OpenCharities

This text was generated using OCR and may contain errors. Check the original PDF to see the document submitted to the regulator.

2022-12-31-accounts

Charity number: 1179460

Southern Tanzania Elephant Trust

Annual Report and Accounts for the Year ended

31[st] December 2022

Charity Name : Southern Tanzania Elephant Trust

Registered CharityNumber : 1179460

Principal Address: 30 Barn Road Stirling FK8 1EP United Kingdom

Trustees Report for the year ended 31[st] December 2022

Southern Tanzania Elephant Trust present their annual report and audited accounts for the period 1[st] January 2022 through 31 December 2022 and confirm they comply with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011, the Trust Deed and the Charities SORP (FRS 102).

Charity Trustees

Helen Pearson Nathaniel Comber Nick McWilliam

Name and Address of Independent Examiner

Community360 Winsley's House, High Street, Colchester Essex Essex CO1 1UG

Governing document

The Charity was registered as a Trust on the 6[th] August 2018 and is governed by a Trust Deed dated 1[st] August 2018.

Trustee selection method

The first Trustees of the Charity were appointed for a term of three years at the time of registering the Charity. The Trustees were reappointed for another three-year term on 21[st] July 2021.The current trustees may appoint new trustees by approaching individuals whom the trustees believe would bring necessary skills, knowledge, and experience to the Organization. If the individual is willing to put themselves forward, their appointment is put to the current Trustees for approval.

Objects of the Charity

The objects of the charity are to conserve and protect the African elephant in Tanzania and other African wildlife and habitats in Tanzania for the public benefit.

The trustees identified Southern Tanzania Elephant (STEP)in Tanzania as the organisation whose work the Trust is aiming to support, in accordance with the Trusts’ objects, to facilitate the delivery of the UK Charity’s objectives.

Vision

Creating a long and peaceful future for elephants in southern Tanzania and for the ecosystems and communities on which they inter-depend.

Mission

To secure a future for elephants in southern Tanzania by, directly and through partnerships, supporting elephant protection, enhancing coexistence between communities and elephants, strengthening community livelihoods, conducting research and monitoring, and awareness-raising.

Principal Activities

Southern Tanzania is a globally important region for elephant conservation,with elephant populations numbering some 30,000 individuals in 2015, and approximately 70,000 in 2009 before devastating declines from poaching for the ivory trade (Thouless et al. 2016). The region holds 35% of East Africa’s elephants, and 7% of Africa’s elephants (Thouless et al. 2016). The Ruaha-Rungwa and Udzungwa-Selous ecosystems of southern Tanzania are some of the few elephant strongholds and wilderness areas for large mammals left in the world. The ecosystems and elephant populations of southern Tanzania are a global treasure, requiring global support for their conservation. Elephant conservation in the region faces two main challenges:

Securing elephant populations and habitat : The combined efforts of the Tanzanian government, civil society and international community have greatly reduced the threat of poaching to elephants compared to previous years. However, ongoing protection efforts are needed to secure these important gains and ensure long-term recovery of southern Tanzania’s elephant populations. In addition, protecting the integrity of the ecosystems that comprise elephant range is vital to the longterm survival of the elephant populations of this region.

Human-elephant coexistence : Farms and settlement adjacent to protected areas and in elephant corridors and dispersal areas are at risk of elephant damage, as some elephants learn to use crops as a ‘high-risk, high-reward’ food source. As more land comes under cultivation, elephant habitat and corridors outside of protected areas are also increasingly at risk. Every year people are killed by elephants, often because of accidental encounters. This is a complex challenge that requires longterm vision and a multi-faceted approach.

We work to conserve the elephant metapopulation of southern Tanzania through a landscape level approach. Thecharity’s principal activities include:

  1. Supporting elephant protection in critical habitats : supporting ground and air patrols and providing technical support to under-resourced protected areas in important elephant range, as well as building ranger capacity to map and analyse patrols and outcomes and monitor spatial and temporal trends in illegal activities.

  2. Enhancing human-elephant coexistence in communities living with elephants : working with farmers’ groups to protect farms and improve livelihoods through beehive fence projects which deter elephants from farmland and produce elephant-friendly honey; trialling novel crop protection strategies with farmers; providing farmers with access to financial services and improving household resilience though membership and training in Village Savings and Loans Associations; restoration of a critical wildlife corridor between the Udzungwa and Selous ecosystems; and awareness-raising and education activities.

  3. Conducting elephant research to inform conservation efforts : monitoring elephants in the Ruaha-Rungwa and Udzungwa-Selous ecosystem; assessing spatial and temporal trends in human-elephant interactions and evaluating solutions; and monitoring of wildlife corridors.

Impact for the Year End 31[st] December 2022

The main activities during the year were increasing protection for elephants through support to wildlife rangers (Section 1), increasing community capacity for human-elephant coexistence through farmbased interventions, supporting farmer livelihoods activities, education and awareness-raising, and corridor restoration (Section 2), and research and monitoring of elephants and human-elephant interactions (Section 3). Capacity building was carried out in a number of ways through these activities.

