Nordens Ark Annual report 2018 by Nordens Ark

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

NORDENS ARK

NORDENS ARK IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE vision. Therefore, I hope to be able to return to this matter with more positive news in the future.

So we close the books on 2018, a year that recorded the hottest summer in living memory. In terms of visitor numbers, it was not a hugely successful year for Nordens Ark, but our increasingly important conservation and educational work of course continued with unabated intensity. Our breeding and release projects proceeded as planned, and as for our evermore-prominent work with red-listed insects, collaboration with the relevant county administrative boards was expanded. At the start of the year we received a request to send our Persian leopard pair to a breeding centre near Sochi in the Russian part of the western Caucasus. Wild leopards lived in these magnificent mountainous regions up to the mid-1900s. They were part of the once-cohesive population that stretched all the way from Iran and Afghanistan in the east. The plan was that Nordens Ark would receive an older, unrelated leopard pair in exchange.

Bison finally arrived at our Ecopark in May, and with them the heatwave that never seemed to end. Even though tourists flocked here to the west coast as never before, Nordens Ark didn’t see any benefit. It was the sun and the seaside they came for. Our visitor numbers never recovered . . . but there’s always 2019! The bison were nevertheless a welcome addition and a major attraction, particularly when they are grazing within sight of passing traffic on Route 171. In October, the Board and some of the staff travelled to the Bialowieza bison forest in Poland. This trip was a valuable continuation of the collaboration with researchers and conservationists in this breathtaking natural environment. In addition to inspiring lectures and internal strategy meetings, there was the welcome bonus of an early morning bike ride. A couple of wild bison were spotted in the distance as the morning mists lifted.

A new centre for breeding and release of leopards was among a number of compensatory measures taken in connection with the hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The Olympic facilities and associated logistics entailed a lot of exploitation of unique and – on paper, at least – protected natural environments in this part of the Caucasus. The Games went ahead, of course, despite unrelenting pressure from both domestic and international environmental organisations. The proposed exchange sounded appealing and in principle appropriate – even though we at Nordens Ark are all very attached to our breeding pair, and in spite of the fact that we realised the project would be cumbersome and time-consuming, as is frequently the case with Russian collaborations. What’s more, projects whose objective is the release of large predators are by their nature very complex and require extremely detailed planning. A pair of leopards had already been released into the Caucasus Biosphere Reserve national park adjacent to the centre, with very uncertain results. As early as 2010, before the leopard centre was designed, a Russian delegation had visited Nordens Ark to learn about the practicalities – though not about how the releases would actually be carried out.

The Board doing some early-morning bison-spotting in Bialowieza.

Our zoological director, Ewa Wikberg, and I travelled to Sochi in April to see the situation for ourselves. We spent a couple of interesting days in solution-oriented meetings with the centre’s staff and with representatives from Moscow’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, as well as from participating nature conservation organisations. So what came of all this? Well, a year on, the exchange sadly still hasn’t happened. There’s the matter of Russian bureaucracy, and there’s also a certain amount of disagreement between the Russians and those responsible for the European studbook for Persian leopards about how things ought to be done. Nature conservation isn’t just about biology, but also involves diplomacy, communication skills, persistence and long-term

NORDENS ARK

In the autumn I also had the privilege of visiting Cuc Phuong Turtle Conservation Centre, a few hours south of Hanoi in Vietnam. This is where Nordens Ark, in association with the Zoological Society of London and Paignton Zoo and with support from the Segré Foundation, is involved in a conservation project for the distinctive big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum). Like most Asian turtles, this aquatic species remains threatened by the seemingly insatiable local need for all kinds of food derived from South East Asia’s dwindling ecosystem. Here at home, there were interesting goings-on too. In November, Nordens Ark played host to the first-ever Global Action Planning Meeting for the little Asiatic Pallas cat – a species for which significant knowledge gaps still need to be addressed. The aim was to develop a common conservation strategy, with existing knowledge of the species as a starting point. A few years ago, with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, we launched the Pallas’s Cat International Conservation Alliance (PICA), and now PICA arranged a meeting in collaboration with the IUCN’s Cat Specialist Group and 28 participants, among them experts from eight of the 16 countries where Pallas cats live. The meeting was a great success, and the fresh findings presented there led to the Pallas cat being honoured with its own special edition of the IUCN’s Cat News. Now we’re looking forward to the anniversary year 2019, with the motto ‘Nordens Ark – 30 years and beyond’. Given the current alarming reports about the threat to biological diversity, the need for Nordens Ark’s efforts has (sadly) never been greater.

CEO Mats Höggren inspects a big-headed turtle at Cuc Phuong Turtle Conservation Centre in Vietnam.

Mats Höggren, CEO

NORDENS ARK

Nordens Ark is a non-profit foundation that’s working to give endangered animals a future.

NORDENS ARK FOUNDATION

The Foundation’s key objectives are:

Nordens Ark’s vision is that endangered species should achieve healthy populations in their natural environments, and that biological diversity needs to be preserved. Our long-term goal is to create the conditions to enable species threatened with extinction to survive in sustainable populations in the wild.

To contribute to efforts to save endangered animal species and breeds through breeding and nature conservation, as well as through releases of animals in their natural habitats whenever possible.

To carry out research and studies of animal species and breeds kept at Nordens Ark, thereby contributing to a greater understanding of them in order to increase these species’ chances of survival.

NON-PROFIT FOUNDATION SINCE 1989

To educate and spread knowledge about endangered animals and biodiversity.

Nordens Ark is situated on Sweden’s west coast, 20km from Smögen and 120 km north of Gothenburg.

INNEHÅLL

Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria is patroness of Nordens Ark.

Nordens Ark is making a difference............................................................ 2 Nordens Ark.................................................................................................... 3 Nordens Ark around the world.................................................................... 7 Deep diving.....................................................................................................19 Animal inventory at Nordens Ark .............................................................25 Administration report...................................................................................29 Income statement.......................................................................................... 37 Balance sheet.................................................................................................. 38 Cach flow analysis......................................................................................... 40 Accounting and valuation principles and notes.......................................41 Audit report....................................................................................................49 Board of directors, auditors and staff.........................................................51 Partners and memberships...........................................................................52

Nordens Ark Foundation is situated in the beautiful Åby manor in Bohus county.

NORDENS ARK FOUNDATION

The manor has a rich narrative of stories and tales. Åby manor is one of the oldest farms in Bohus county and there have been human settlements here for more than 6,000 years. Nordens Ark is the third owner of Åby manor since the end of the 17th Century. At that time, the estate was owned by Margareta Hvitfeldt, perhaps Bohus county’s most powerful woman of all time. Until 1975, Åby manor was owned by the scholarship fund that inherited her fortune.

The manor comprises a total of about 400 hectares (nearly 1,000 acres) of land, which includes grazing pastures, forest land and animal facilities. The manor’s barn is the largest free-standing timber building in Bohus county. It’s 60 metres long and part of it is believed to date from the 1600s. The yellow manor house was built in 1729.

FACT AND FABLE

During 2018, we developed a hike called Fact and Fable. Download our app and listen to the manor’s history as you walk round the estate, and find out about the cultural heritage buildings and mysterious sites.

Margareta Hvitfeldt

The old staircase up to Mangården (the manor house) from the orchard. The staircase unfortunately no longer remains, but the linden trees are still standing.

As can be seen in this old picture, today’s Nordens Ark Hotel has the same form and appearance as the old cattle stables that used to stand on the site. The large barn survives and is Bohus county’s largest free-standing timbered building. The picture dates from the early 1900s.

NORDENS ARK

ÅBY MANOR

Three beautiful pups The dhole, or Asiatic wild dog, is red-listed as Endangered and is one of Asia’s rarest predators. Just over a year after the dholes arrived in the park, we had our first litter: two females and a male.

Back on the mainland 2018 turned out to be a milestone in conservation work for the great capricorn beetle. The species returned to the Swedish mainland for the first time in 50 years.

©©Ola Jennersten Erik Edvardsson

No longer endangered The work with Ural owls at Nordens Ark was wrapped up in the autumn. The happy news is that the Ural owl is no longer threatened in Sweden.

Important foals During the summer, two Przewalski’s wild horse foals were born – a significant contribution to the continued efforts to conserve this species.

Cuteness alert The two red panda youngsters born in the park during the summer (reluctantly) had their vaccinations and worming treatment.

The world’s smallest deer moves out In September, the last female pudu left Nordens Ark for Wuppertal zoo in Germany.

Eurasian eagle-owls flying free Three eagle-owl chicks were born in the spring and were later sent to the Eagle-Owl Project for release in Skåne at the end of August.

Europe’s last ‘giants’ Just in time for summer, six European bison arrived at Nordens Ark. They have a key role in nature and are helping us to keep the landscape open.

NORDENS ARK AROUND THE WORLD

NEW SPECIES DURING 2018

During the year, several new species came to Nordens Ark, among them Baer’s pochard, Cabot’s tragopan, European bison and Assmann’s fritillary. The aim of Nordens Ark’s operations is to play an active role in efforts to preserve endangered animal species.

NEWCOMERS

If the species in question is already included in a breeding programme, that is a plus point. The practical and physical considerations for keeping a particular species are always weighed up before a new one is acquired.

The costs of maintenance and daily care vary hugely between different species, so these are also part of the equation. However, the ultimate goal is to achieve a clear conservation benefit in a way that’s financially justifiable.

The choice of new species is determined by a number of factors. Species facing a specific threat are prioritised, and in the case of Swedish breeds, a state-backed action plan should ideally be in place.

BAER’S POCHARD

CABOT’S TRAGOPAN

The situation for the Baer’s pochard in the wild is dire. A hundred years ago the species was a common sight. In 1980, the population had declined to fewer than 25,000; today, there are just 250 to 300 individuals left. The species is now classified as Critically Endangered.

