.
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**The year ended April 2025 marked a period of significant growth, learning, and deepened collaboration for Wild Survivors.** As pressures on people, elephants, and shared landscapes continue to intensify, this year challenged us not only to expand our reach, but to do so with care — listening closely, working in partnership, and adapting our approach to new and complex contexts.
A defining development during the year was the launch of our work in the **Rukwa–Katavi Ecosystem,** one of Tanzania’s most ecologically important yet under-resourced elephant landscapes. This marked Wild Survivors’ first expansion into western Tanzania and the beginning of a long-term commitment to supporting coexistence, corridor protection, and community resilience at landscape scale.
Our entry into Rukwa–Katavi was shaped fundamentally by collaboration. We are grateful to **WASIMA,** whose invitation, local leadership, and longstanding relationships with communities and government partners enabled us to engage in this landscape with humility and credibility. From the outset, the programme was co-strategised through participatory consultation — listening to farmers, women, Village leaders, Wildlife Management Area representatives, and District authorities to understand the realities of living alongside both elephants and lions in a region facing acute human–wildlife conflict.
The landscape is characterised by long-distance elephant movements beyond protected areas, frequent crop loss, and in some villages, wildlife entering homes, schools, and public spaces. These intertwined social and ecological pressures reinforced the importance of grounding all interventions in local knowledge, trust, and consent. We are grateful to the communities who welcomed us, shared their experiences openly, and worked with us to begin shaping solutions together. **We extend sincere thanks to the Elephant Crisis Fund (ECF)** , whose support made it possible to launch this ambitious fiveyear ecosystem programme and lay the foundations for a coordinated, evidence-led approach to coexistence and corridor protection.
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As part of this expansion, we welcomed **Esther Silbert** to the team as **Beekeeping & Livelihoods Officer** for the **Rukwa–Katavi Ecosystem** . A graduate of the Tabora Beekeeping Institute, Esther brings technical expertise alongside practical enterprise experience, having supported beekeeping initiatives across northern Tanzania while developing her own line of products. Her leadership has been central to engaging frontline farmers and women in coexistence techniques, strengthening both beehive fence implementation and enterprise development.
During the year, Wild Survivors was also invited to apply its expertise beyond existing project sites. **We were contracted by GIZ to undertake a comprehensive assessment of proposed beehive fence interventions in Ruvuma Region,** southern Tanzania — another landscape experiencing severe and sometimes fatal elephant conflict. Our HEC Project Coordinator, Masaka, travelled to 17 villages to meet farmers, local leaders, District authorities, and the GIZ field team, mapping proposed sites and assessing elephant movement, farmer safety, and suitability of beehive fencing. This work placed particular emphasis on Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC), resulting in clear, evidence-based guidance on when beehive fences may be appropriate — and when alternative approaches are required.
Across our existing programmes, the year also saw continued progress and consolidation. In Ngorongoro, the **SAHHTI women’s group advanced** toward enterprise maturity, managing apiaries, establishing a permaculture demonstration garden, and preparing for commercial honey production. In the Serengeti, women’s groups along the park boundary strengthened their role in coexistence and enterprise development under some of the most challenging conflict conditions in the country.
The unity, resilience, and leadership demonstrated by women’s groups across ecosystems has been one of the most inspiring aspects of the year. From newly formed groups in Rukwa–Katavi taking their first steps toward collective enterprise, to established groups in Ngorongoro mentoring others, women are increasingly central to how coexistence is understood and practiced on the ground.
This year also marked a development in our approach to biodiversity monitoring. Through a **partnership with Biometrio** , we deployed combined camera-trap and **bioacoustic monitoring technology** in **Mpimbwe Wildlife Management Area** - the first time this integrated system has been used in Tanzania. The resulting data is already strengthening ecological understanding and supporting evidence-based planning for corridor protection.
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**Introduction Francesca Mahoney - Founder & Executive Director**
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Alongside field delivery and learning, the year also saw Wild Survivors contributing more actively to wider conservation dialogue. In August 2024, I spoke at the **World Wilderness Congress (WILD12)** , hosted by the **Lakota Tribe of the Great Sioux Nation,** sharing insights on the socio-economic impact of women advancing conservation and community wellbeing across Tanzania.
In October, Masaka and I presented Wild Survivors’ research at the **African Congress of Conservation Biology,** contributing field-based evidence on elephant cognition, beehive fence behaviour, and the role of women-led enterprises in enabling coexistence. These forums provided valuable opportunities to share learning from our programmes, engage with researchers and practitioners, and strengthen the evidence base for community-led coexistence approaches.