All activities in Tanzania are carried out by our affiliate organization in Tanzania, Southern Tanzania Elephant (abbreviated and referred to from here on as STEP), a non-governmental organization registered on 17[th] July 2019 under the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Act, 2002 Section 12(2) of Act No. 24 of 2002, with registration number I-NGO/R2/00077. The Tanzanian affiliate Organization was previously registered as a company limited by guarantee having noshare capital (i.e. a not-forprofit company). With the passing of The Written Laws (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No.3) Act, 2019 on 30[th] June 2019, all companies limited by guarantee having no share capital were required to register under theNon-Governmental Organization (NGO) Act, 2002 by August 30[th] 2019.

The Board of Trustees of Southern Tanzania Elephant Trust in the UK (from here on referred to as STET UK) and the Board of STEP Tanzania are responsible for overall management of the organization, including setting and reviewing strategic plans and budgets, financial matters,reviewing the performance of management, and ensuring adherence to internal control policies andsound governance. and for compliance with sound governance principles. The organization is committed to the principles of effective governance, integrity, transparency and accountability. STET UK and STEP Tanzania agree on the yearly strategy and budget together. The Trustees of STET UK exercise their discretion when selecting which activities to support by having regard to the CharityCommission’s public benefit guidanceas well as the following internal criteria:

1) The activity contributes to the conservation of the African elephant in Tanzania through any of the following:

(2) It has been demonstrated that the activity provides good value for money

STET UK and STEP Tanzania maintains close contact with regards to implementation of activities. Each Board meets at a minimum twice per year.

Achievements and Performance

1. Supporting elephant protection in critical habitats

The goal of this programmatic area is to enhance protection efforts of rangers and village game scouts through supporting for ground and air patrols, provision of training and resources, and data optimization. Targeted support is provided to three protected areas selected for their importance to elephants, their biodiversity value, and funding and resource gaps assessed with respective wildlife management authorities. These include MBOMIPA Wildlife Management Area (WMA), a communitymanaged wildlife area; Uzungwa Scarp Nature Forest Reserve (USNFR), a forest reserve by Tanzania Forestry Services Agency (TFS); and Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi Game Reserves (RKM GR), managed by Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA). The means by which we provide support include:

1.1 MBOMIPA Protection Project

STEP first began to work with the community-owned MBOMIPA Wildlife Management Area in 2018. MBOMIPA WMA is a critical part of the Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem and especially important for elephants, as well as other endangered species such as wild dogs and lions. 2022 marked the fifth year of the fruitful collaboration between STEP and MBOMIPA WWA. STEP supported teams of Village Game Scouts (VGS) to conduct at least 24 days of foot patrols each per month by supplyingscout wages and providing fuel and food supplies. In 2022, VGS covered 10,637 km of foot patrols and 10,893 km of vehicle patrols in the WMA.All patrols were logged using GPS units with patrol data collected using a mobile app, with patrol coverage and outcomes mapped every month and analysed by STEP to enhance patrol effectiveness.STEP also continued with maintenance and operation of a field vehicle for the WMA to enable monthly rotation of VGS and vehicle patrols, and with provision of all necessary fuel. All VGS received new patrol uniforms including shirts, trousers, t- shirts, caps, military boots, raincoats, and gumboots.

To increase the involvement of women in communityprotection of MBOMIPA WMA, four female VGS wererecruited. We work to ensure safe working conditions forwomen VGS, including separate accommodation at VGSposts, and flexibility in work schedules to accommodatechildcare

responsibilities. Women are also representedin VGS leadership; among the three VGS commandersevery month, one is a woman.

VGS on patrol in MBOMIPA WMA

1.2 Uzungwa Scarp Protection Project

Uzungwa Scarp Forest Nature Reserve (USFNR) is a biodiversity hotspot that is home Udzungwa endemics and globally threatened vertebrate species (Rovero et al., 2014) including Sanje mangabey, Udzungwa red colobus, Abbott’s duiker, 20 endemic and 14 threatened reptiles (Lyakurwa et al., 2019), and 19 endemic and threatened amphibians. The Reserve also serves as a critical water catchment. USNFR has been under threat from anthropogenic activities (Harrison 2006) such as wildfire, logging, forest encroachment for agriculture, and illegal hunting (Topp-Jørgensen et al., 2009). Severe population declines have been documented for several threatened species, attributed to hunting and trapping (Rovero et al., 2015).

With support from and in collaboration with Wild Planet Trust (WPT, formerly Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust), Bristol Chester Zoo, and Association Mazingira, STEP has been supporting the protection of Uzungwa Scarp Nature Forest Reserve since late 2017. The Uzungwa Scarp Protection Project supports with funding of ground patrols, training of rangers, and provision of essential equipment. In 2022, mobile camping patrolsby Village Scouts, rangers from Tanzania Forestry Services and the Southern Highlands Anti-Poaching Unit covered 845 km of the Nature Reserve. Patrols were strategically planned and executed, with mapping, analysis and reporting of findings after each patrol. These patrols resulted in the removal of 331 snares and closure of 15 timber cutting sites.