Cabot’s tragopan is a game bird native to forested regions of south-east China at altitudes of between 600 and 1,800 metres. Despite measures including legal protection, the species is declining throughout its range. Due to felling and conversion of natural forests into plantations and arable land, Cabot’s tragopan is today considered endangered.

Hunting and habitat destruction are to blame for the species’ decline. A global conservation plan has been established with the objective of stopping unregulated hunting and reducing interference in the wild, as well as increasing public awareness of the Baer’s pochard. Another goal is to secure a genetically healthy population in wildlife parks, and to achieve this a breeding programme has been established. There is an urgent need for more parks that can hold the species.

Work to conserve the species is under way. Many of the birds that are part of the breeding programme are currently in private ownership, and only a handful of zoos have managed to breed them. The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) is consequently trying to persuade more parks to work with and breed Cabot’s tragopan. Nordens Ark is hoping to be able to take part. A breeding pair were acquired in 2018. Nordens Ark is the only park in Sweden to hold the species.

At Nordens Ark, the pond by the entrance to the wildlife park was prepared for the Baer’s pochard. Two pairs were brought in at the same time, and the result at year’s end was five males and four females.

One of the aviaries in the Wolf Forest has been reconfigured to suit the tragopans and will give the public a good chance to see them. © Christer Larsson

Cabot’s tragopans have a very special mating ritual. The male inflates his beautifully coloured larynx and a pair of clear blue ‘horns’. All in an attempt to impress the female.

The species nests in north-east Asia around the Amur and Ussuri rivers in Russia, as well as in north-east China. It is a migratory bird that heads to lakes in south-east Asia in the winter.

Together with ancient mammoths and auruchs, bison once roamed the plains of Europe. The others died out, but the bison survived – with a cry for help – and at the beginning of summer 2018, six animals moved in to Nordens Ark.

NEWCOMERS

The bison has a key role in nature when it comes to biological diversity. It is one of very few wild animals with the capacity to keep entire landscapes from becoming overgrown.

Bison are now roaming in large enclosures in our Ecopark. The idea is that the animals should behave in a natural way and contribute to the open landscape and biodiversity through their efficient grazing.

EUROPE’S LAST ANIMAL GIANT The bison disappeared in the wild in the 1920s, with only a few remaining in European zoos. Thanks to determined breeding and reintroduction efforts, there are now 5,000 bison in scattered groups across Europe. Bison survived due to conservation work by wildlife parks, and with the species still threatened, those efforts continue just as assiduously today. More breeders are needed to support the release efforts, something that Nordens Ark is taking seriously.

Conservation workers in the Ecopark.

ASSMANN’S FRITILLARY

The Assmann’s fritillary was fairly common in Sweden half a century ago, but since then has all but vanished. We fear that we may be caring for the last two examples. They came to us in midsummer 2018, together with two egg clumps. Some of the eggs hatched into larvae, which overwintered in silk cocoons on their host plants.

Another creature found its way to our breeding facility at Lunden during 2018. The Assmann’s fritillary is a butterfly in the fritillary group, which has many species that look very similar. All the signs are that Assmann’s fritillary is slowly disappearing from Sweden and today it’s found at only two locations, in Västmanland and in Kalmar county. Both sites are being kept secret so that collectors don’t tip the species over the edge into extinction in our country. However, it’s doubtful whether one of the sites in fact has any individuals left.

The county administrative boards in Kalmar and Västmanland are principals/partners in the project. Hopes now rest on these last larvae and on whether a few more individuals might be found in 2019 at the Kalmar site. Nordens Ark is now Sweden’s leading player in this type of breeding.

YET ANOTHER CRITICALLY ENDANGERED INSECT GETS HELP The butterfly larvae live on Veronica chamaedrys, a vascular plant common all over Sweden. The evidence suggests that Assmann’s fritillary has been badly affected by the ongoing and accelerating overgrowth of flower meadows. Butterfly experts have been able to link the presence of the Glanville fritillary to the very high species richness of other similar butterflies. The last remaining sites had a very high density of different flower species – important nectar sources for the adult butterflies.

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EUROPEAN BISON

NORDENS ARK AROUND THE WORLD

POOL FROG

Thanks to our many years of work with amphibian breeding, Kristiansand wildlife park in Norway turned to Nordens Ark to help launch a project to save the threatened pool frog.

EXPORTED EXPERTISE

remaining in a couple of forest lakes in Aust-Agder county in the south, close to Kristiansand.

Over many years, Nordens Ark has developed a working system of breeding pool frogs – knowledge that came in handy when Norway launched a conservation project with the aim of strengthening the population of pool frogs in the wild.

One of Scandinavia’s rarest frog species, the pool frog is listed as vulnerable in Sweden and critically endangered in Norway. In Sweden, it’s now found in only about 60 ponds along the Uppland coast. In Norway the situation is even worse, with only around 30 individuals

Animal keepers took ten pool frogs to Kristiansand wildlife park to help with the construction, start-up and running of a breeding facility. Over a couple of days, terrariums were built and made ready for the five females and five males that Kristofer had brought with him from Nordens Ark. The first releases should take place in the summer of 2019.

AKUT HOTAD DAMFROSK

4.8 MILLION KRONOR FOR THE RED PANDA IN NEPAL

Kristofer Försäter from Nordens Ark and Helene Axelsen from Kristiansand.

may be as few as 2,500 individuals. The threats to the region and the species that live there are extremely complex, with forest degradation, environmental damage, illegal hunting and animal trafficking all playing a part.

This is the sum of money that Nordens Ark has received from the Swedish Postcode Lottery in a special project that will run from 2018 to 2021.

Some 200 million people live in the Himalayan region and there is widespread poverty. Local people rely on the forest and land every day for their livelihood and their lives are interlinked with the surrounding environment, which makes them especially vulnerable to environmental degradation. Biodiversity is being lost at an ever increasing rate, even though we now know that sustainably managed natural resources are of vital importance in the battle to reduce world poverty. Through a sustainable lifestyle, we can fight poverty while simultaneously lessening the risk to plants and animals. The project aims to preserve the species-rich mountain forests in Nepal while also helping the people who live there by building a Nature Centre that will focus on nature conservation and sustainable development.

Nordens Ark is working with the Red Panda Network to conserve this species in Nepal. The project’s goal is to protect the species-rich mountain forests in eastern Nepal, safeguarding the survival of the red panda while at the same time contributing to better living conditions for the local people. The eastern Himalayas are seen as one of the most speciesrich regions on the planet. There is a great variety of flora and fauna, including some 10,000 different vascular plants, 300 mammal species and around 1,000 species of birds, a large number of them globally threatened. The red panda is a small predator that lives high in the eastern Himalayan forests. It is found in limited areas in five countries (China, Burma, India, Bhutan and Nepal) and is a flagship species for the region. As with so many other species in that part of the world, the red panda is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the wild population

Overall, the Nature Centre will function as a hub for knowledge dissemination and technology transfer that will be of mutual benefit to both the local populace and the red pandas and their habitat. One of the major problems in the region is the lack of awareness and limited access to sustainable

environmental engagement at a national level.

A FLAGSHIP SPECIES FOR NEPAL’S MOUNTAIN FORESTS The measures described above will involve close cooperation between the Red Panda Network and Nordens Ark. The Red Panda Network has been working with the species in Nepal since 2007 and has a well-established collaboration with government agencies, authorities and other regional organisations. The Nature Centre will be run by the Red Panda Network and its local partner, Himali Conservation Forum, together with the local forest user community. It is hoped the project will encourage others and become a blueprint for similar efforts elsewhere, thereby ensuring long-term

The red panda is a solitary animal that lives alone except during the mating season from December to March

View of the red panda’s habitat in Nepal.

NORDENS ARK AROUND THE WORLD

technology. So the Nature Centre will be offering EXPORTED workshops promoting sustainable use of natural EXPERTISE resources and sustainable forest management technology. It will have the facilities to demonstrate environmentally sustainable solutions. The centre will train forest rangers who will be responsible for monitoring and compiling an inventory of red pandas and local biodiversity. Finally, we will also be developing educational programmes for children, with particular focus on biological diversity and the importance of a sustainable lifestyle.

NORDENS ARK AROUND THE WORLD

SNOW LEOPARD

The snow leopard lives in the mountains of central Asia and is one of the big cats we know least about. It’s therefore important to acquire basic information about snow leopard ecology that can then be used as a foundation for an effective conservation programme.

NEAR AND FAR

The Snow Leopard Trust (SLT) is an international organisation that has been conducting research into snow leopards in the Tost Mountains of southern Mongolia since 2008. Nordens Ark began supporting these efforts in 2010 and is one of the SLT’s most loyal partners. The data obtained in the Tost Mountains has been and continues to be a vital part of refining and developing different conservation programmes in a number of the central Asian countries.

Livestock predation is a major challenge for snow leopard conservation work, since long-term conservation depends heavily on creating the conditions for humans and snow leopards to live alongside each other in the mountains. Thus we’re hoping the research will produce data that can be used to reduce livestock predation and thereby promote co-existence.

The camera inventory of snow leopards in the Tost Mountains and surrounding mountain ranges con-tinued during 2018, in addition to an inventory of ibex. Gustaf Samelius, the SLT’s deputy scientific leader, also works part-time for Nordens Ark.

ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST ENIGMATIC FELINES During 2018, Nordens Ark’s backing has helped the SLT continue to track GPS-tagged snow leopards in order to gather information about how the species uses the mountains. The study has also been expanded to follow GPS-tagged ibex and domestic goats. This enables us to look at how the snow leopard’s movement pattern is determined by its natural prey (ibex) and livestock (goats), as well as to study livestock predation in detail.

Snow leopard captured on film by a camera trap in Mongolia

AMUR TIGER

This year’s inventory compiled with the aid of camera traps shows that there are now at least 16 adult Amur tigers in Anuisky National Park, a threefold increase since the project began in 2011.