We are grateful to our tourism conservation partners. **Nomad Tanzania** provided critical support for beehive fence extensions along the Serengeti boundary and continues to back our integrated approach across ecosystems. **Wilderness** , and their foundation **Children in the Wilderness** , supported the evolution of our women’s enterprise hub model, enabling us to replicate learning from Ngorongoro and establish new beekeeping learning and honey-processing centres in north-west Serengeti.
We also extend warm thanks to **How Many Elephants** and **Holly Budge** , who joined Wild Survivors this year as a Conservation Partner. Holly’s engagement with our projects, team, and elephant corridors — alongside her fundraising efforts — has helped extend beehive fences and support new communities in high-risk conflict areas, while amplifying our work to wider audiences.
None of this would be possible without the dedication of our **Tanzanian team** , the guidance of our **Board of Trustees** , and the openness and courage of the **communities we work alongside** . We are deeply grateful to the farmers, women, and local leaders who continue to share their knowledge, test new approaches, and lead with determination in the face of daily challenges.
As this report shows, the year has been one of growth, not only in scale, but in understanding. It has reinforced our belief that lasting coexistence depends on trust, evidence, collaboration, and local leadership, principles that will continue to guide Wild Survivors’ work across Tanzania’s key elephant landscapes.
**Francesca Mahoney** Founder & Executive Director , Wild Survivors
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**Trustees’ Report - Highlights of our Activities**
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During the year ended 5th April 2025, Wild Survivors delivered its charitable objectives through integrated, communityled programmes across three priority ecosystems in Tanzania: Ngorongoro, Serengeti, and Rukwa–Katavi.
These landscapes represent some of the most important remaining elephant habitats in the country, as well as some of the communities most affected by escalating human–elephant conflict.
While activities are presented here under three charitable objectives, in practice they are intentionally interconnected. Each programme is designed to reduce conflict between people and elephants, maintain biodiversity and elephant connectivity across shared landscapes, and strengthen livelihoods — particularly for women — in ways that reinforce longterm coexistence.
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## Objective 1
## **Protection of elephants and people through human–elephant coexistence initiatives**
Human–elephant conflict continues to pose a serious threat to rural livelihoods, food security, and safety across Tanzania, while also driving retaliatory harm to elephants and accelerating habitat fragmentation. As elephant range increasingly overlaps with agricultural land, communities living at the edges of protected areas face nightly risks to crops, property, and personal safety.
Wild Survivors addresses this challenge through non-lethal, nature-based coexistence initiatives, developed and implemented in close partnership with affected communities. These initiatives include beehive fencing, chilli deterrents, farmer training, and locally led elephant monitoring. Crucially, all tools are adapted to local ecological conditions, landuse patterns, and social context, and are supported by continuous learning and adaptive management.
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## **Ngorongoro Ecosystem**
In the Ngorongoro ecosystem, Wild Survivors continued to strengthen one of its longestrunning coexistence programmes in Kitete and Upper Kitete villages, which border the Northern Highland Forest Reserve.
This forest forms a critical elephant movement corridor linking Ngorongoro Conservation Area with surrounding habitats, and farms along its edge have historically experienced frequent and severe elephant incursions.
During the reporting year, the Kitete community beehive fence was completed at its full length of 3.5 km, enclosing the entire fireline between farmland and forest. The fence includes both active and dummy hives positioned to span all known elephant entry points into the village. Installation was undertaken collaboratively by frontline farmers, trained Bee Guardians, and neighbouring community members, reinforcing local ownership and shared responsibility.
Following completion, monitoring data showed a 61.5% reduction in average monthly elephant crop-raiding incidents, providing farmers with significantly improved safety and predictability. Farmers reported a reduction in night-time guarding and a shift away from high-risk deterrents such as fire and chasing.
Earlier in the year, hive occupancy declined due to heat stress, ant invasion, and absconding. Rather than accepting reduced effectiveness, the programme responded through adaptive management. Farmers received refresher training in hive baiting using wax and lemongrass, improved hive shading and elevation were introduced, and structured inspection patrols were established. These measures stabilised colonies and increased occupancy from 29% to 49.04%, strengthening the fence’s deterrent effect.
Camera trap and patrol data further revealed a change in elephant behaviour. Elephants encountering the fence increasingly paused, paced, and withdrew rather than attempting to cross, indicating learning and avoidance rather than confrontation.
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## **Serengeti Ecosystem**
In the Serengeti ecosystem, Wild Survivors worked with the frontline villages of Mbilikiri and Biasarara, which lie directly on the boundary of Serengeti National Park. These villages experience some of the most persistent human–elephant conflict in northern Tanzania, as elephants regularly exit the park at night to forage on crops grown immediately outside the protected area.