The USPP project also facilitated meetings in 19 villages adjacent to the Uzungwa Scarp Nature Reserve to bring together Village Natural Resources Committees (local institutions entitled to manage access to benefits and jointly manage the Reserve), Village Leaders, Chita JKT representatives, and foresters. In these meetings, participants received training on Participatory Nature Forest Reserve Management and fire management, shared lessons learned, and discussed the way forward on management of the Reserve. STEP also facilitated meetings with TFS USNFR to discuss the feedback and findings of the community benefits assessment conducted in 2021 and to discuss the

way forward. Additional patrol gear (solar lamps, power banks, and camera) were provided to USNFR and major maintenance of the patrol vehicle was facilitated.

Village Game Scouts supported by the Uzungwa Scarp Protection Project

.

1.3 Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi Game Reserves

STEP's new Savannah S aircraft was delivered to Tanzania from South Africa in late 2022, allowing aerial support for the Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem to resume in December 2022. A total of 17.5 hours of aerial surveillance was completed inMBOMIPA WMA and Lunda-Nkwambi Game Controlled Area in December 2022, resulting in the detection and closing of several poaching camps.STEP’s aircraft is planned to operate for many months in both the wet and dry season months of 2023. Furthermore, Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi Game Reserves rangers conducted >10,000 km of vehicle patrols with STEP fuel support, thereby helping to detect and respond to threats such as tree cutting, illegal mining, illegal grazing and bushmeat poaching.

STEP’s new Savannah S aircraft

1.4 Capacity building

As part of the Uzungwa Scarp Protection Project, STEP provided monthly technical support to USNFR's staff and VGS in collection, storage, analysis, mapping, and reporting of patrol data. This support helps USNFR management to plan patrols in a strategic manner and to produce monthly patrol reports and annual reports. Patrol teams were also supported with the application of conservation technologies including Survey 123 Data Collectorand GIS for patrol data analysis.

Under the MBOMIPA Protection Project, VGS teams received assistance with creating strategic patrol plans, management of the patrol database, and reporting of patrol findings. In addition, 36 VGS received training in how to respond to poisoning incidents from a trainer from North Carolina Zoo.

2. Enhancing human-elephant coexistence in communities living with elephants

The goal of this programmatic area is to enhance coexistence between people and elephants in communities living in and alongside elephant range. We support communities to coexist with elephants in two project area, the Kilombero Valley in Morogoro region, and the western boundary of Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi Game Reserves in Singida region. These areas are hotspots of elephant impact, with regular movement of elephants onto village land and frequent crop damage. The means by which we build capacity for coexistence include:

2.1 Kilombero Valley

The Kilombero Valley, in the Udzungwa-Selous ecosystem, is a densely populated, fertile matrix of villages, agriculture, and grazing land.Elephants regularly attempt to cross the short distance of ~10km across the valley, between Udzungwa Mountains National Park and Magombera Forest Reserve on the edge of Nyerere National Park (formerly Selous Game Reserve). Less than 50 years ago, there was continuous forest across the valley: today, the forest has been fragmented by rapid land conversion due to agriculture. The route is a critical connection between the western and southern elephant metapopulations of Tanzania (over 30,000 individuals) and the only link that can be maintained and restored. Intensive agriculture in the valley has created a hard edge between forest and farmland, making farms vulnerable to elephant crop damage. The multi-faceted land use challenges of the Valley have informed STEP’s approach to building human-elephant coexistence in the Kilombero Valley through limiting elephant movement into farmland and settlement through farmbased interventions, facilitating safe elephant movement through a designated wildlife corridor, and supporting income diversification and awareness-raising events.

2.1.1 Farm-based interventions, Village Savings and Loans Associations, and Awareness-Raising

To date, STEP has supported seven farmers groups (183farmers) registered as Community-Based Organizationsto establish sevenbeekeeping projects(6.8km of beehive fences) in the Kilombero Valley to protect agricultural fields from elephants. In addition to reducing elephant movement into farmland and settlement, beehive fences generate revenue for farmers’ groups through the sale of honey. Economic resilience is an important factor in building human-elephant coexistence. If a household’s economic resources are depleted by an incident of crop raiding by an elephant, it is unlikely that members of the household will be willing to tolerate the presence of that elephant. STEP continued to support its existing groups with field visits, in depth follow up and refresher training.STEP also

continued to operate the Udzungwa Honey Collection Centre, of which all STEP beekeeping groups are members, to enable the processing and packaging of honey generated by beehive fences.Farmers harvested 405litres of honey in 2022, a 50% increase relative to 2021. The honey was processed and packed at the Honey Collection Centre.

STEP also works with farmers’ groups to establish and support the operation of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), informal financial systems in which members have access to credit and financial assistance through weekly contributions. Members can take loans from VSLAs and have access to emergency financial relief. By increasing community and household resilience to humanwildlife conflict, VSLAs can contribute to increasing coexistence. In 2022, we supported the establishment offive new Village Savings and Loan Association and continued to support six existing VSLAs. 250 farmers participated in VSLAs and took out 318 loans with a value of TZS 31,925,500to build small businesses, improve their farming practices, pay school fees, and to support household cash needs (e.g. payments for medication, food). Such access to credit is highly valued by VLSA members in our project area. Prior to VSLAs, farmers’ options for accessing credit either required traveling >50 km to alarger commercial centre and seeking a loan from a formal financial institution, or engaging in ‘prospective’ rice selling. If members of the VSLA wanted to access credit sizes similar to their total loan size from the VSLA, some would have hadto part with six bags of rice or more, representing an enormous loss to future earnings and a significant blow to household food supplies. Therefore, the existence of theVSLA itself is impactful through creation of an alternative source of credit.