NUMBERS ARE CONTINUING TO RISE As the number of tigers has increased, so has the number of human-tiger conflicts. The group working to solve this problem handled 32 tiger conflicts during the year, and 56 conflicts involving bears. This work is incredibly important if the local people are to accept living alongside a larger number of predators. The project is continuing to tackle poaching, and 64 park rangers are supported with training and equipment.

The Northern Tiger Project is run by Nordens Ark in association with the WWF and WWF Russia with the aim of conserving the endangered Amur tiger in Russia’s Far East.

It was another successful year for Nordens Ark’s green toad breeding efforts.

NEAR AND FAR

Nearly 4,000 toads were reared and a total of 3,699 were released on Öland. The release sites were at Högbyhamn and Ottenby, and also for the first time at Sebybadet in southern Öland.

In 2003, Nordens Ark and Kalmar county administrative board began working to restore suitable sites on Öland, and green toads have been released there. Happily, the species has recovered and successful spring spawning has led to baby toads being hatched.

In an attempt to establish independent, isolated rearing of green toads without the continual requirement to collect egg strands from outside, a small facility was built at Nordens Ark. The venture also represents a long-term safety measure to reduce the risk of spreading the fungal disease chytrid. The new facility proved itself when, during the summer, we had our first successful reproduction of our own breeding animals. A fantastic achievement both for the project and for future conservation work with this species. A century ago the green toad was common on Öland, but over barely two decades it all but disappeared and the last one was heard, in fact in Högbyhamn, in 1994.

CLOUDED APOLLO

The clouded Apollo is one of our most endangered butterflies, with very few remaining in Sweden today. In order to preserve the species, Nordens Ark has been breeding the butterflies since 2016.

Mission accomplished! Kristofer Försäter and Dèsirée Axén take a breather after a hard day’s work releasing green toads.

This technique, a kind of ‘soft release’, seems to work well and will be used for larger scale releases planned for 2019 following major restorations carried out at Påtorp, outside Ronneby.

The first clouded Apollo larvae were put out in these net tents in a method called ‘soft release’.

We began the year with 169 eggs (149 of our own, and 20 collected in Blekinge) and ended 2018 with an astonishing 3,002. A very positive result.

Like many butterflies and other insects, the clouded Apollo is very particular when it comes to food. The small larvae feed exclusively on corydalis. Corydalis is not especially uncommon, but with the adult butterflies’ requirement for nectar-rich flowers, they are now found in only three scattered areas in Sweden: Ronneby district in Blekinge, Roslagen in Uppland, and outside Sundsvall.

An initial small experiment was carried out in Påtorp when 20 larvae were put out in net tents with access to corydalis. The larvae became pupae and, in turn, 18 butterflies, which were released.

NORDENS ARK AROUND THE WORLD

GREEN TOAD

NORDENS ARK AROUND THE WORLD

PALLAS´A CAT – The Pallas’s Cat Project PICA)

The Pallas’s Cat International Conservation Alliance (PICA) is an international collaboration involving Nordens Ark, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the Snow Leopard Trust and the Segré Foundation. The project includes conservation efforts for Pallas’s cats in the wild, with the emphasis on establishing a global action plan with concrete conservation measures.

NEAR AND FAR

A field trip took place to Kyrgyzstan, where new inventory methods for Pallas’s cats were tried out. The results of this study will be known in 2019.

Work on a status evaluation, in conjunction with the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group, is ongoing. All relevant information about the Pallas cat will be brought together and published in a special edition of the magazine Cat News. The world’s first Pallas’s cat meeting was held at Nordens Ark. It was attended by participants from nine of the 15 distribution countries, as well as experts from five more countries who, over three days, discussed the situation for the Pallas’s cat in the wild and developed solid conservation measures for future work with the species.

During 2018, the review of 400,000 pictures from camera traps from six countries where Pallas’s cats live was concluded. Thanks to this, the species has been identified in three new areas outside its previously known range.

The Pallas cat meeting is unique. Never before have so many experts gathered to talk about the situation for wild Pallas’s cats.

PERSIAN LEOPARD

Afghanistan in the east all the way to Russia in the west.

Most of the wild mammals at Nordens Ark are part of joint breeding programmes (known as EEPs) co-ordinated by EAZA, and that includes our Persian leopards.

Three leopards were released into the wild in 2016, and it’s hoped more will follow. It has not yet been decided whether Nordens Ark’s breeding pair will be sent to Russia.

Serious and long-term efforts are under way to reintroduce this leopard subspecies to the parts of the Russian Caucasus where it existed until well into the 19th Century. The subspecies is also known there as the Caucasian leopard. A breeding facility has been built adjacent to the national park at Sochi – the scenic location for the 2014 Winter Olympics – and has started with a pair of leopards from Iran and Turkmenistan and a second pair from Lisbon zoo. Nordens Ark received a request to play a part by sending our breeding Persian leopard pair to Sochi so they can contribute with new genes in the form of offspring for continued releases. © Mats Höggren

Barely a thousand of this magnificent cat are thought to remain in the wild, most of them in the mountainous areas of northern Iran. The long-term plan, aided by more effective protection, is to link up Persian leopard distribution from

In April, Nordens Ark’s CEO Mats Höggren and head of zoology Ewa Wikberg travelled to Sochi to see the breeding facility at first hand and discuss future collaboration. They are pictured with the centre’s director, Nikolay Voronin.

Nordens Ark expanded its engagement with the white stork during 2018. The number of breeding pairs in the park was increased from three to ten so we could produce more youngsters for release. The resulting 16 chicks were sent to Skåne, where they were released together with 75 other youngsters raised by the stork project.

NEAR AND FAR

To build up a wild strain, the project, which involves Nordens Ark, annually rears and releases stork pairs and yearlings.

FLER STORKAR FLYTTAR IN An inventory of wild storks revealed that as many as 95 youngsters were ready to fly during 2018 – the best result since the first Swedish stork inventory more than a century ago. © Jenny Magnusson

The white stork has been listed as critically endangered in Sweden since the 1940s. Conservation efforts are being led by the Swedish Stork Project, which aims to re-establish a wild and migratory population in the country.

Health checks on arrival at Nordens Ark before the storks are released into the enclosure.

VÄNE CATTLE

Grazing continued on the Ecopark’s 100 hectares (about 250 acres) of restored natural pasture. During 2017 and 2018, Nordens Ark was at the forefront of Sweden’s efforts for the threatened Väne cow, a breed that came to Nordens Ark in 2017. Because of the large herd we hold, this is perhaps one of the single most significant conservation measures for an endangered cattle breed to take place in Sweden in the past year – and made possible thanks to the large amount of pastureland restored under the Ecopark project. Only a few hundred Väne cows remain, and every new holder is of great importance in maintaining genetic breadth. © Marie Mattsson

The fact that we now graze only endangered native breeds has also benefited our mountain cattle, Swedish mountain cattle and Swedish red poll, which all produced calves during the year. In a similar way, the increased grazing land for our endangered native sheep breeds (Dalafur, Gotland and Värmland) has meant better conditions for them too.

The Väne cow is agile and good at finding food when it’s kept at pasture. So the cattle are important in preserving natural grazing lands, and thereby a good variety of plants and animals that would other-wise be at risk of vanishing.

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MAJOR EFFORTS FOR THE WHITE STORK

NORDENS ARK AROUND THE WORLD

EDUCATION AT EVERY LEVEL

Our educational activities encompass all levels, from pre-school to college. Nordens Ark also acts as a field station for students, researchers and postgraduates.

UTBILDNING PÅ PLATS

Nordens Ark’s own pre-school regularly goes on educational excursions with animal and nature themes around the manor.

In total, more than 4,000 pupils of various ages were engaged in training at Nordens Ark in 2018.

FROM PRE-SCHOOL TO RESEARCHERS During the year, the education department put a little extra effort into primary school students, and a collaboration was initiated with Sotenäs municipality. All children in Sotenäs municipality from Grades 2 to 7 – that’s 464 pupils – receved training in biodiversity.

Pre-school children on an outing with tractor and trailer to see the cows in the Ecopark.

THESES

they were older, which was a surprise. However, it could be because the ewe – their mother – did not feed them and the keepers had to do it using milk replacement in a bottle. This might have influenced their play development, and it would be fascinating to study the behaviour of next year’s youngsters, which will hopefully suckle in the normal way.

Part of the teaching that takes place at Nordens Ark involves students who come here to do their bachelor’s or master’s work with us, or with our collected data as a foundation. For example, we can help them evaluate enrichment features for the animals, compile a detailed picture of our species’ behaviour, or identify connections across all the material we ourselves have gathered. In 2018 we had two students from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and one from Skövde College. All were attached to Nordens Ark as they completed their degree projects. The two SLU students who did their master’s work with us were studying Bukhara urial and markhor. They undertook ethological behavioural studies and spent a number of hours doing this during the spring and summer. If you’re doing ethological studies, it’s important to have good contact with the keepers caring for the animals so you can co-ordinate observations with the routines that the keepers have for that specific species. For instance, sometimes you’ll want to consider how these routines affect the animals; at other times you’ll want to remain as undisturbed as possible. Play behaviour of the Bukhara urial. Researchers studying productive agricultural animals regard play as a sign that an animal is being well cared for, so it’s interesting to study this behaviour also among the wild individuals that are the ancestors of these animals.

One of the three Bukhara urial lambs born at Nordens Ark in 2018.

The two Bukhara urial youngsters born in spring 2018 were studied when they were two, four and six weeks old. It was clear that the pair played more at two weeks of age than when

The giant ditch frogs are held under biosafe conditions in large terrariums where lighting and temperature are regulated 24 hours a day to mimic the conditions in the species’ natural habitat all year round.

Ewes are pregnant for five months before giving birth to one or two lambs. The lambs grow rapidly and stop suckling after about four months.