During the reporting year, Wild Survivors focused on strengthening and extending existing coexistence infrastructure while building the skills and confidence needed for long-term sustainability.
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In Mbilikiri, the beehive fence was extended to 3 km, while in Biasarara the fence reached 3 km, creating a combined 6 km line of protection along the park boundary.
Prior to extension, 57 farmers and Bee Guardians participated in practical training sessions covering hive baiting, inspection routines, fence maintenance, vegetation management, and safety protocols for working near elephants, particularly at night. Training also introduced standardised data collection methods to record elephant incursions and fence performance, ensuring that local observations could inform adaptive management.
Monitoring conducted before and after fence extensions showed early reductions in elephant incursions along newly fenced sections, while also identifying continued pressure at unfenced exit points, notably near the Tabora B road. These findings are guiding future fence reinforcement and collaboration with District Game Offices and TANAPA.
Farmers reported increased confidence in managing elephant risk, noting that elephants encountering the fence now pause and assess the boundary before retreating, rather than moving directly into fields.
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## **Rukwa-Katavi Ecosystem**
## Building the Foundations for Landscape-Scale Coexistence and Connectivity
The Rukwa–Katavi Ecosystem is one of Tanzania’s most ecologically significant yet under-resourced elephant landscapes. It supports a large, highly mobile elephant population moving between Katavi National Park, Mpimbwe Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Lwafi Game Reserve, and wider corridors extending toward Mahale Mountains National Park and the Zambian border.
These movements occur largely outside formally protected areas, across village land where farming, pastoralism, and settlement intersect directly with historic elephant routes.
Despite its importance, the landscape has experienced limited investment in coordinated human–elephant conflict mitigation or biodiversity monitoring, leaving communities to manage escalating conflict with few tools or support. Crop-raiding, damage to homes and public infrastructure, and daytime elephant incursions into village centres are common in some areas. At the same time, governance structures such as Mpimbwe WMA are relatively new and under-resourced, with limited ecological data available to inform planning or protection priorities.
Recognising both the urgency and the opportunity, Wild Survivors launched a five-year Rukwa–Katavi Ecosystem Programme in April 2024, designed from the outset as a landscape-scale initiative that integrates conflict mitigation, corridor protection, biodiversity monitoring, and women-led livelihoods.
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## **How the Programme Began: Trust, Consultation, and Co-Designing strategy**
The first year of work in Rukwa–Katavi focused deliberately on listening, consultation, and relationship-building, acknowledging the region’s complex social history, land tenure sensitivities, and the deep mistrust that can exist between communities and conservation authorities.
The programme formally began with a multidistrict inception meeting, bringing together 63 representatives from village governments, District authorities, Katavi National Park, Lwafi Game Reserve, Mpimbwe WMA leadership, and local civil society partners.
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This meeting created a critical space for cross-landscape dialogue on elephant conflict, corridor degradation, livelihoods, and governance challenges, and allowed priorities to be discussed openly before any interventions were introduced.
Following this, Wild Survivors and local partner WASIMA facilitated village-level sensitisation meetings in Kibaoni, Kizi, Mirumba (Kashela), and Sitalike/Situbwike. These meetings were paired with participatory mapping exercises, during which farmers, women, and village leaders identified elephant routes, crop-raiding hotspots, water sources, and areas of particular fear or vulnerability. This process was essential not only for technical planning, but for building trust and ensuring that coexistence tools would be locally endorsed.
At the same time, Elephant Conservation Ambassadors (ECAs) were trained to begin systematic data collection using the Cluey app. ECAs recorded elephant farm entries, movement pathways, crop damage, and seasonal trends, creating the first consistent baseline dataset for human–elephant conflict across these villages. This data now underpins all subsequent intervention decisions.
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## **Human–Elephant Coexistence in Practice: Tailored Tools by Village**
Rather than applying a single solution across the landscape, Wild Survivors implemented a context-specific coexistence toolkit, informed by mapping, data, and community preference.
## **Beehive Fences: Kibaoni and Mirumba (Kashela)**
In Kibaoni and Mirumba, participatory mapping revealed long, linear boundaries where cultivated land meets elephant habitat in Mpimbwe WMA. These locations were well suited to beehive fencing.
During the year:
- 1.5 km beehive fences were installed in each village
- Farmers participated in hands-on training in beekeeping, fence construction, inspection routines, and maintenance
- Training emphasised safety, collective responsibility, and the importance of regular hive care to ensure effectiveness
Early observations from ECAs and farmers recorded elephants encountering the fences, testing the boundary, and rerouting rather than crossing into farms. In Mirumba, elephants were observed following the fence line until reaching its end, then returning to the WMA — a powerful early indication of deterrence and learning. Hive occupancy monitoring is ongoing, with farmers supported to improve colonisation through baiting, shade provision, pest control, and access to water.