2.1.2 Awareness-Raising and Education

In 2022, STEP conducted film nights in 8 villages, reaching 2,936 adults and youth. Local Elephant Monitors also reached 224 farmers with one-to-one training. During these film nights and trainings, the STEP team and LEMs share information about human-elephant coexistence, methods to stay safe when you come across an elephant, benefits of elephants, the life of elephants, and mitigation strategies to reduce human-elephant conflict. STEP also taught a 3-module course on humanelephant coexistence in 19 schools, reaching over 2000 students. The modules covered 1) Elephant Behaviour, Ecology, and Biology 2) Human-Elephant Coexistence, and 3) Wildlife connectivity. STEP also expanded its park visit program a small pilot bringing primary and secondary students to national parks as an experiential supplement to educational outreach. More than 260 students and 32 teachers (compared to 50 students in 2021) visited Udzungwa Mountains National Park and Mikumi National Park, learned about elephants lives in the wild and had the opportunity to experience Tanzania's rich natural heritage.

Students visiting Udzungwa Mountains National Park as part of STEP’s park visits program

2.1.3 Corridor Restoration

2022 saw continued progress towards our long-term vision of restoring the Kilombero Elephant Corridor between the Udzungwa Mountains and Nyerere National Parks, via the Magombera Forest Nature Reserve. The goal is to peacefully manage the regular movements that elephants make across the Kilombero Valley, even though their once forested routes have been turned into farmland over the last 50 years. STEP has been facilitating this multi-stakeholder restoration project since 2018, involving communities, civil society, Government and the private sector to restore this ecological connectivity, and enhance food and personal security for the local farming population. At the heart of the corridor project are the communities of the three villages of Sole, Mang’ula A and Kanyenja, who have agreed to setting aside ~7% of the village land to enable the Corridor. Following a formal valuation process led by the District Government, over 270 small-holder farmers were formally compensated for giving up parcels of land for the corridor in 2022, and further compensation payments are planned for 2023. Financial training was provided to >400 landowners and their spouses, to maximize the benefits of compensation payments. STEP also facilitated landowners to come together to register and operate Village Savings and Loans Associations, which provide a means to save and invest their compensation funds.

STEP’s work towards restoring this corridor will carry on in the years tocome. STEP will continue to support the Kilombero Elephant Corridor Management Committee,comprising village leaders, District Government, and protected area representatives, to manage thecorridor and take the project forward. Next steps include tree planting and other habitat restoration efforts in thecorridor and camera trapping to monitor how elephants and other wildlife use the restoredcorridor. In a further effort to ensure that communities see tangiblebenefits from conserving elephants and corridors, in 2023, STEP plans to initiate conservation agreementswith the corridor villages. Under these agreements, stewardship of the corridor generates monetarybenefits based on attainment of certain conservation targets set through a village-wide participatoryprocess. Village assemblies decide how these benefits are allocated toward initiatives to improvehealthcare, education, empowerment of women and girls, and the environment.

Planting of the first tree in the corridor by the Morogoro Regional Commissioner

2.2 Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi

Bordering Ruaha National Park to the north and west, Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi Game Reserves comprise 15,200 km[2] of wildlife habitat. Historically an elephant stronghold within East Africa, the area lost 60% of its elephants between 2009 and 2015 to poaching (Thouless et al. 2016). Between 2015 and 2018, the elephant population remained stable. However, human-elephant conflict is a rapidly emerging threat to elephants in the area.Human settlement along protected boundaries, in conjunction with a lack of land use planning, has led to more frequent human-elephant interactions. STEP works to mitigate human-elephant conflict in villages on the western edge of Rungwa Game Reserve through a combination of farm-based interventions, establishment of Village Savings and Loans Associations, and awareness-raising and education activities.

2.2.1 Livelihoods activities and Village Savings and Loans Associations

2022 saw significant growth in STEP’s work around Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi Game Reserves. STEP started 16 new VSLAs across 9 villages, bringing the total number of VSLAs to 24. Across the 24 groups, members took out 267 loans at a total value of TZS 47,321,500. These loans supported establishment of small businesses and agricultural activities. 15 VSLA groups used the CHOMOKA mobile appto keep their weekly records for enhanced transparency and accuracy in record-keeping.

In 2022, we continued to support the 46 farmers who had been given three beehives each in 2020 with beekeeping, and beehives were also distributed to farmers groups operating VSLAs (10 hives per group). A total of 644 litres of honey and 25 kg of beeswax were harvested by the beekeepers supported in 2022, a >50% increase relative to 2021.

