This year’s World Wildlife Day theme is “Partnerships for Conservation.” Partnerships are at the core of our efforts to save endangered wildlife at Nature Seychelles. Through these collaborations, spectacular results for wildlife conservation have been achieved.
Here are some notable ones:
1. Saving our feathered friends
Many endemic birds of Seychelles survived thanks to unique partnerships.
The Seychelles Warbler, once on the verge of extinction on Cousin Island, has been saved by restoring the island and translocating it to four other Seychelles islands. As a result, its population rebounded, and in 2015, it was reclassified as “Near Threatened” in the IUCN Red List. Five islands are now home to over 3000 warblers. Private island owners, NGOs, and the government of Seychelles collaborated to reach this milestone. This is one of the world’s greatest conservation success stories.
The Seychelles Magpie Robin, also on the verge of extinction on Fregate Island, was similarly rescued. The establishment of a population on Cousin Island was followed by transfers to three other islands, where it has flourished with its numbers increasing from 19 to 500.
SMART – the Nature Seychelles-led recovery program for this bird – brings together conservationists, representatives from each magpie-inhabited island, and the government to make conservation decisions for this bird.
Collaboration for research on the Seychelles Warbler has been ongoing for over 30 years
2. Answering questions about wildlife
Through partnerships with universities, hundreds of scientific papers have been published on the terrestrial and marine life of Cousin Island.
Notably, a group of researchers from the universities of East Anglia, Sheffield, Leeds, and Groningen has been conducting research on the Seychelles Warbler for over 30 years. They have published many scientific papers and established their research into the “tiny brown job” as a global phenomenon. Exciting discoveries have included its cooperative breeding nature, which helps explain why social species, such as humans, cooperate and often raise their children in groups.\
3. Helping hands
Cousin Island relies on volunteers for everything from turtle monitoring to bird ringing
Cousin Island relies on volunteers for everything from turtle monitoring to bird ringing. Volunteers have conducted bird and tortoise censuses, cleared the island of invasive creepers, conducted marine surveys, cleaned beaches, and shared other expertise, such as photography and videography. Taking their experiences home, they have been valuable ambassadors for the island and its wildlife.
Scientific volunteers have been working with Reef Rescuers for more than a decade, restoring corals to Cousin’s degraded reefs.
Scientific volunteers have been working with Reef Rescuers
Numerous private citizens, local school children, wildlife clubs, local business personnel, and naval officers from visiting ships have contributed to the maintenance of the Sanctuary at Roche Caiman wetland. A variety of services have been provided such as nature interpretation paintings, construction, and clearing of invasive weeds.
4. Bringing visitors
Cousin Island’s ecotourism is crucial to the conservation of its wildlife. For many years, Seychellois-owned travel agencies, and several other local small to medium-sized operators and charter boat businesses based on Praslin, have brought tourists to Cousin. The fees collected ensure the continued preservation of this wildlife haven.
Local tour operators bring visitors to Cousin Island
5. Broadcasting wildlife
Through partnerships with the media, Seychelles’ wildlife has been showcased locally and internationally. It has entertained, educated, inspired, and empowered generations of conservationists. We have collaborated with local media to produce environment programs on radio, TV, and print. Seychelles wildlife has been seen on major international outlets such as CNN, BBC, and Deutche Welle among many others.