Four adults and five kids were studied over 11 days in the summer. This provided a very detailed picture of how the goats acted with their offspring, and it emerged that the adults helped each other to look after the young by acting as babysitters. Research also revealed that the markhors feel safer in the rocky parts of their enclosure where they have a good view over the area and are not as visible themselves. Factors influencing reproduction among the giant ditch frogs The student from Skövde College completed the bachelor’s work and had access to all the material we had collected in our work with rearing giant ditch frogs. The giant ditch frog, also known as mountain chicken, is critically endangered, so it’s

The giant ditch frog, also known as a mountain chicken, is one of the world’s largest frogs.

NORDENS ARK AROUND THE WORLD

Maternal behaviour among the markhors extremely important that our breeding is successful UTBILDMaternal behaviour is one of the most important to enable us, in time, to release individuals into the NING PÅ factors in successful conservation of a species. wild. PLATS Fur-thermore, it’s considered as enriching for an animal to have the opportunity to produce young. At Nordens Ark we’ve had varying degrees of success Since markhors are an endangered species living in getting this species to mate and reproduce. But in inaccessible areas, at high altitude and in rocky a large amount of data has been collected on, for ter-rain, they are hard to study in their natural example, ambient temperature, humidity, air pressure habitat. Zoos, therefore, afford us a good opportunity to and feeding. This was analysed, and the results indicate that gather knowledge about this species by studying their maternal we’ll do better if the temperature is adjusted slightly, and that behaviour. more vitamins and supplements are required.

NORDENS ARK AROUND THE WORLD

The world’s biological diversity is deteriorating at an ever-faster rate. If action isn’t taken, we risk losing three-quarters of the Earth’s species. More and more scientists are warning that the world is on the brink of a sixth mass extinction, caused this time by us humans. But there is still time to reverse the trend.

EVERY KRONA COUNTS

If all of us gain a better understanding of biodiversity and how we are affecting animals and nature, then together we can make a difference.

For us at Nordens Ark, that difference is important. What we do can mean the difference between survival and extinction, even for an entire species. We cannot make a difference alone; it takes collaboration, at both local and international level. It requires money, hard work and a lot of commitment.

Strong measures will be needed to create a more sustainable use of the planet’s natural resources and to significantly increase conservation efforts to save endangered species.

YOU CAN HELP!

There are various ways you can support Nordens Ark’s work: • Adopt an animal • Bequeath money • Become a sponsor • Make a donation • Make a gift

The Nordens Ark members’ association is a non-profit, independent members’ society whose purpose is to support Nordens Ark’s activities. Membership lasts for a calendar year and includes, among other things, free entry to the park.

Every contribution, large or small, is invaluable and makes a real difference for our work within the park and around the world.

THIS YEAR MEMBERS GAVE 2.600.000 SEK

Revenue from foundations and funds, as well as from sponsors and the public part of the park, are also important sources of income.

The association arranges many different events during the year to raise money for Nordens Ark’s development. The traditional midsummer festivities and the harvest market at the Nordens Ark farm every September are two of the society’s major events that bring in hundreds of visitors.

Nordens Ark is a recognised holder of a 90-account, which guarantees that every gift is used in the proper way. Each contribution goes to Nordens Ark’s work, in line with Swedish Fundraising Control criteria.

Over 28 years, the society has raised a total of 34,5 million kronor for Nordens Ark’s work.

Other operating Educationrevenues

Admission charges

Sales of goods and services

Gifts, public

Contributions, authorities Contributions, organisations Contributions, companies

Gifts, organisations

A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CONTRIBUTED DURING THE YEAR

Our work to make a difference for endangered animals, locally as well as globally, is made possible thanks to gifts and donations from private individuals, companies, foundations and organisations, as well as income from entry tickets, the shop and hotel.

EVERY VISITORS COUNTS

Facebook grew by 8 per cent to 14,629 followers.

Instagram grew by 34 per cent to 7,100 followers.

Without doubt, the most popular social media posts are videos. The films that gained most unique viewers during 2018 were the one about our three peregrine falcons that were ring-marked and released into the wild (33,485 views on Facebook), and the one showing the red panda babies born in the summer (a total of 27,871 views on Facebook and Instagram).

The typical user of our social media platforms is a college- or university-educated woman aged 25 to 54 from the Västra Götaland region working in management, administrative services or the healthcare industry.

NORDENS ARK HOTEL

In addition, the courtyard behind the hotel has been paved and plants added, making it a great environment for lunch or a traditional Swedish fika.

Our hotel underwent a major renovation during 2018. The former shop has been rebuilt as a cosy pub where hotel and conference guests as well as park visitors can enjoy good food and a drink. The new shop downstairs is now the first stop for guests arriving at Nordens Ark. We’ve also expanded the range of goods, with more unique products now available.

”WE’RE PROUD OF THE HOTEL’S NEW LOWER LEVEL.”

The hotel rooms and communal areas have been freshened up, redecorated and equipped with new furniture.

©Marie Mattsson

NORDENS ARK AROUND THE WORLD

Social media is one of Nordens Ark’s most important communication channels. We aim to put Nordens Ark on the map as an actor with a clear business objective: to give endangered animals a future.

IN-DEPTH REPORT

FROM SPRUCE FOREST TO BISON – NATURE CONSERVATION AT ECOSYSTEM LEVEL

DEEP DIVING

The Ecopark project began in the winter of 2011 and the actual restoration phase was finished in 2016. However, management continues mainly with cattle grazing – as of this year with just native breeds, most of them Väne cattle. During 2018, the conservation work took another giant leap forward with the arrival of European bison in the pastures planned and built for them. Nordens Ark – a conservation player and large landowner with an unusual objective. For many people, it comes as a surprise to learn that Nordens Ark owns a lot of land, now almost 400 hectares (nearly 1,000 acres), with the wildlife park comprising about 60 hectares (150 acres).

We know from the oldest maps that Åby once had significantly more deciduous forest, in particular oak, than it has today. In those days, however, ‘forest’ was a very fluid term. Most forests were grazed, and thus had far more light and were a lot more open than the forests of today. Conservation at a landscape level

The restoration that began in 2011 took its inspiration from the way land was used during the 17th and 18th Centuries. Then, what we now call ‘forest’ was more like wooded pastureland. Felling was concentrated on spruces planted in earlier oak groves and pine forests. Pines and broadleaf trees were left, in order to allow for the natural evolution of wooded pastures.

ÅBY MANOR COMPRISES 400 HECTARES (NEARLY 1,000 ACRES) OF LAND. When the Foundation took over the land from the Swedish Rural Economy and Agricultural Society in 1996, with it came the Swedish Forest Society, which had long served as trustee for the woodland. Farming and agricultural land had been the focus for the Rural Economy and Agricultural Society since the mid-1970s when Åby manor was taken over by the Royal and Hvitfeldt Foundation. Both farming and forestry had been run conventionally, with production the top priority. For the forest land, this entailed a change from pine and deciduous woodland to spruce dominance, beginning in earnest after the Second World War. By the end of the 1990s, almost all the land that the law would allow had been transformed into mainly species-poor spruce monocultures. Only key biotopes and a few broadleaf and pinedominated areas in sloping terrain within sight of the mansion remained in their original state.

Almost exactly 100 hectares (250 acres) of spruce monoculture was felled, fenced into large pens and converted to grazing pasture.

Nordens Ark’s beef herd was built up during 2012 and 2013, mainly with Swedish red poll cattle but also with traditional Herefords. We already had some mountain cattle. From 2012 to 2014, we had between eight and 16 jobseekers from the SAFT project (a partnership between the Swedish Forest Agency and the Swedish Public Employment Service) to assist us with clearing the future pastureland of brushwood. The animal shelter was constructed as the first cattle arrived in 2012. Open landscapes – not to be taken for granted! In the natural landscape, it’s first and foremost grazing animals that prevent the forest from taking over everywhere. In our modern, cultivated landscapes, it’s lawnmowers, agriculture and clearance for transport routes that keep the local environment free of trees. Grazing animals, both in their natural state and in cultivated landscapes, stop young trees from growing into forests, as long as they’re at grazing height.

The ancient avenue leading up to Mangården (the manor house) from the fjord.

Besides grazing animals, only land burning is a strong enough force in nature to hold back overgrowth. Many animal and plant species have developed to live in open landscapes, both on the ground or in trees in open landscapes. Species that like sunlight and warmth have been able to survive in the cattleformed landscapes that developed as the large herbivores disappeared following the Ice Age.

DEEP DIVING

Are bison showing us the way for future nature conservation?

Since May 2018 we’ve had a herd of bison in the Ecopark, currently in two enclosures totalling 12 hectares (30 acres). The goal is to be able to offer the European release project bison that are suited to a life in the wild. We are working to allow them to maintain their natural behaviour as far as possible by not interacting with them any more than is necessary. The herd has got used to passing over a weighbridge, which allows unique control of their health and can become a basis for further studies.

Research In our Ecopark, we’re studying the effect of grazing cattle on tree seedlings. At 24 test sites, we’re monitoring the effect that grazing has on the survival of various species of tree. We’re also comparing the effects of grazing with those of burning, and of a combination of grazing and burning. Unsurprisingly, we’re seeing that the former has a major effect, but it’s the first time in our part of the world that this has been accurately recorded.

On this occasion the bison bull weighed 361kg (a third of a ton). Planting and burning in the test sites.

The different tree species (a total of ten) have very varying resistance to grazing and fire, and this is also something no one has studied in detail. Our research is providing answers to how and why various species of tree exist where they do in nature, and it is also yielding valuable data on how future grazing pastures should be managed if they’re to be kept open and with strong biodiversity. In certain areas we’re also studying how rare wildflowers are developing. A very positive change has been observed at these sites since the start of 2011. © Axel Bergsten

Bison are fantastic landscape-managers and we can already see that the grazing pastures are looking more natural and are becoming more valuable.

Wildflowers need grazing animals!