2.2.1 Awareness-Raising and Education

In 2022, we continued andexpanded community outreach and education efforts. In collaboration with Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority and Itigi District Council, STEP's Human-Elephant Coexistence team hosted the fourthinstalment of the Tembo Cup Football Tournament (Tembo is Swahili for elephant). The tournament involved villages experiencing human-elephant conflict adjacent to Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi Game Reserve. The coverage of the tournament was expanded to three zones: Rungwa, Kizigo and Muhesi. The tournament aimed to raise awareness about humanelephant coexistence, the benefits of protected areas, and to create a positive association with elephants through an engaging community activity. During the tournament, spectators attended matches as well as film nights and school outreach events. These events focused on building a culture and norms of loving and respecting elephants, as well as on safety around elephants to handle potential encounters with elephants on foot on village land. Over 35,000 people were reached through these football tournaments and associated events. In 2022, in partnership with the NGO Lion Landscapes and MBOMIPA WMA, STEP also held the inaugural MBOMIPA Cup football tournament with 21 villages surrounding MBOMIPA Wildlife Management Area, reaching over 15,000 people.

Our team of local elephant monitors (LEMs) also conducted awareness-raising with communities outside of these large-scale events. LEMs reached 1,092 community members with one-on-one training and 257 with household-level film shows. In these visits, LEMs share information about safety measures around elephant and ways to protect their food stores and farms from elephants.

Scenes from the MBOMIPA Cup football tournament

2.3 Capacity building

In 2022, one Tanzanian student and two Tanzanian internsparticipated in human-elephant coexistence activities and learned fieldwork and community engagement methods. STEP also facilitated elephant safety and walking around elephants training for 6 local elephant monitors and several Park and STEP staff from experienced walking guide Andrew Molinaro of Kichaka Expeditions Environmental Program.

To support more effective human-wildlife conflict response by protected area management agencies, STEP also provided >10,000 litres of fuel Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi Game Reserves, Udzungwa Mountains National Park, and Nyerere National Parks for HWC response. We donated one vehicle to Muhesi Game Reserves and made major repairs of one car for Kizigo Game Reserve. We also rehabilitated a vehicle forhuman-wildlife conflict response for Udzungwa Mountains National Park.

Safety around elephants training for LEMs, STEP and Park staff

Rehabilitated HWC response vehicle for Udzungwa Mountains National Park

3. Conducting elephant research to inform conservation efforts

The goal of this programmatic area is to collect and analyse data to inform the formulation of meaningful and sound conservation strategies, as well as to monitor the impact of our conservation work. The geographic focus of this program comprises the Ruaha-Rungwa and Udzungwa-Selous ecosystems. The main activities under this program include:

3.1 Monitoring elephants in the Ruaha-Rungwa ecosystem

The Ruaha-Rungwa elephant population declined by over 50% between 2009 and 2015 due topoaching for the ivory trade (Thouless et al., 2016), and STEP’s long-term research and monitoring aims to understand theconsequences of poaching for elephants in the ecosystem. The elephant monitoring program in Ruaha National Park under STEP’s affiliated research project aims to collect long-term data on elephant population structure, tusklessness, distribution and behaviour. In a study published in the African Journalof Ecology , STEP researchers showed that in areas of the ecosystem that had experienced higher levels of poaching,elephants were more nocturnal than in areas where elephants had been relatively safe frompoaching. Poaching risk also influenced elephant use of roads and water sources aswell as grouping patterns, indicating that poaching has important consequences for how elephantsuse their environment and their associations with other elephants (Smit et al., 2023).

3.2 Monitoring elephants in Udzungwa-Selous

A key objective of STEP’s work in the Kilombero Valley is to support the recovery of the UdzungwaSelous elephant population and to secure long-term connectivity for elephants between Udzungwa and Selous through restoration of the Kilombero Elephant Corridor, a historic corridor that spans the

Kilombero Valley. To monitor our progress toward this objective, we monitor elephant presence and status in Mwanihana and Magombera forest, which form endpoints of the Kilombero Elephant Corridor, as well as elephant presence in the corridor area. We hope to see an increase in elephant use of the forest and corridor area over time because of our conservation efforts.We continued monitoring of elephants in Mwanihana forest (first begun in 2015)and Magombera forest (begun in 2019) to collect data on elephant use of these forests through foot transects throughout 2022. Our monitoring suggests that elephant use of Mwanihana forest in Udzungwa has generally increased over the past seven years – a positive indication that the forest is becoming safer for elephants.

3.3. Studying human-elephant interactions

To help plan and evaluate human-elephant coexistence strategies, we expanded our monitoring ofelephant activity and crop losses on village land. In 2022, we worked with18 local elephant monitors (LEMs) across 13 villages in the Rungwa-Doroto and Kilombero valley project areas. Each elephant monitor is provided with training and regular performance feedback, a GPS unit. All data collection is done using KoboCollect. These data informed our work in several ways, including 1) to help us select locations for trials of novel elephant deterrents, 2) to assess baseline crop damage to elephants prior to restoration of the Kilombero Elephant Corridor; and 3) to evaluate trials of novel crop protection methods.