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## **Chilli Fence: Kizi Village**
In Kizi, the village layout includes public footpaths, livestock routes, and a road running parallel to the Lwafi Game Reserve boundary. In this context, an occupied beehive fence posed unacceptable safety risks. Through consultation, farmers selected a chilli fence as a more appropriate deterrent.
Earlier informal chilli trials in Kizi had failed due to poor spacing, lack of continuity, and no reapplication. During the reporting year, Wild Survivors facilitated training on correct chilli preparation, fence design, spacing, and maintenance, restoring confidence in a method that had previously been **© Masalu John Masaka** abandoned. Installation was timed to precede the peak farming season.
## **Sitalike and Situbwike: Working Through Complexity**
The villages of Sitalike and Situbwike, bordering Katavi National Park, face some of the most severe conflict in the ecosystem. Elephants frequently enter village centres, schools, and public spaces, sometimes during daylight hours. Progress here required particular care due to historic displacement, land tenure insecurity, and fear of renewed eviction.
Local elections further delayed implementation, as leadership changes needed to be navigated respectfully. Throughout this period, ECAs continued data collection, ensuring momentum was not lost. Wild Survivors prioritised transparency, holding repeated meetings with new village leaders, District authorities, and farmers to explain the purpose of data collection and the long-term intent of the programme. By early 2025, trust had strengthened sufficiently for coexistence training and women’s group formation to begin.
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## Objective 2
**Safeguarding biodiversity and maintaining elephant connectivity across shared landscapes**
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Elephants require large, connected landscapes to survive, yet more than half of their movement occurs outside national parks, across village land, forest reserves, and wildlife management areas. Conflict-driven retaliation, land conversion, and habitat degradation in these shared spaces pose a significant threat to biodiversity and elephant connectivity.
Wild Survivors works to safeguard biodiversity and maintain connectivity by reducing conflict at critical interfaces, supporting community stewardship, and strengthening the ecological evidence base needed for long-term corridor protection.
## **Ngorongoro Ecosystem**
In Ngorongoro, coexistence initiatives along the Northern Highland Forest Reserve have reduced pressure on a key elephant corridor linking Ngorongoro Conservation Area to surrounding landscapes. By protecting farms at the forest edge, the programme has reduced escalation between people and elephants moving through the corridor. Complementary coexistence farming activities have further helped stabilise land use and reduce incentives for forest encroachment.
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## **Serengeti Ecosystem**
In the Serengeti, beehive fences act as permeable barriers, guiding elephants away from crops while maintaining access to traditional movement routes along the park boundary. Community monitoring of elephant exit points has improved understanding of how elephants interact with farms and infrastructure, highlighting areas where conflict and fragmentation overlap. Reducing conflict in these zones is essential to maintaining functional connectivity around the park.
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## **Rukwa–Katavi Ecosystem**
## **Safeguarding Biodiversity and Connectivity: Introducing the Biometrio Partnership**
A defining feature of the Rukwa–Katavi programme is its integration of cutting-edge biodiversity monitoring alongside community-led coexistence work. To achieve this, Wild Survivors partnered with Biometrio, marking the first deployment of combined cameratrap and bioacoustic AI monitoring for elephant corridor assessment in Tanzania.
## **Why Biometrio brings significant insight**
Mpimbwe WMA sits at the heart of the Katavi–Lwafi–Mahale corridor, yet prior to this project, no comprehensive biodiversity baseline existed to inform its General Management Plan (GMP). Without such data, WMAs struggle to prioritise protection, attract sustainable tourism, or demonstrate conservation value. Biometrio’s technology combines:
- Solaris camera traps capturing high-resolution images and video
- Song Meter Micro acoustic devices recording soundscapes and species-specific calls
- AI-driven analysis, classifying species presence, biomass composition, activity patterns, and acoustic indicators of ecosystem health
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## **Implementation and Training**
During the year, Wild Survivors delivered training to Mpimbwe WMA leadership, Village Game Scouts (VGS), ECAs, and partner staff on device placement, configuration, maintenance, and data handling. Devices were deployed along a 5 km transect in a key elephant dispersal zone linking Katavi National Park to Lwafi Game Reserve.
Despite logistical challenges — including remoteness, limited road access, and slow internet connectivity — multiple monitoring cycles were completed. Card swapping and device checks were coordinated between ECAs, VGS, and WMA leadership, building local technical capacity and ownership of the process.