IN-DEPTH REPORT

Today, many of the species that live in open landscapes are endangered, and several are now part of our breeding projects. At Lunden we’re breeding butterflies and beetles for release that require this environment but are vanishing in southern Sweden.

IN-DEPTH REPORT

RETURN OF THE PEREGRINE FALCON

Conservation (SSNC). In 1972 the Peregrine DEEP Falcon Project was launched with the aim of saving this endangered species. The project had DIVING several components, including protecting nests The peregrine falcon was at one time a relatively and guarding of the last breeding pair, as well as common bird of prey in Sweden. In the early 1900s studying environmental toxins in the falcons’ food it was estimated there were up to 1,400 pairs in the chain. The idea was also to establish a gene bank country. By the 1930s the local population in southwith Nordic falcons from Sweden, Norway and west Sweden was already on the decline, thanks Finland. It was hoped that we would be able to get peregrine to hunting and persecution from, among others, owners of falcons to breed in captivity and that their young could later carrier pigeons. In the mid-20th Century, methylmercury and be released into the wild in south-west Sweden. This approach DDT were employed in the Swedish farming and forestry had earlier succeeded in saving the Eurasian eagle-owl in industries, and this sealed the fate of the peregrine falcon. western Sweden. These two poisons had a devastating effect on the wild birds, causing paralysis and leading to foetal and eggshell defects. A breeding programme aiming to re-establish a wild

population of 25 to 30 breeding pairs of peregrine falcons in southern Sweden was launched in 1974. It began with two eggs collected from a nest on a steep cliff wall near Muddus National Park in Norrbotten. Thirteen years of breeding work followed, with cages scattered throughout the country. Nearly all of the work relied on volunteers in the shape of interested and dedicated private people who did everything from caring for breeding birds to guarding wild falcon nests around the clock.

1975 - ALMOST COMPLETELY EXTINCT As the peregrine became ever rarer, so interest from eggcollectors and falconers increased. The number of breeding pairs fell, and in the 1970s the disastrous situation was confirmed with just ten to 15 pairs remaining in the whole of Sweden, most of them in Lapland. By 1976, there wasn’t a single young peregrine falcon in the skies of southern Sweden.

To streamline and expand the project, a new breeding facility was built in 1987, and at the same time a collaboration was started between the SSNC and Gothenburg Ornithological Society. The breeding facility, which was called Fågelcentralen

The catastrophic outlook for falcons and other birds of prey was identified early on by the Swedish Society for Nature

A young female peregrine falcon during her first flights after being released into the wild. The youngster was born and raised in Nordens Ark’s breeding facility, where 210 others were bred over the years.

DEEP DIVING

IN-DEPTH REPORT

(The Bird Centre), was constructed in the north of the island of Hisingen and also included areas for looking after injured birds of all species for rehabilitation.

After a further 12 years of intensive breeding work and releases in south-west Sweden, the tally of young falcons released since the start of the project 25 years earlier was close to 500. Furthermore, its goal had been reached, with breeding pairs of peregrine falcons in a number of the old, known falcon mountains that had been devoid of them for many years.

Even as Nordens Ark was being planned, we were discussing with the Peregrine Falcon Project how we could contribute in the future. The partnership began in 2000. All the breeding falcons from Fågelcentralen were transferred to Nordens Ark, where a new breeding facility was erected. As well as the 11 breeding aviaries, Nordens Ark had egg-hatching rooms and facilities for hand-feeding of young falcons.

Newly hatched chicks weigh only 30 to 40 grams and are very delicate. Handfeeding is very important and timeconsuming. The little chick has only 45 days in which to turn into the world’s fastest bird. Feeding takes place five times a day and is followed by a weight check. Handfeeding continues for about two weeks, after which the chicks are returned to their parents or foster parents, who then take care of the youngster until it’s time for release. In this way, the chicks form a bond with their parents rather than with our staff.

Each egg collected from the breeding pair is considered right from the start as a little peregrine falcon and is given an identity number. This is vital because it allows us to follow the egg’s development on a daily basis during the 31 days it takes to hatch in the incubator.

IN-DEPTH REPORT

The purpose of the continued breeding work and releases was to build up a new population of breeding peregrine falcons in central Sweden. The vast majority of chicks born at Nordens Ark would be released in Dalarna, Hälsingland, Närke and Västmanland.

DEEP DIVING

When the chicks are fledged, the net is opened and the young falcons fly out and start to adapt to a life in the wild. They can always return to the hacking box to shelter at night, and feeding continues there for a long period. As well as in the mountains, hacking boxes have been set up in silos and on water towers and other tall buildings in Leksand, Västerås, Köping, Fjugesta and Arboga. Each ‘hacking project’ has involved a number of local nature conservation and ornithological groups and has received much coverage in the press and on radio and TV.

Between 2000 and 2018, a total of 157 falcons were born at Nordens Ark. With 54 more chicks from wild eggs, the grand total of fledglings was 211. Six of these were kept for inclusion in the breeding stock, while most (189) went on to be released via so-called ‘hacking boxes’. A smaller number (16) were placed in wild nests and had wild peregrine falcons as foster parents. The way the hacking boxes works is that two to five youngsters are placed in a box on a suitable mountain about a week before they are ready to fly. The front of the box is netted, with a view over the surroundings. Feeding takes place via a long tube, avoiding contact with humans.

On several occasions we’ve even made attempts to release falcons in Stockholm. This went less well because of the large number of gulls that attacked the young falcons. Press and public were very much engaged and we received many reports about the existence of falcons.

Of 211 youngsters released, ten per cent survived and were later found breeding in central Sweden and in Norway. The minimum survival rate has been estimated at ten to 13 per cent, which is the same as for wild falcons. Thanks to the breeding efforts and releases of falcons from Nordens Ark, there is now a wild population estimated at 80 in central Sweden and Norrland. Falcon releases in this area began on a small scale in 1994 but increased during the 2000s when Nordens Ark took over breeding from Fågelcentralen, near Gothenburg. The first successful breeding in Dalarna since the 1960s happened in 2000, and since then the falcon population has increased every year.

Chicks are placed out in one of the hacking boxes a week before they are ready to fly. At that point they still have some of their down feathers.

DEEP DIVING

The peregrine falcon population in the whole of Sweden in 2018 was put at between 475 and 525 pairs, with 145 in southern Sweden, 80 in central Sweden and 250 in Norrland.

2018 MORE THAN 500 PAIRS IN THE WILD The collaboration between Nordens Ark and the SSNC has worked brilliantly. Hundreds of private individuals have been involved over the years, with many coming from the SSNC’s local associations and taking care of the hacking releases. Ring-marking has provided and continues to provide valuable data on the young birds’ lives.

Countless reports and photos are sent in by interested private individuals. Among the more unusual was a report about a pair of falcons that showed up at the Radisson Hotel in central Copenhagen, and another one featuring one of our released youngsters who was making life miserable for the ducks at Egense ferry port in Limfjorden, also in Denmark.

The Peregrine Falcon Project has been a success story and is internationally recognised as a highly effective fauna conservation project. © Anders Hammergart

IN-DEPTH REPORT

DJURINVENTARIUM

STAFF INVOLVEMENT IN BOARDS AND WORKING GROUPS

EEP co-ordinator: Emma Nygren (Snow leopard), Eva Andersson (Wolverine) Internatial studbook keeper (ISB): Leif Blomqvist (Snow leopard) Europan studbook keeper (ESB): Leif Blomqvist (Forest reindeer); Ewa Wikberg (Yellow-throated marten); Jimmy Helgesson (McCord’s snake-necked turtle) EAZA species committees: Emma Nygren (Otter, Snow leopard); Ewa Wikberg (Pudu, Maned wolf, Snow leopard); Christer Larsson (Northern bald ibis), Kristofer Försäter (Giant ditch frog) Participation in EAZAworking groups: Leif Blomqvist (Deer TAG); Christer Larsson (Conservation Committee, Reintroduction and Translocation Group och Canid and Hyaenid TAG); Ewa Wikberg (Caprinae TAG, Small Carnivore TAG); Jimmy Helgesson (Reptile TAG); Eva Andersson (Education Committee, Small Carnivoret TAG); Emma Nygren (Animal Welfare Working Group, Felid TAG) IUCN SSC: Christer Larsson (member of Species Survival Commission Specialist Group) Eriksbergsrådet: Mats Niklasson (member) Visingsös Eklandskap Management Group: Mats Niklasson (member) Participation in Swedish Association of Zoos and Aquaria working groups: Emma Nygren (Conservation), Irja Enggren (Animal Welfare), Ingela Andersson (Representative on the Board of Agriculture reference group for demestic animal genetic issues); Eva Andersson (Research and training), Therese Patriksson (communication) EAZA EEP Committee: Ewa Wikberg EAZA Council: Mats Höggren (member) EAZA Technical assistance committee: Mats Höggren (member)

ARTICLES AND REPORTS PUBLISHED BY STAFF 2018 Hedin, J.; Niklasson, M.; Bengtsson, V. 2018. Veteranisering- Verktyg istället för tid. Fauna och Flora 113:2: s. 13-25 Hertz, A.; Ponse, M.; Madani, G.; Bland, A.; Petchey, A.; Andrén, C.; Eisenberg, T. 2018. Low Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis prevalence in two persisting post-decline populations of endangered hylid frogs in western Panama. Salamandra 54:(1):83-86 Johansson, Ö.; Koehler, G.; Rauset, GR.; Samelius, G.; Andrén, H.; Mishra, C.; Lhagvasuren, P.; McCarthy, T.; Low, M. 2018. Sex-specific seasonal variation in puma and snow leopard home range utilization. Ecosphere 9(8): 1-14 Mijiddorj, TN.; Alexander JS.; Samelius, G. 2018. Livestock depredation by large carnivores in the South Gobi, Mongolia. Wildlife Research https://doi.org/10.1071/WR18009 Blomqvist, L. (2018): 2017 European Studbook for Forest Reindeer, Rangifer tarandus fennicus. 32 pp. Nordens Ark Foundation

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

ADMINISTRATION REPORT 2018

EDUCATIONAL AND RESEARCH continued on a large scale during 2018:

GENERAL SITUATION

ACTIVITIES

• Species conservation at ecosystem level: grazing project in the Ecopark. One article was produced during the past year. Two master’s theses and several overseas interns have focused on the project (The Impact of Grazing on Spontaneously Regenerated Trees and Restoration of Sticky Catchfly in Pastureland). Collaboration with the University of Gothenburg. Research into analysis and reporting of results.