3.4 Trialling farm- and household-based interventions

Finding affordable and effective ways to protect farms from elephants is one way that we aim to enhance coexistence between people and elephants. The development and trialling ofelephant deterrents with farmers continued to be an important area of innovation and learning for usin 2022. Following consultations with village leaders and residents, we supported farmers in Kanyenjavillage to register as a community-based organization and to build and manage a 3.5 km linear solar-powered strobe lights fence along village farms. In Magombera village, we entered an agreement withthe village leadership to support them to build and manage a 1.5 km double-stranded metal stripsfence along village farms. Furthermore, with farmers groups managing beehives fences in Kanyenjaand Katurukila villages, we began trialling whether beehive fences can be more effective at preventingelephant incursions into farmland if we combine these fences with solar-powered strobe lights ormetal strips. We will monitor elephant responses to all these mitigation methods and assess theirefficacy.

Double-stranded metal strips elephant deterrent fence in Magombera village

In villages around Rungwa-Kizigo-Muhesi, elephants are known to damage food stores. In 2022 webegan trialling an alternative food store design (first developed in Zambia) to determine whether it ismore effective at protecting crops from elephants. We constructed eight food stores with householdsparticipating in the trial and, to date, none of these stores have been damaged by elephants. In the upcoming year,we will continue to monitor whether these stores keep crops safe from elephants, as well as interviewhouseholds to understand their views on these food stores and to gauge whether people in thecommunity are willing to contribute to financially to alternative food stores.

3.5 Capacity building

One of our goals is to build capacity for research in Tanzania and, in doing so, facilitate scientific studies that inform our elephant conservation work. In 2022, we supported three Tanzanian Master’s students in the conservation field. This support includedhelping students to design a research project and provision of mentoring and training in data collection methods and data analysis, and a bursary to support fieldwork. In 2022, two students from the Sokoine University of Agriculture who we started working with in 2021 (Irene Laizer and Lowassa Moitiko) completed their fieldwork and were supported to conduct analysis and write-up for their findings, with thesis submission expected in 2023.Through Irene’s research, we learned more about human-elephant interactions around water sourceson village land. Camera trapping showed that elephants visited village water sources primarily atnight, while household surveys indicated that people primarily accessed water sources during the day.While some people feared meeting elephants at water sources, the most common concerns were thatelephants damaged water sources (such as by causing soil to fall into wells) and that elephant urineand dung made the water less safe for domestic use. One recommendation from respondents was toprovide alternative safe water sources, such as communal taps, for people.

Through Lowassa’s research, we learned more about the elephants using the edges of Magomberaforest and Mwanihana forest (which form the endpoints of the Kilombero Elephant Corridor). Through

camera trapping, we learned that both males and family groups use these areas. Using features ofthe ears and tusks, we identified 70 different individual elephants using the forest edge over a periodof just six months! Once the Kilombero Elephant Corridor is restored, we will continue to use cameratraps to estimate the number of elephants using the corridor.

We also welcomed a new student to the program in 2022: Ms. Grace Mchome from the Sokoine University of Agriculture. Grace’s research project will assess the efficacy of various mitigation fencesby investigating elephant responses to mitigation fences, including by observing elephant behaviourat fences using camera traps, and by conducting interviews with farmers to learn more about theirviews on these mitigation methods.

MSc student Grace Mchome checking a camera trap used to monitor elephant behaviour at a deterrent fence in farmland.

References

Harrison, P. (2006). Socio-economic study of forest-adjacent communities from Nyanganje forest to Udzungwa Scarp: a potential wildlife corridor. Incorporating livelihood assessments and options for future management of Udzungwa forests. World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature, Dar es Salaam .

Jones, T., Cusack, J.J., Pozo, R.A., Smit, J., Mkuburo, L., Baran, P., Lobora, A.L., Mduma, S. and Foley, C., 2018. Age structure as an indicator of poaching pressure: Insights from rapid assessments of elephant populations across space and time. Ecological Indicators, 88, pp.115–125.

King, L.E., Douglas-Hamilton, I. and F. Vollrath (2011). Beehive fences as effective deterrents for crop-raiding elephants: field trials in northern Kenya. African Journal of Ecology 49: 431-439.

Lyakurwa, J. V., Howell, K. M., Munishi, L., & Treydte, A. C. (2019). Uzungwa Scarp Nature Forest Reserve: a unique hotspot for reptiles in Tanzania.

Rovero, F., Menegon, M., FjeldsAa, J., Collett, L., Doggart, N., Leonard, C., ... & Burgess, N. D. (2014). Targeted vertebrate surveys enhance the faunal importance and improve explanatory models within the Eastern Arc Mountains of Kenya and Tanzania. Diversity and Distributions , 20 (12), 14381449.

Rovero, F., Mtui, A., Kitegile, A., Jacob, P., Araldi, A., & Tenan, S. (2015). Primates decline rapidly in unprotected forests: evidence from a monitoring program with data constraints. PLoS One , 10 (2), e0118330.