## **Findings and Early Insights**
Initial results confirmed the presence of elephants alongside giraffe, antelope, warthog, and other key species. Bioacoustic data captured species-specific calls and predator–prey interactions, enriching understanding beyond what camera traps alone can provide.
Biometrio is producing an interactive dashboard comprising:
- Species identification and distribution maps Temporal activity patterns
- Biomass composition
- Soundscape analysis and biodiversity indices
This dashboard will form a cornerstone of Mpimbwe WMA’s General Management Plan, supporting evidence-based zoning, patrol planning, and corridor protection. It also provides critical insight into elephant movement patterns through buffer zones, helping Wild Survivors and partners align coexistence interventions with ecological realities.
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## Objective 3
**Empowering rural communities, particularly women, through sustainable, environmentally responsible livelihoods**
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Wild Survivors’ experience across all programme landscapes demonstrates that human– elephant coexistence cannot be sustained without secure, dignified livelihoods. In communities living alongside elephant corridors, economic vulnerability often drives behaviours that escalate conflict, increase pressure on natural resources, and undermine long-term conservation outcomes. Women are disproportionately affected by these dynamics, carrying responsibility for food security, water collection, and household wellbeing, while frequently lacking access to income, land, or decision-making power.
For this reason, Wild Survivors places women-led, nature-positive livelihoods at the centre of its coexistence model. These enterprises are not ancillary activities; they are designed to reinforce conflict mitigation and corridor protection by creating direct, tangible benefits linked to conservation success.
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## **Ngorongoro Ecosystem**
## SAHHTI Women’s Group — From Participation to Enterprise Leadership
In Kitete Village, the SAHHTI Women’s Beekeeping and Coexistence Project entered its second year during the reporting period, marking a transition from group formation and new skills to advancing their enterprise with a permaculture garden and market engagement.
When the group was first established, many women expressed fear of bees, limited confidence in handling equipment, and uncertainty about whether they could manage a collective enterprise. Training therefore began at a foundational level, combining practical beekeeping skills with confidence-building and peer learning. By April 2025, the women had developed structured routines for weekly hive inspections, monitoring hive health, pest presence, and occupancy, and maintaining detailed records.
The women’s apiary reached 67% hive colonisation, reflecting both improving technical skills and sustained commitment to care and maintenance. Training during the year deepened knowledge in advanced hive management, honey hygiene, post-harvest handling, wax processing, and basic enterprise planning. These sessions were deliberately timed to align with the group’s progression toward its first commercial honey harvest, anticipated later in 2025.
Parallel to beekeeping, SAHHTI established a permaculture demonstration garden, supported by training delivered in partnership with ECHO East Africa. Women learned raised-bed preparation, composting, soil restoration, water harvesting, and natural pest deterrents; practices selected specifically for their relevance to semi-arid conditions and compatibility with elephant coexistence. Planting began in April 2025, with multiple harvests planned later in the year.
The garden serves multiple functions: improving household nutrition, generating supplementary income, reducing reliance on forest resources, and acting as a shared learning space. Together, the apiary and garden have become focal points for collaboration, leadership, and visibility within the village. By the end of the reporting period, SAHHTI had evolved into a confident, organised group managing assets, hosting visitors, and articulating a clear vision for its enterprise — a significant shift from the project’s early stages.
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## **Serengeti Ecosystem**
## Women’s Enterprise in a High-Conflict boundary to the National Park
In the Serengeti ecosystem, women’s livelihood development has taken place under particularly challenging conditions.
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The villages of Mbilikiri and Biasarara experience sustained elephant incursions from Serengeti National Park, with crop losses directly affecting household food security. Women in these communities are often responsible for managing the consequences of conflict — sourcing food, caring for children, and maintaining households — yet historically have had limited opportunities to participate in conservation or income-generating activities.
During the reporting period, Wild Survivors continued to support the growth of two women-led groups: Nyuki (Mbilikiri) and Mkombozi (Biasarara), together comprising 99 women. These groups manage village apiaries linked to the beehive fences, creating a direct connection between conflict mitigation and livelihood generation.
Training focused not only on beekeeping fundamentals, but on organic farming, soil fertility, composting, and natural pest control, delivered to over 90 women in partnership with ECHO East Africa. This approach reflected women’s priorities around food security and household resilience, while reinforcing environmentally responsible land use in a sensitive park-edge landscape.
As confidence grew, the two groups began joint planning for a shared Enterprise Hub, envisaged as a space for honey processing, training, and a permaculture garden. This collaboration represents an important step toward scale and sustainability, enabling women to pool resources, share learning, and strengthen market access.