Nordens Ark is a working foundation whose purpose is to run and manage a breeding facility for endangered species/breeds. SIGNIFICANT EVENTS DURING THE FINANCIAL YEAR

• A number of unusual flower species show very positive development on restored lands, with meadow saxifrage and common milkwort increasing strongly since the count in 2013.

Several important targets were reached among the larger projects Nordens Ark was engaged in during 2018. • Completion of bison facility in the Ecopark. A breeding herd of five heifers and one bull arrived in the summer. Offspring from these animals will be available for future release projects.

• Major INTERREG bee research project, co-ordinated by Nordens Ark, was approved. A three year study will be carried out with Skövde College, Umeå University, the University of Gothenburg and the Norwegian Beekeepers Association in which the flight habits, pollen collection and health of different bee species will be examined and compared.

• Relaunch of conservation project in Nepal focusing on the red panda and thereby biodiversity generally in its habitats, in addition to resource management for local inhabitants.

• Launch of a pilot scheme to monitor the health and weight of our bison, using, among other methods, an innovative selfweighing technique. Two trainees spent all summer studying behaviour and food preferences among the bison, horses and cattle.

• Animal and Nature Project undertaken to support users through training in nature interpretation. • Strategy meeting arranged with PICA, the international research and conservation alliance for the Pallas cat.

• Animal and Nature Project research started within Green Health.

• Ambitious schools collaboration with Sotenäs municipality now properly under way.

The summer of 2018 went down in history as one of the hottest in recent times. This naturally impacted the hospitality industry in different ways, with Nordens Ark no exception. During the year, more than 106,000 people visited the park. A number of improvements were made in the course of 2018 to enable us to cater better for visitors, including a refurbishment of the hotel, during which the rooms as well as social areas were given a makeover. The Wolf Lodge Grill was also renovated.

It was also a successful year for reintroduction programmes. • Some 3,700 green toads were released on Öland, 366 of them large two-year-olds, with yet another new release site for 2018 (Sebybadet). • Historic reintroduction of great capricorn beetles on the mainland, where the species died out a century ago. There were two sites, one outside Kalmar and the other in Tromtö, Blekinge, where restoration had been carried out. • Continued releases of longhorn beetles at several locations in the south of Sweden.

SCOLLABORATIVE PROJECTS WITH AUTHORITIES AND ORGANISATIONS

• Breeding of clouded Apollo butterflies was successfully increased from 170 eggs to just over 3,000. Twenty larvae were placed out in a ‘soft-release’ experiment using mesh tents outside Ronneby. Bodes well for 2019 releases in Blekinge, where extensive restoration works were undertaken during the year.

Pallas’s cat Together with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the Snow Leopard Trust (SLT), Nordens Ark founded the Pallas’s Cat International Conservation Alliance (PICA). PICA’s overarching goal is to co-ordinate and expand conservation initiatives for the Pallas’s cat within the species’ range and work both in situ and ex situ, through a so-called One Plan Approach, to develop strategies for a global action plan.

• Conservation hopes of rearing insects continue to look promising. During 2018, we took in what are thought to be Sweden’s last remaining Assmann’s fritillaries. The situation is critical, and attempts were made to breed from these last individuals. In the wildlife park, the work continued in line with the established collection plan.

In the course of 2018, the project moved forward on several levels and included a field expedition to Kyrgyzstan, where new inventory methods for the Pallas’s cat are being tested. Work on a status evaluation for the species made progress during the year. This evaluation is being done in collaboration with the IUCN SSC Cat Specialist Group, which is collating all relevant data on the Pallas’s cat for publication in a special edition of Cat News (a members’ magazine for the Cat Specialist Group normally published only twice a year).

• Baer’s pochard and Cabot’s tragopan were introduced in the park. • Bison are now grazing in the Ecopark. • A breeding project for the Assmann’s fritillary got under way.

Finally, the world’s first global Pallas’s cat meeting was held at Nordens Ark from November 12 to 15. The meeting included participants from nine of the 15 countries where Pallas’s cats live, as well as experts from five others, and over three days they

Its low-set ears and flat head allow the Pallas cat to hide behind rocks and low-growing vegetation when stalking its prey.

Red panda During 2018, a major effort got under way to secure the survival of the red panda in Nepal. Through two discrete projects, Nordens Ark, in association with the Red Panda Network, will be working on site in both eastern and western Nepal towards long-term protection of the red panda and sustainable use of its habitats. With support from the Swedish Postcode Lottery, a Nature Centre will be built in Taplejung District in eastern Nepal. The centre will serve as a hub for knowledge dissemination and technology transfer, in addition to benefitting both the local people and the red panda.

A snow leopard caught on film by a camera trap in Mongolia.

The collaboration with the Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management and the breeding work have again gone very well. The two groups of Russian breeding birds at Nordens Ark and Öster Malma continue to produce a large number of chicks. Altogether, 23 pairs of white-fronted geese bred in the facility at Nordens Ark during 2018, and the result was 97 surviving youngsters. During the summer, 89 geese were released in the breeding area in the Swedish mountains – the largest number to date. As the breeding population has grown over the years, a number of youngsters were kept back as new breeding birds. Inventories carried out during the year show that 2017’s release was highly successful, with no fewer than 30 of the 81 release birds being found at resting places near the breeding area during 2017. The wild population at autumn 2017 was reckoned to be 65 to 75 lesser white-fronted geese. An increase of 30 birds means that Sweden’s lesser whitefronted goose population has grown by more than 40 per cent.

The project in western Nepal aims to extend conservation initiatives to new areas by increasing surveillance of the panda population, working to reduce the threats the animals face and restoring the habitat for the species. Nordens Ark will, among other measures, play a part in developing a programme to reduce the danger to red pandas from dogs. It’s mainly strays that pose a direct threat, partly as they sometimes hunt and kill pandas, but also because they spread diseases such as rabies and canine distemper. Along with the Red Panda Network, Nordens Ark will be developing a vaccination and sterilisation programme to minimise the threat, as well as spreading information about responsible dog ownership. The project in western Nepal is backed by the Segré Foundation.

The evaluation of the work with the Swedish action programme for lesser white-fronted geese initiated by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency resulted in 2018 in a report written by Tomas and Sofia Willebrand. It found, among other things, that Sweden has an effective breeding and release programme.

Amur tiger In 2017, the collaboration agreement with the WWF Northern Tiger Project was renewed. The project, launched in 2011, will continue for at least three more years and its aim is to preserve the endangered Amur tiger in the Russian Far East. Field work takes place in and around Anuisky National Park in the Khabarovsk region. The goal is that by 2025 there should be a long-term viable tiger population in the national park, and that the species should have re-established itself throughout its former northern range.

White-backed woodpecker This year’s wild population inventory shows that there are only about 25 white-backed woodpeckers living in Sweden. Five pairs were found in 2018, four of them breeding, which resulted in eight chicks. In the spring, an unusual number of newly arrived white-backed woodpeckers were observed along the Norrland coast. How many of them choose to remain in Sweden, and can then be counted with the current Swedish population (25 individuals), remains to be seen. At Nordens Ark, there were eight pairs at

Snow leopard The continuing project to track GPS-tagged snow leopards in order to gather data on how they use the mountains was

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

expanded during 2018 to also monitor GPS-marked ibex and domestic goats. This will tell us how the leopards’ movement patterns are governed by their natural prey animals (ibex) and livestock (goats), as well as looking in detail at livestock predation. The latter is a major challenge for snow leopard conservation, since a long-term outcome will rely to a large extent on creating the conditions for humans and snow leopards to continue to live together in the mountains. The project has continued with the camera inventory of snow leopards in the Tost Mountains and surrounding ranges, as well as with the ibex inventory.

discussed the Pallas’s cat’s situation in the wild and developed concrete conservation measures for future work with the species.

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

the end of the year and a further eight single birds. Only two pairs bred during 2018, and four chicks were born. Of these four, two were killed, probably by a sparrow- or goshawk which took the youngsters through the netting. The two surviving chicks were kept for future breeding.

In November, both the falcons in the show aviary disappeared. It is not at all clear what happened to them, but one possibility is that they were taken by a mink, ferret or marten.

At the time of writing, Nordens Ark is leading a discussion about the project and whether the large resources put into it have benefitted the species’ status in Sweden.

This year, not a single beetle was found in the wild at Halltorp nature reserve for breeding at Nordens Ark. Possibly the extreme early summer simply accelerated the beetles’ development to such an extent that the planned collection came too late. The situation at Scandinavia’s last site is now very worrying. Instead, ten pairs were recruited from our own breeding beetles for reproduction in the Nordens Ark lab. The result from the mating of these ten pairs was some 200 larvae.

Great capricorn beetle

White stork Nordens Ark expanded its commitment to the white stork during 2018. The number of breeding pairs in the park increased from three to ten in order to produce more youngsters for release. The result was that 16 stork chicks were born and were sent to Skåne, where they were released into the wild together with 75 other young birds raised by the Stork Project. A wild stork inventory revealed that a total of 95 took to the wing during 2018 – the best result since Swedish storks were first counted more than a century ago.