Scheijen, C. P., Richards, S. A., Smit, J., Jones, T., & Nowak, K. (2019). Efficacy of beehive fences as barriers to African elephants: a case study in Tanzania. Oryx , 53 (1), 92-99

‐ Smit, J. B., Searle, C. E., Buchanan Smith, H. M., Strampelli, P., Mkuburo, L., Kakengi, V. A., ... & Lee, P. C. (2023). Anthropogenic risk increases night‐time activities and associations in African ‐ elephants (Loxodonta africana) in the Ruaha Rungwa ecosystem, Tanzania. African Journal of Ecology, 61(1), 64-76.

Thouless, C., Dublin, H. T., Blanc, J. J., Skinner, D. P., Daniel, T. E., Taylor, R. D., ... & Bouché, P. (2016). African elephant status report 2016. Occasional Paper Series of the IUCN Species Survival Commission , 60 .

Topp-Jørgensen, E., Nielsen, M. R., Marshall, A. R., & Pedersen, U. (2009). Relative densities of mammals in response to different levels of bushmeat hunting in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania. Tropical Conservation Science , 2 (1), 70-87.

Policy on Reserves

The Charity operates with limited cash reserves. The Trustees’ objective is to maintain a sufficient balance to meet committed expenditure on current projects and cover foreseeable administration expenses.

Financial Review

Accounts in separate document

Approved by the trustees on 13.09.2023 and signed on their behalf by:

Helen Pearson Dated: 13.09.2023

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

Charity registration number 1179460

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

CONTENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

----- Start of picture text -----
Page
Legal and Admin Information 1
Independent examiner's report 2
Receipts and payments account 3
Statement of assets & liabilities 4
Notes to the financial statements 5
----- End of picture text -----

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

LEGAL & ADMIN INFORMATION FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

Status

The trust was formed as an incorporated charity on 1st August 2018.

----- Start of picture text -----
||| |---|---| |Trustees|Nicholas McWilliam| |Helen Pearson| |Nat Comber| |Charity number|1179460| |Independent Examiner|Community360| |Winsley’s House| |High Street| |Colchester| |CO1 1UG| |Business address|30 Barn Road| |Stirling| |FK8 1EP| |Bankers|Natwest| |Cleveleys Branch| |Lancs| |FY5 2AL|

----- End of picture text -----

1

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

I report on the accounts of Southern Tanzania Elephant Trust for the year ended 31st December 2022 which are set out on pages 3 to 5.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The Charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Charity’s Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144 (2) of the Charities Act 2011 (The Act) but that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner’s Statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes considerations of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent examiner’s statement

In the course of my examination, no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

I have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Shelley-Marie Rudling FMAAT AATQB for and on behalf of: Community360

Winsley’s House, High Street, Colchester, Essex

Date 30/10/2023

2

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

Notes
Receipts
Donations, legacies
2
and other similar receipts
Total receipts
Charitable payments
Charitable activities
3
Governance
Total payments
Net of receipts/(payments)
Cash funds as at 1 December 2021
Cash funds as at 31 December 2022
4		 Unrestricted
Fund
£
2,893
2,893
-
-
-
2,893
2,325
5,218		 Restricted
Fund
£
30,017
30,017
66,970
400
67,370
(37,353)
91,438
54,085		 2022
Total
£
32,910
32,910
66,970
400
67,370
(34,460)
93,763
59,303		 2021
Total
£
47,029
47,029
48,571
400
48,971
(1,942)
95,705
93,763

Notes on pages 5 form part of these accounts

3

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

STATEMENT OF ASSET AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2022

Notes
Monetary assets
Cash at bank and in hand:
Total monetary assets
Funds
Unrestricted
4
Restricted
4
Total Funds
Other monetary assets
Liabilities
Independent examiner fee
5		 2022
£
59,303
59,303
5,218
54,085
59,303
400
400		 2021
£
93,763
93,763
2,325
91,438
93,763
400
400

These accounts were approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by :

Signed: Date: 26/10/2023

Helen Pearson

4

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

1. 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 by Charities" (SORP 2019) issued in 2019, with all revenue and expenses shown on a cash basis.

Period

These accounts cover a 12 month period from 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022.

2. Donations, legacies and
other similar receipts
Donations
3. Charitable activities
Insurance
Self employed
Donation
Bank charges
4.
Cash Funds
Unrestricted
General fund
Restricted Funds
Wild Planet Trust
Bristol Chester Zoo
Association Mazingira
MBOMIPA Protection Project
Corridor restoration
Pro Wildlife
Totals		 Balance at
01/01/22
£
2,325
2,325
31,582
4,650
9,554
23,534
17,083
5,036
91,439		 Unrestricted
Fund
£
2,893
2,893
Unrestricted
Fund
£
-
-
-
-
-
Incoming
£
2,893
2,893
17,000
-
-
-
-
13,017
30,017		 Restricted
Fund
£
30,017
30,017
Restricted
Fund
£
247
-
66,670
53
66,970
Outgoing
£
-
-
(48,130)
(4,650)
(9,554)
-
-
(5,036)
(67,370)		 2022
Total
£
32,910
32,910
2022
Total
£
247
-
66,670
53
66,970
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 2021
Total
£
47,029
47,029
2021
Total
£
247
4,200
44,104
20
48,571
Balance at
31/12/22
£
5,218
5,218
452
-
-
23,534
17,083
13,017
54,085

5. The Independent Examiners Fee will be £400.00.

6. No remuneration was paid to any trustee or to any person(s) known to be connected with any of them.

7. There were no related parties within the year.

8. The charity is operating on a going concern basis.

9. During the year, there were Nil employees (2021: Nil).

5

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

Charity registration number 1179460

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

CONTENTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

----- Start of picture text -----
Page
Legal and Admin Information 1
Independent examiner's report 2
Receipts and payments account 3
Statement of assets & liabilities 4
Notes to the financial statements 5
----- End of picture text -----

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

LEGAL & ADMIN INFORMATION FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

Status

The trust was formed as an incorporated charity on 1st August 2018.

