INTERNATIONAL ANTI-POACHING FOUNDATION INC
1655 N FORT MYER DRIVE NO 700, ARLINGTON, VA 22209 www.iapf.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: IAPF PROTECTS ENDANGERED WILDLIFE AND ECOSYSTEMS BY CONDUCTING ANTI-POACHING OPERATIONS, DELIVERING RANGER TRAINING, SUPPLYING EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS, AND PROVIDING CRITICAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO COMMUNITIES WORKING TO PREVENT POACHING AND ILLEGAL PARTS TRAFFICKING (SMUGGLING).LOCAL EMPOWERMENT AND ENGAGEMENT ARE CRITICAL TO REDUCING WILDLIFE CRIME. IAPF'S COMMUNITY-FOCUSED OPERATIONS ARE PROVING TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE AND ENDURING THAN THE MILITARIZED, ADVERSARIAL ANTI-POACHING TACTICS OF THE PAST. OUR RANGERS ARE ARMED, AND TRAINED IN MILITARY AND POLICING SKILLS, BUT - IMPORTANTLY - THEY ARE ALSO TRAINED IN COMMUNICATION, DE-ESCALATION, ETC., AND ARE A GENUINE PART OF THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THEY WORK. VILLAGES WHERE IAPF OPERATES ARE GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES AND INCENTIVES TO "BE THE SOLUTION" - AND THEY ARE RESPONDING MAGNIFICENTLY.

CONSERVATION/PROTECTION OF WILDLIFE AND ECOSYSTEMS, ESPECIALLY FROM POACHING AND ILLEGAL TRAFFICKING.

AKASHINGA: EARLY IN 2017, WE DEVELOPED THE CONCEPT FOR A PROGRAM TO PROTECT ANIMALS AND ECOSYSTEMS WHILE EMPOWERING LOCAL WOMEN AND SUPPORTING RURAL ECONOMIES. IN AUGUST 2017, CONCEPT BECAME REALITY WITH THE RECRUITMENT OF LOCAL WOMEN IN ZIMBABWE'S LOWER ZAMBEZI VALLEY. MOST OF OUR FEMALE RECRUITS WERE SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC ABUSE, THE SEX TRADE, AND OTHER ABUSES, BUT DESPITE (OR PERHAPS BECAUSE OF) THEIR OWN VIOLENT PASTS, THEY CHOSE TO DEFEND OTHER SPECIES. THESE STRONG, CAPABLE WOMEN HAVE ALSO PROVEN THEMSELVES EXTREMELY BRAVE-WHICH IS WHAT "AKASHINGA" MEANS: "THE BRAVE ONES" IN THE LOCAL SHONA LANGUAGE. THE GROUP COMPLETED BASIC (RANGER) TRAINING IN OCTOBER 2017 AND WAS IN THE FIELD PATROLLING AND MAKING ARRESTS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. 2018 WAS OUR FIRST FULL YEAR OF OPERATION, AND IAPF'S ALL-FEMALE TEAM OF RANGERS DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY PROTECTED 230,000 ACRES OF AFRICAN WILDERNESS BY CONDUCTING FIELD PATROLS TO DEFEND THREATENED SPECIES; COMPLETING COMMUNITY PATROLS TO FIND PARTS TRAFFICKERS AND GATHER TIPS ABOUT POACHERS AND SMUGGLERS FROM LOCALS; AND EXECUTING NUMEROUS ARRESTS WHICH LED TO MANY YEARS OF POST-CONVICTION JAIL TIME. ARRESTS ARE OFTEN CONDUCTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH NATIONAL POLICE AGENCIES. 2018 ALSO SAW THE START OF CONSTRUCTION ON PERMANENT BUILDINGS, AS WELL AS COMMUNICATION, SOLAR, AND WATER SYSTEMS FOR OUR BASECAMP. IAPF'S BENEFITS TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY INCLUDE NUMEROUS RANGER AND SUPPORT STAFF JOBS, MEANING HOUSEHOLDS WITH GOOD WAGES. HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE ALSO DIRECTLY BENEFIT FROM AKASHINGA - INCLUDING MANY SCHOOL-AGED CHILDRENAND THESE ARE JUST THE DIRECT IMPACTS. OUR RANGERS ALSO GET HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, LEARN TO DRIVE (NOT A GIVEN FOR ANYONE, ESPECIALLY WOMEN, IN ZIMBABWE), AND SOME OF THEM ARE BUYING HOUSES WITH THE SALARIES THEY PROUDLY EARN! THESE BRAVE, RESILIENT WOMEN ARE MODELING FEMALE EMPOWERMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES AND ARE MOBBED BY ADMIRERS OF ALL AGES WHEN THEY VISIT LOCAL SCHOOLS.WHILE EMPOWERING WOMEN WE'RE ALSO STABILIZING COMMUNITIES, GROWING NETWORKS OF CARING PEOPLE, AND ACCOMPLISHING OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: THE PROTECTION OF NATURE. WHILE SUCH STATEMENTS OFFER A WARM FEELING, WE ARE PROVING THAT OUR PRIDE IN OUR TEAMS IS JUSTIFIED.LET'S EXAMINE THE IMPACT WE'VE HAD ON POACHING IN THE LOWER ZAMBEZI:PRIOR TO AKASHINGA, IN 2016: 70+ ELEPHANTS WERE KILLED (5.8 PER MONTH).2017: 28 ELEPHANTS KILLED; IAPF BEGAN REGIONAL PATROLS/TRAINING/ETC., AND SAVED 60% OF THE ELEPHANTS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN KILLED.2018: 18 ELEPHANTS KILLED; OUR FIRST FULL YEAR OF AKASHINGA OPERATION CREATED A 36% DECREASE IN ELEPHANT POACHING FROM 2017, AND A 76% DECREASE WHEN COMPARED TO 2016.2019: ONLY 9 ELEPHANTS KILLED BY POACHERS. THIS IS TOO MANY, BUT WE FURTHER REDUCED POACHING BY 50% IN A YEAR, AND BY 87% COMPARED TO 2016.THIS 87% REDUCTION IN ELEPHANT POACHING WAS REALLY ACCOMPLISHED IN ABOUT 2.25 YEARS OF ACTIVE, FULL-TIME PATROLLING (Q4 2017 THROUGH 2019).OF COURSE, WHAT BENEFITS THE ELEPHANTS ALSO BENEFITS THE MANY OTHER SPECIES SHARING THEIR HABITAT, SO WE ARE PROVING WITH NUMBERS WHAT WE KNEW IN OUR HEARTS: AKASHINGA WORKS. OUR "MODEL" IS NOW PROVEN AND OPERATIONAL.WE HAVE A VARIETY OF INTRIGUING METRICS TO SHARE WITH YOU UPON REQUEST, BUT WILL SHARE TWO MORE HERE TO OFFER SOME SCALE AND SCOPE OF IMPACT: A - LESS CLINICAL BUT INFINITELY REAL AND HEART-WARMING: DESPITE RARELY SEEING WILDLIFE DURING THEIR FIRST PATROLS, THE AKASHINGA RANGERS NOW SEE VARIED SPECIES ON ALMOST EVERY PATROL!B - LOCAL POLICE OFFICIALS HAVE TOLD US THAT RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT HAVE FALLEN BY 60-70% IN ACTIVE AKASHINGA PATROL AREAS. THIS WAS AN UNANTICIPATED RESULT THAT WE ARE THRILLED TO BE A PART OF. AS WOMEN ARE HELPED TO FIND THEIR INNER POWER, AND GIVEN SKILLS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND OTHERS, DOMESTIC ABUSE AND VIOLENT SEXUAL CRIMES BEGIN EVAPORATING. WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF THIS OURCOME.