Although honey production remains at an early stage, women’s participation in coexistence activities has already begun to shift local perceptions. Women are increasingly recognised as contributors to fence maintenance, apiary care, and environmental stewardship, strengthening the social foundations necessary for long-term coexistence in one of Tanzania’s most high-conflict conservation landscapes.
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**Trustees’ Report - Highlights of our ActivitiesHighlights of Our Activities**
**29**
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© Francesca Mahoney
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## **Rukwa–Katavi Ecosystem**
## Establishing Women’s Livelihoods in a New Programme Landscape
In the Rukwa–Katavi Ecosystem, women’s livelihood development was embedded from the programme’s inception, recognising both the scale of poverty in the region and the absence of prior conservation-linked enterprise opportunities for women.
During the first year of the programme, four women’s beekeeping groups were formed across Kibaoni, Kizi, Mirumba (Kashela), and Situbwike, with 119 women participating in introductory training. Group formation was undertaken gradually and with careful cultural sensitivity. In several villages, women’s independent economic activity is uncommon, and early meetings therefore included men and village leaders to build understanding and support.
Training sessions covered bee biology, hive management, apiary placement, honey harvesting, and group governance, using participatory methods that encouraged discussion, peer learning, and confidence-building. Practical demonstrations were prioritised to demystify beekeeping and address initial fears around handling bees and equipment.
Progress varied by village, reflecting different social dynamics and levels of conflict. In Kizi, the women’s group Wanawake Jasiri moved quickly toward formal registration, establishing leadership structures and a shared identity. In Situbwike, women living in one of the most conflict-affected areas of the ecosystem demonstrated strong motivation to organise, selecting leaders and identifying apiary sites despite ongoing risk from elephants.
Throughout the year, Wild Survivors provided ongoing mentoring to group leaders, supporting record-keeping, meeting facilitation, and planning for apiary establishment. While most groups remain in early stages of enterprise development, the reporting period laid essential groundwork for future income generation, leadership development, and women’s participation in conservation decision-making across the landscape.
**Trustees’ Report - Highlights of our ActivitiesHighlights of Our Activities**
**30**
## **Cross-Cutting Learning and Significance**
Across all three ecosystems, women-led enterprises have emerged as a consistent and effective foundation for human– elephant coexistence. Beyond generating income, these groups have strengthened household resilience, supported food security, and increased women’s participation in local decision-making. As women’s confidence and skills have grown, so too has community ownership of coexistence measures, reinforcing the social conditions required for conflict reduction and corridor stewardship.
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By deliberately linking livelihood activities to conflict mitigation and land stewardship, Wild Survivors has embedded conservation objectives within everyday economic practices. This integration has strengthened the durability of coexistence interventions and increased their acceptance across communities. The Trustees recognise this approach as a core strength of the organisation’s model and an important contributor to sustained impact across programme landscapes.
## **Closing Reflection**
The Rukwa–Katavi programme represents the most ambitious application of Wild Survivors’ approach to date. Beginning with consultation and trust-building, and supported by systematic data collection and new monitoring technologies, the programme has laid strong foundations for long-term coexistence and corridor protection in a complex and under-resourced landscape.
Together with continued progress in Ngorongoro and the Serengeti, the work undertaken during the year demonstrates the value of locally led, evidence-informed programmes that address conflict, maintain biodiversity and connectivity, and support resilient rural livelihoods. These principles will continue to guide Wild Survivors’ work as programmes deepen and expand across Tanzania’s key elephant landscapes.
WILD
Wlld Survlvors
**Structure & Governance**
**32**
## **Structure**
The charity is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), and established under a Constitution, which dates back to 24th February 2016.
The CIO model was created by the Commission in response to requests from the charitable sector. It is a new incorporated form of charity which is not a limited company or subject to company regulation.
The Charities Act 2011 creates the basic legal framework for the CIO. This framework is completed under the following regulations:
The Charitable Incorporated Organisations (General) Regulations 2012 (‘General Regulations’)
The Charitable Incorporated Organisations (Insolvency and Dissolution) Regulations 2012 ('Dissolution Regulations’).
The CIO model to which the charity is established is the Foundation Model, whereby its only voting members are the charity’s trustees. There is no wider membership, and as of 5th April 202t, there were five trustee members. Anyone over the age of sixteen can become a member of the charity. If the CIO is wound up, the members of the CIO have no liability to contribute to its assets and no personal responsibility for settling its debts and liabilities.
## **Governance**
The Board of Trustees administer the charity; managing the affairs of the CIO, and exercising its powers. In selecting individuals for appointment as trustees, the charity has specific regard to the skills, knowledge, and experience needed for the effective administration of the CIO.