In situ work, on the other hand, was a great success in 2018. There were releases at two new sites on the mainland in formal ceremonies involving Nordens Ark, local dignitaries and celebrities – first at Björnö Nature Reserve in Kalmar county on June 19 (30 beetles), and shortly afterwards ( June 25), 37 beetles were released in Tromtö, near Karlskrona in Blekinge county where restoration work had been completed just before. Longhorn beetle Breeding is going well and is now at a stable level. Releases are continuing, with 83 individuals placed out in the Båtfors area of Uppsala county. At Björnö Nature Reserve in Kalmar county, where major restoration work has taken place, 100 beetles were released in the first phase, followed by 12 on a later occasion. Egglaying was observed here immediately after the release. At the original Stockholm location, Djurgården, 27 beetles were collected to reinforce the continuing breeding work at Nordens Ark.

Nordens Ark has been working for several years with the Skåne Stork Project to establish a wild stork population in Sweden.

Peregrine falcon Today, there is a burgeoning population of peregrine falcons in Sweden. More and more new pairs are showing up at former breeding sites that have seen no falcons for perhaps 50 years. The Peregrine Falcon Project is an example of a successful conservation project. It demonstrates that conservation measures produce results, even if it takes a lot of time and money. There are now more than 300 peregrine falcon pairs in the country. About a hundred of them are breeding in the south of Sweden, 25 to 30 in central Sweden and the rest in Norrbotten.

Nordens Ark was commissioned in the spring of 2006 by Stockholm County Administrative Board to carry out a trial breeding of the longhorn beetle, and breeding and releases have continued since then.

Clouded Apollo butterfly We began the year with 169 eggs (149 of our own and 20 collected in Blekinge) and ended it with more than 3,000. A very positive result, in other words. During 2018, a test was carried out at the first release site (Påtorp), when 20 larvae were placed out in mesh tents with access to corydalis. The larvae pupated and hatched, and we were able to place out 18 butterflies. The technique, a kind of ‘soft release’, seems to work well and will be used for the larger-scale releases planned for 2019 following the major restoration works at Påtorp, outside Ronneby.

The remaining falcons in our facility will produce one more clutch in the spring of 2019 for subsequent release. After that, the breeding and release work will finally come to an end after almost 20 years of close co-operation with the Peregrine Falcon Project. The project has achieved its objective. The breeding facility, egghatching and handfeeding rooms will then be available for work with new project species.

In 2018 we started our own breeding of the pine hoverfly in the Ecopark. A group from Scotland was visiting, and Nordens Ark, together with Gothenburg Museum of Natural History, arranged a local trip to look for pine hoverflies and learn how to distinguish them from a similar species. Larvae were collected and taken to Scotland. Nordic brown bee A major application for INTERREG support focusing on the Nordic brown bee was approved at the end of the year. With the Norwegian Beekeepers Association, Skövde College and Umeå and Gothenburg universities, comparative studies of four bee species (Nordic brown, Buckfast, Italian and Carniolan) will be carried out, looking at flight times, pollen collection and resistance to disease.

protected animals. Our aim is to breed robust individuals who can be sent to the reintroduction project in Europe. EDUCATION Comprehensive school A new collaborative venture with Högre Samskola high school in Gothenburg began in 2018 with the focus on Little School years 1-6. Co-operation with the comprehensive schools in Sotenäs municipality continued, and during 2018 years 2-7 came to Nordens Ark for lessons. The next step for 2019 is for us to host all classes from years 1-9. Secondary school The established co-operation with Uddevalla secondary school (GLU) continued during the year, with specialisation in the natural sciences. There have also been discussions about expanding collaboration over the health and care programme. Planning continued with New Dingle secondary school, and two courses will launch in 2019. Animal care students from GLU, as well as a number of other schools, were welcomed throughout the year. These pupils are trained by keepers and follow them as they go about their daily tasks. University Nordens Ark, in association with the University of Gothenburg, continued its work with the course Knowledge Dissemination and Communication for Conservation Biologists. Further visits were welcomed in the form of courses from Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Skövde College. During 2018, three degree courses were begun and supervised at bachelor’s level and three at master’s level (Table 1).

The Nordic brown bee is dark in colour, with brown that merges into black with narrow furry stripes. The bee is somewhat larger than other bee species, and also furrier.

Animals and Nature

Green toad The green toad project on Öland is being extended. A new site was restored at Sebybadet in the south of the island, where toads were released during the year. Together with Högbyhamn and Ottenby, a total of 3,699 toads were released, 366 of them larger two-year-olds. Over-wintering sites were restored at Ottenby. Several of the releases were covered by the media. A modest test facility has been opened at Nordens Ark so we can carry out our own, isolated breeding of green toads without needing to go out and collect egg strings. With chytrid disease in mind, this is a long-term safety measure. Bison Four young bison (a bull from Kolmården and three heifers from Eriksberg) arrived in May, followed in the summer by two heifers from Olomouc in the Czech Republic. All were born in 2016 so are not yet mature. Two enclosures were made ready during 2018 totalling about 12 hectares (30 acres), with a centrally located facility where winter feeding will take place. The bison house was opened in a ceremony on May 26. The animals acclimatised quickly and their health was monitored via a custom-made weighbridge, dung-sampling and skin tests. The bison’s behaviour and food preferences were also studied through observations, as well as their effect on tree vegetation. There have been many tours, and the bison have already become a popular and integral part of Nordens Ark’s collection of

The Animals and Nature Project funded by the Postcode Lottery made its final report in 2018. As a further step, work began on interviewing participants in depth about their experiences, with the aim of publishing a scientific evaluation of the results during 2019. Commissioned training During the spring and summer, three commissioned training sessions were held at Nordens Ark. Two of these were a natural continuation of the Animals and Nature Project. The third was directed at county administrative boards and was a training course for animal welfare inspectors in accommodation, welfare and control of amphibians and reptiles. This course was held in conjunction with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and was the second course on this theme. Time travel In association with University West (Trollhättan) a communications project, called Time Travel, was launched in 2017. There is now a walking trail in parts of the Ecopark where school classes can follow the development of the landscape over millennia. A teacher’s guide is available. Pre-school The pre-school is fully subscribed, with 24 children aged from one to five years. The staff has comprised four educators, and a new pre-school head was appointed during the year. Ten children were enrolled during 2018 and the focus has been on

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

Pine hoverfly

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

creating a safe and effective children’s group. In the autumn, education department staff began taking charge of four-tofive-year-olds twice a month – a new development for the preschool. RESEARCH Grazing project The grazing project funded by the Hasselblad Foundation and Thuréus forskarhem continues as planned, and a report with the initial results is being prepared. The experiment was broadened during the year and now covers a total of ten species of woody plants. In the course of 2018, three internship projects and three theses were completed. Bison Behavioural studies began with the bison, wild horses, cattle and wild forest reindeer. The bison’s food preferences were looked at over four months by a Dutch trainee. Projects have got under way aimed at developing animal health methodology among the bison. Self weighing began in October after the animals had spent a month getting used to the weighbridge. The movements of two of the animals were recorded with the use of GPS collars. There have been a couple of studies on the bison’s impact on tree vegetation. Lynx Nordens Ark is contributing with blood samples to a project involving so-called e-DNA and lynx. Several county administrative boards and universities are also participating. Amphibians Nordens Ark is taking part in a project on chytridiomycosis, the global and very aggressive fungal disease affecting amphibians. Nordens Ark is part of a reference group with specialist knowledge on amphibians and on breeding them. The project is led by Skåne County Administrative Board.

COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA ‘The park that makes a difference’ has continued to be a common thread in all forms of communication to explain Nordens Ark’s mission. A good indication that persistence pays off is that in all the reviews written about Nordens Ark, we are described in just that way – as the park that’s making a difference. Digital presence is becoming ever more important as a communication tool. The online channels are fast and simple, but also require tremendous control and presence. Creating a presence for Nordens Ark on Google, TripAdvisor, Booking, YouTube and Trivago – to name just a few – has been a priority throughout the year. During 2018, the Nordens Ark website recorded 1,074,267 unique page views. The pages most accessed by people seeking information are Opening Hours & Prices, Visit Us, Animals and Accommodation. The typical visitor to our website is a man aged between 18 and 34 from the Västra Götaland area who is interested in sport and uses his mobile to look for information. This contrasts with the typical user of our Facebook and Instagram pages, who is a woman aged from 25 to 54, also from the Västra Götaland region but with a college or university education and a job in management, administrative services or healthcare. The number of followers on social media is rising steadily, and at the close of 2018 we had 14,629 Facebook Likes, with 7,100 on Instagram. Facebook and Instagram are important marketing channels for Nordens Ark. Our content ranges from daily events in the park to reports about conservation projects and fundraising activities, and information on bookable activities. By far our most popular social media posts are videos. Those that reached the most unique viewers during 2018 were the video about the three peregrine falcons that were ring-marked and released into the wild (33,485 Facebook views) and the one showing the summer’s newborn panda babies (a total of 27,871 views on Facebook and Instagram). In the course of 2018, Nordens Ark sent out 19 press releases and was mentioned in 277 print articles and 416 web stories. The subjects that generated the most press clips were the news items about our national conservation projects, with the report of the release of green toads topping the list. Nordens Ark was mentioned in 2,725 posts on social media.

Table 1. Theses completed at Nordens Ark in 2018.

VISITOR OPERATIONS The summer of 2018 went down in history as one of the hottest in modern times. This naturally affected the hospitality industry in different ways, and Nordens Ark was no exception. During the year we welcomed 106,034 visitors. Entrance fees are classified as gifts. Daily activities were on offer in the park for every weekend and holiday week, with animal feeding and information about our predators the items in our programme that tempted most visitors. The harvest market on the Farm and the Christmas market in the Barn, the arrival of the bison, the sheep run, ghost trails and adopters’ day are among the events that took place during the year.