----- Start of picture text -----
||| |---|---| |Trustees|Nicholas McWilliam| |Helen Pearson| |Nat Comber| |Charity number|1179460| |Independent Examiner|Community360| |Winsley’s House| |High Street| |Colchester| |CO1 1UG| |Business address|30 Barn Road| |Stirling| |FK8 1EP| |Bankers|Natwest| |Cleveleys Branch| |Lancs| |FY5 2AL|

----- End of picture text -----

1

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

I report on the accounts of Southern Tanzania Elephant Trust for the year ended 31st December 2022 which are set out on pages 3 to 5.

Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner

The Charity’s Trustees are responsible for the preparation of the accounts. The Charity’s Trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144 (2) of the Charities Act 2011 (The Act) but that an independent examination is needed. It is my responsibility to:

Basis of independent examiner’s Statement

My examination was carried out in accordance with the General Directions given by the Charity Commissioners. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the Charity and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes considerations of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations from you as trustees concerning any such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all the evidence that would be required in an audit and consequently I do not express an audit opinion on the view given by the accounts.

Independent examiner’s statement

In the course of my examination, no material matters have come to my attention which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

I have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Shelley-Marie Rudling FMAAT AATQB for and on behalf of: Community360

Winsley’s House, High Street, Colchester, Essex

Date 30/10/2023

2

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

RECEIPTS AND PAYMENTS ACCOUNT FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

Notes
Receipts
Donations, legacies
2
and other similar receipts
Total receipts
Charitable payments
Charitable activities
3
Governance
Total payments
Net of receipts/(payments)
Cash funds as at 1 December 2021
Cash funds as at 31 December 2022
4		 Unrestricted
Fund
£
2,893
2,893
-
-
-
2,893
2,325
5,218		 Restricted
Fund
£
30,017
30,017
66,970
400
67,370
(37,353)
91,438
54,085		 2022
Total
£
32,910
32,910
66,970
400
67,370
(34,460)
93,763
59,303		 2021
Total
£
47,029
47,029
48,571
400
48,971
(1,942)
95,705
93,763

Notes on pages 5 form part of these accounts

3

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

STATEMENT OF ASSET AND LIABILITIES AS AT 31 DECEMBER 2022

Notes
Monetary assets
Cash at bank and in hand:
Total monetary assets
Funds
Unrestricted
4
Restricted
4
Total Funds
Other monetary assets
Liabilities
Independent examiner fee
5		 2022
£
59,303
59,303
5,218
54,085
59,303
400
400		 2021
£
93,763
93,763
2,325
91,438
93,763
400
400

These accounts were approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by :

Signed: Date: 26/10/2023

Helen Pearson

4

SOUTHERN TANZANIA ELEPHANT TRUST

NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

1. 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 by Charities" (SORP 2019) issued in 2019, with all revenue and expenses shown on a cash basis.

Period

These accounts cover a 12 month period from 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022.

2. Donations, legacies and
other similar receipts
Donations
3. Charitable activities
Insurance
Self employed
Donation
Bank charges
4.
Cash Funds
Unrestricted
General fund
Restricted Funds
Wild Planet Trust
Bristol Chester Zoo
Association Mazingira
MBOMIPA Protection Project
Corridor restoration
Pro Wildlife
Totals		 Balance at
01/01/22
£
2,325
2,325
31,582
4,650
9,554
23,534
17,083
5,036
91,439		 Unrestricted
Fund
£
2,893
2,893
Unrestricted
Fund
£
-
-
-
-
-
Incoming
£
2,893
2,893
17,000
-
-
-
-
13,017
30,017		 Restricted
Fund
£
30,017
30,017
Restricted
Fund
£
247
-
66,670
53
66,970
Outgoing
£
-
-
(48,130)
(4,650)
(9,554)
-
-
(5,036)
(67,370)		 2022
Total
£
32,910
32,910
2022
Total
£
247
-
66,670
53
66,970
Transfers
£
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-		 2021
Total
£
47,029
47,029
2021
Total
£
247
4,200
44,104
20
48,571
Balance at
31/12/22
£
5,218
5,218
452
-
-
23,534
17,083
13,017
54,085

5. The Independent Examiners Fee will be £400.00.

6. No remuneration was paid to any trustee or to any person(s) known to be connected with any of them.

7. There were no related parties within the year.

8. The charity is operating on a going concern basis.

9. During the year, there were Nil employees (2021: Nil).

5