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: WHILE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON FIELD WORK AND ON-THE-GROUND RESULTS, WE DO WHAT WE CAN TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE IMPORTANT ISSUES OF CONSERVATION AND WILDLIFE PROTECTION - BECAUSE PUBLIC OPINION AND PRESSURE WILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN BRINGING AN END TO POACHING. THE UNIQUENESS AND SUCCESS OF OUR PROGRAMS GENERATES EMPATHY AND VAST MEDIA INTEREST.

LEADRANGER: INITIATED IN 2016, THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES INTENSE, ADVANCED, HANDS-ON PRACTICAL TRAINING TO ACTIVE (OFTEN SENIOR-LEVEL) RANGERS. WE OFFER CUSTOMIZED CURRICULUM ACCORDING TO THEIR HOME UNIT'S NEEDS. TRAINING INCLUDES SUBJECTS SUCH AS: INTEGRATION OF UNARMED COMMUNITY SCOUTS AND ARMED RANGERS INTO UNIFIED PATROLS; TRACKING; PROCESSING WILDLIFE CRIME SCENES AND INTELLIGENCE GATHERING; TACTICAL PURSUIT OPERATIONS; EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND TACTICAL FIELD CARE; COMMAND AND CONTROL; LAW ENFORCEMENT DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS; AND MORE. WE WORK WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES (SUCH AS KENYA WILDLIFE SERVICE) AND NGOS TO DETERMINE AND MEET THEIR UNIQUE TRAINING NEEDS. IMPORTANTLY, WE ALSO TRAIN MOST STUDENTS WITHIN EACH COHORT TO INSTRUCTOR LEVEL, SO THEY CAN TRAIN OTHER RANGERS IN THEIR HOME UNITS UPON RETURN. THIS VASTLY ADDS TO EACH UNIT'S EXPERTISE AND CONSERVATION EFFECTIVENESS, WHICH IS THE GOAL OF OUR INTENSE AND CHALLENGING "TRAIN THE TRAINER" PROGRAM. UPON GRADUATION, THEY RETURN TO THEIR HOME UNITS, AND TRAIN OTHER RANGERS IN THE SKILLS THEY LEARNED WITH US. WE GIVE THEM CUTTING-EDGE SKILLS, BUT ALSO THE "TOOLS" REQUIRED TO EDUCATE FELLOW RANGERS. PREVIOUS GRADUATES HAVE ALREADY TRAINED COUNTLESS OTHER RANGERS, ADDING DEPTH, EXPERIENCE, EFFECTIVENESS, AND SURVIVABILITY TO AFRICA'S CONSERVATION FORCES. WE ALSO REGULARLY CONDUCT "RANGER LIFE SAVER" REFRESHER COURSES FOR STUDENTS, AND HAVE SEEN RANGERS TAKE ACTIONS - LEARNED FROM THIS COURSE - TO SAVE LIVES IN THE FIELD AS RANGERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE TREATED WITH TOURNIQUETS OR BANDAGES AND MAKE FULL RECOVERIES AFTER LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES. THIS IS THE POWER OF LEADRANGER: WE ARE GROWING RANGERS' IMPACT.PLEASE VISIT HTTPS://WWW.IAPF.ORG/ FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO GET INVOLVED.

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