Board meetings by trustees are held electronically, to minimise travel cost implications, and ensure the affairs of the charity, and decision making, can be managed regularly throughout the year.
**© Francesca Mahoney**
**Structure & GovernanceStructure & Governance**
**33**
## Reference and Administration Details
## **Status**
Wild Survivors is a UK Charity registered on 24th February 2016.
## **Governing Document**
The charity was registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), established under the Foundation Model Constitution; a legal document which sets out the objects and powers of the charity, and how these will be administered.
## **Charity Registered Number**
1165732
## **Board of Trustees**
Mr Martyn Griffiths Dr Samantha Corsellis Miss Chyna Vincent Mr Robert Evans Ms Rachael Jarosh Ms Catherine Harris Mr James Fountain - Appointed August 2024
## **Founder & Administrator**
Miss Francesca Mahoney
## **Registered Address**
High House Farm Mendlesham Green Stowmarket Suffolk IP14 5RQ
Website www.wildsurvivors.org
Email address hello@wildsurvivors.org
**Structure & GovernanceStructure & Governance**
**34**
## **Financial Performance**
The financial report, independently examined, can be found on the following pages of this report.
The Trustees are pleased to report that the charity has continued to maintain its income and meet with our project’s fundraising targets.
A total gross amount of **£188,186** was raised
Expenditure totalled **£171,467**
Net cash funds at the end of this financial year total **£136,916**
This report was approved by the Board of Trustees on 16th January 2026.
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**Structure & Governance**
**35**
## **Reserves Policy**
Wild Survivors actively seeks funding to achieve the desired level of reserves to mitigate risk of unforeseen costs and temporary cashflow shortfalls. The Wild Survivors reserves policy was reviewed and updated during April 2025. This policy is actively monitored and reviewed at the Board of Trustees’ meetings every six months.
The trustees have designated reserves where there are planned commitments that cannot be met by anticipated future income alone. These reserves are broken down into a number of funds that relate to:
|**Unrestricted**
**Funds**
**represented**
**by:**|**Desired**
**Reserves**|**Balance**
**as at 05**
**April 2025**
**th**|**Description of Funds**|
|---|---|---|---|
|General
purpose
reserve fund|£50,000|£2,218|Funds to provide to meet unforeseen
expenses, for example an unexpected
day-to-day running cost (for example
long term sickness cover) or requiring
funding for an urgent project. Based on
approx. three months of annual
turnover.|
|Salaries
Reserve|£14,000|£14,000|Three months salaries, payroll taxes
and consultancy costs.|
|Non-renewal
of Grant
Income|£5,000|£5,000|Funds to provide cash flow if Grant
Income is not renewed.|
|Cash Flow|£3,000|£3,000|The need to fund short-term deficits in
a cash budget, for example money may
need to be spent before funding is
received.|
|Asset Repairs|£3,000|£3,000|Provision to repair vehicles as
required.|
|**Total**|**£75,000**|**£27,218**||
Il
. Francesca Mahoney.
**Independent Examiner’s Report**
**37**
## **Independent Examiner’s report to the trustees of Wild Survivors**
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity for the period to 5th April 2025.
As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act. The accounts have been prepared on a Receipts and Payments basis in accordance with section 133 of the act.
I confirm that I have the requisite skills and experience to conduct the Independent Examination for this charity to the standards required as set out in Appendix 5 of CC32. Although retired from practice as an accountant and as a member of a listed professional accountancy body, I continue to conduct a number of examinations on a voluntary basis every year. I also confirm that I am independent of the charity as set out in Direction 2 of CC32.
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Act or the accounts do not accord with the accounting records
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
**Andrew Moore** (Independent Examiner) Blaenpentre, Swyddffynnon Ystrad Meurig SY25 6AW
Date: 22nd January 2026
**Financial Statements for the Year Ended 5th April 2025 Charity Registered Number 1165732**
inartci
StatemÈnts
39
Receipts and Payments Account
wlld Sur¥ivors
Forth• y••r•nd•d5th Awil 2025
xtrict•d R•strict•d T4>tal
Not•A
Tcknl
N41t•s
R•e•lpts
Donations
94.3
11.146
82.650
105.536
e2,650 Not•.'3
283
283
94vrJ 9IW6 IW69
81.972
1I&976
1.514 Mot•:6
199h62
CharitableAttivlties
Orher
Total R•c•tpts
Pwj•ctsCosts
Apiary & Beehives
8£e & Farm Guardians
8eehive Fences
8eekeeping Kits
Beekeeping Training
Chilli Fences
Ephant COnservatn Ambassadors
Other Project Costs
PermatuUre & AgricuttureTrainlng
pro1[ Consultancy
Project Participation Allowances
pro1t Partner riecharges
khool Wildlife Education
Staff - Project Team
Staff Trèinlng
Technology
Vehlcle Fuel, Malntenance & Insurance
T+Xal ProJ•ets Co
19,660
5,283
4.S
259
1,762
7,(6
1,878
2,021
7,133
875
61.648 Moi•:7
437
437
9,011
91
2,800
11,810
T15
8,158
e,i58
1,293
36,664
431
14,339
834
1,2
7.533
29,131
5.736
8.603
42
TJ9 •W i
61154•
Accounrancy & Indtpendènt Examlnatitsn
8ank Fees
Charitable Donations
2,682
34
40
Consulting
IT &)ftware and Consumables
Legal Fee5
Marketing
Meetings & Events
orher Office Costs
&7
2,831
2.382
4,219
2.831
2.382
4.219
9,030
Outsourced Adminlsrratlon
Prlnting. Statlonwy & Postage
Subscrlptions
Travel
Total Supportcogts
611
M,To
ii.Jo
34948
11.839
C•th EXthd fvrOth•rAw•ts
FLKÈd Asset Pufehase". Vehicles
13.189
13.189
14189
14.(&l Not•:7
T*xal Cash £¥¢h*wd forOth•rAM•ts
14063
Trtal P•yYA•rhts
Tnh67
104114
N•tR•¢•lptsand Paym•nls
17,1)02
Foreign Currency Bank Flevaluation5
N•tOrn•nt in Funth
i.77e
3.438
Mot•:6
T<*al dItIV9httoTr¥¥d •t 6th *¥rll 2024
123.353 i2U
T*xal fd$¢Il*d f•Th4a¥15thII 202S
27.21e
ICP3.698
IW17
**Financial Statements**
**40**
16th January 2026 Bob Evans
ahc
atemènts .
41
Notes to the financlal Statements
Wlld Sur
Forth• y••r•nd•d 5thWil 202S
l.Aceounting Polici•s
Basis of Accounting
These accounts are prepared on a receipts and payments basis. following best practice as laid down in the
Statement of Recommended Practice'Accounting and Reporting ty Charities" ISORP20191. with all revenue
and exFxnses shown on a cash bass.
Fund Accounting
Unrestricted funds are available for use at the discretion of the trustees in fuftherance of the general
charitable objectNes. Restricted funds are donated for either a particular project or purpose, the use of which
is restricted to that project or purpose. These include donations, grants and contracts from individuals and
institutionsfor provision of specth'c activities or service
Z Colrvj C•n¢•rn
The charity Is operating on a going concern basls. The going concern assessment is undertaken by the board
of trustees, which has a reasonable expectation that Wild Survivors has sufficient resources to continue in
operation for at least a year from the date of signlng this TTUStees' Report and Accounts, and for the
foreseeable future.
& CrIf•bI• A¢tlvltl••
UThr•strlct•d R•Jtrlct•d
Trt
Grnr
Addax and Oryx Foundation
Wildlife Conservation Network
26,525
51,614
4,511
26,525
Sl,614
4,511
27,227
63,131
Wilderness Wayo Ltd
Camilla Peake Trust
20,000
5,&8
114976
Ryklow charitab Trust
Tranq•ctlonswlth Trurt••sarbd A•l•t•d P•rtl••
There were no transactions during the year relating to tru5tees' remuneration and benefi'ts, trustees.
eXprnSeS. nor transactions with those persons and entitie5 that are closely connected to the charity or its
trustees (related parties).
CIO Guarant••s and S•cur•d D•bts
The trustees confirm, In accordance wrch the Charttable IncorF<)rated Organisations (Generall Regulations
2012. that at theyear end the CIO did not have any outstanding guarantees to thlrd parties nor any debts
secured on assets of the CIO.
6. Fov•lw Currnn¢y B•nk A•vultI0yY4
Foreign Currer)cy Bank Revaluatlonswere Included in Other Income In the Receipts and Payments Account
for theyear ended 5th April 2024.
7. PriorY•ar Adjuslm•Trt
4,063 Cash Ey£hanged for Other Assets (Fixed Asset Purchase.. Vehic*l was Incorrect analysed as Other
ProJt Costs in the Rèceipts and Payments Account for theyear ended 5th April 2024 The Fixed Asset
Balance of £14.063 was also omwed from the Statement of Assets and Uabilities as at 5th April 2024.
Komal Gh
## **DONORS AND CONSERVATION PARTNERS**
We are hugely grateful to our committed and inspiring coalition of Conservation Partners who have helped realise our vision, supporting local communities in reaching impressive milestones to live peacefully with wildlife and protect wild spaces.