Every employee underwent CPR and heart-starter training during 2018. An occupational health ergonomist gave a presentation on three occasions about workplace ergonomics. Our ambition is to continually improve the working environment, and many office workers have been provided with height-adjustable desks and larger screens. During 2019 we’re going to invest in a new recruitment system that will optimise and improve our recruitment methods, in particular for seasonal workers. A recruitment tool allows more professional management of job applicants and ensures all of them receive fast and accurate feedback. Handling job applications in a more organised way ensures we comply with the new EU-wide General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that came into force in May 2018.

HOTEL AND GUEST SERVICE The Christmas supper continued to attract happy customers with a high proportion (about 40 per cent) of the previous year’s guests returning. In terms of hotel occupancy, it was a fantastic summer, with an occupancy rate of 96 per cent in July, 12 per cent up on 2017 and exceeding expectations. June and August also showed a marked increase. Despite a rather slow start to the year, the later upswing meant we broke the record for the year as a whole. The total of 4,166 room nights represents an occupancy rate for the year of 39 per cent. The explanation is partly that the hot summer brought in a large number of people who were actually heading for the Bohuslän coast and who got Nordens Ark ‘into the bargain’. The leisure sector is still the largest, with about 78 per cent; business travellers account for about ten per cent; and conference guests for 12 per cent. Taken together, the business and conference sectors increased by six per cent compared with 2017 and are an important factor in building up the low season. A few years down the line, this may help Nordens Ark to even out the significant seasonal swing in hotel occupancy.

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION Work on expanding and updating the financial handbook got under way in 2018 and will continue in 2019. The manual is intended to ensure ongoing good financial practices. To streamline the work with managing invoices and certification, a new invoice-scanning system will be introduced in January 2019. ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT Nordens Ark’s activities affect the environment in various ways. Our objective to reduce our environmental impact and carbon footprint requires constant work. Nordens Ark is environmentally certified and in 2018 continued its efforts to further cut electricity and fuel consumption, as well as the use of chemicals, by switching to more environmentally friendly alternatives. These included five new electric bikes for use in the park, as well as a digital X-ray imaging system. Nordens Ark’s environmental team took part in basic training with Ekocentrum environmental consultants in Gothenburg.

Despite having fewer customers, the restaurant side reported some continued successes connected to the clear upward occupancy trend. High-season takings at the hotel restaurant were up by ten per cent on the previous year. However, the other restaurant outlets suffered a fair bit thanks to the very warm summer. To cap it all, the nationwide ban on grilling and barbecuing meant that the Wolf Lodge was unable to offer the planned range of food.

GIFTS AND DONATIONS

As for the shop, a successful renovation and rebuild meant a fresh start in new premises just in time for the high season. Now, the shop is the first stop for visitors, and it has an even more exciting range than before. Nevertheless, with a big fall in visitor numbers and a limited pre-season offering, shop sales were below budget.

The Foundation has been a beneficiary of the Swedish Postcode Lottery since 2010, and seven million kronor was received in 2018. Furthermore, there’s the special project Animals and Nature (outdoor courses for carers and users with special needs), which will be receiving five million kronor from the Swedish Postcode Lottery between 2015 and 2018, and the special project for the red panda – ambassador for a sustainable future in the unique mountain forests of Nepal – which is receiving funding totalling 4.8 million kronor from the Postcode Lottery from 2018 to 2021.

HR AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT The number of annual employees was 71.52, of which 64 per cent were women and 36 per cent men. During the year, 165 people worked at Nordens Ark as permanent, substitute or seasonal employees. During the 2018 HR year, the new routines introduced the previous year were implemented and evaluated. Since some procedures, such as employee surveys,

The independent members’ association Friends of Nordens Ark aims to provide both economic and ideological support for Nordens Ark’s activities. During the year the association contributed with many hours of voluntary work and presented

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

were being carried out for the second time, it was easy to measure and compare the results of our efforts as we strive to become more productive and efficient. Adjustments were made to our routines as required. The Protection Committee met four times during 2018. At the September meeting it was decided that the so-called SAM-wheel, a graphical display of workplace activity, should stand for 2019 to give us a better chance to compare results and evaluate the tweaks that had been made.

A lot of effort has been put into getting it across that Nordens Ark is a fundraising organisation that aims to increase the money it brings in.

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

a gift of 2.6 million kronor.

EARNINGS AND FINANCIAL POSITION

A new fundraising system was implemented in 2018 that allows us to manage the various kinds of gifts and meet the GDPR requirements.

The Foundation’s revenues The Foundation’s total revenues amounted to 64.5 million kronor (60.5 million kronor). Gifts accounted for 22.2 million kronor (16.6 million kronor) of this sum, with the Postcode Lottery contributing 7.0 million kronor (7.0 million kronor) and bequests 6.8 million kronor (1.2 million kronor). Contributions counted as revenue amounted to 8.5 million kronor (7.5 million kronor)

PARTNERS AND SPONSORS Nordens Ark had two principal partners in 2018: AB Volvo and Stampen Media Group. These two companies are longstanding and loyal ambassadors for our business.

The improvement is thanks mainly to an increase of 5.6 million kronor in bequests. Income from the sale of goods and services came to 15.7 million kronor (15.7 million kronor). Other revenue amounted to 18.1 million kronor (20.6 million kronor), with entrance fees making up 13 million kronor (15.3 million kronor).

The large number of firms and generous private individuals who support Nordens Ark through sponsorships and adoptions contributed with significant resources in the form of goods, services and cash. SWEDISH FUNDRAISING CONTROL SWEDISH FUNDRAISING COUNCIL

Operating costs and expenses

AND

Operating expenses amounted to 60.7 million kronor (61.8 million kronor), of which direct operating costs made up 41.4 million kronor (41.0 million kronor). Fundraising and administration costs came to 4.7 million kronor (5.6 million kronor).

Nordens Ark holds a 90-account and is therefore examined by the Swedish Fundraising Control. Nordens Ark is a member of the Swedish Fundraising Council (FRII) and follows the established quality code. An impact report is published on the Foundation’s website in accordance with the quality code. A summary of the impact report can be found under the headlines Significant Events during the Financial Year, Collaborative Projects with Authorities and Organisations, and Educational and Research Activities.

Overview (000s kr) 2018 The Foundation’s revenues Income after financial items

2017

2016

2015

64 477 60 468 60 597 59 017 60 408 3 718

-1 408 1 545 5 149

THE WORK OF THE BOARD IN 2018

Operating margin

The Board held four meetings during the year:

Balance sheet total 55 644 51 710 54 642 54 133

• Final accounts meeting in March.

Equity ratio

• Information meeting in June in preparation for the summer season.

Net income and general position

• Review of the summer season in September.

2014

neg

6 665 11% 44 721

61,25% 58,71% 58,14% 56,00% 56,00%

Net income for 2018 amounted to 3.7 million kronor (-1.4 million kronor). Net income increased by 5.1 million kronor. This was due mainly to higher income from bequests, but also to reduced fundraising and administrative costs. The Foundation’s financial position is good. Equity ratio amounted to 61 per cent.

• Adoption of the business plan, animal collection plan and budget in November. Göran Bengtsson resigned during the year. Lisbeth Schultze was appointed as a new Board member.

Nordens Ark strives to ensure secure funding for the Foundation’s projects and commitments. Many of our projects are long-term, and viable and secure financing is essential to drive them forward. Strong equity capital is a prerequisite for ensuring future reinvestments and maintenance of our facilities.

FOUNDATIONS AND FUNDS, AND SCIENTIFIC PARTNERS The Erna and Victor Hasselblad Foundation funds the research project Grazing and Fire. The Geneva-based Segré Foundation contributed for the fifth year to initiatives for the lesser white-fronted geese, white-backed woodpecker and common tree frog, and is also financing the Pallas’s Cat International Conservation Alliance project for a three-year period beginning in 2016. Thuréus forskarhem contributed to Nordens Ark’s scientific work, and the Erik and Lily Philipson Memorial Fund supported the bison project.

Investments Total investments for 2018 amounted to 9.4 million kronor (4.9 million kronor), of which 5.0 million kronor (3.1 million kronor) is self-financed. Within the framework of self-funded investments, the following projects have either been completed or are in progress: construction of Asiatic wild dog and bison enclosures, construction of new conference and guest facilities, and planned investments in vehicles, machinery and equipment.

Operating margin Operating income as a percentage of total sales. Equity ratio Adjusted equity as a percentage of the balance sheet total Change in equity

Foundation fund

Retained earnings

24 500

31 746 069

Total at beginning of year

Transfer of retained earnings Net income for the year Total at end of year

-1 408 582

24 500

30 337 487

ALLOCATION OF PROFIT/LOSS The yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s income of 3 718 562 kronor will be carried forward. Equity capital will then amount to 34 080 549 kronor. For the Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s net income and general position, please refer to the income statement and balance sheet with accompanying notes that follow.

Net income for the year

Total

-1 408 582

30 361 987

1 408 582

3 718 562

34 080 549

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

Definition of key ratios

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

INCOME STATEMENT Figures in Swedish kronor The Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s revenues

2018-01-01 2018-12-31

2017-01-01 2017-12-31

12 969 376 15 685 413 4 160 227 22 206 630 8 454 994 1 000 933 64 477 573

15 317 429 15 708 143 4 272 927 14 599 929 9 503 601 1 065 933 60 467 962

-5 029 621 -16 581 967 -36 594 576

-5 923 028 -14 769 063 -38 704 372

-2 480 399 -60 686 563 3 791 010

-2 397 598 -61 794 061 -1 326 099

5 995 -78 443 3 718 562

2 850 -85 333 -1 408 582

3 718 562

-1 408 582

Note

Admission charge Sale of goods and services Income from training and school Gifts Contributions Other operating revenues Total

1 2 2

Operating costs and expenses Goods Other external expenses Employee costs Depreciation and write-downs on tngible and intangible fixed assets

Operating income Financial items Interest and similar income Interest expense Income after financial items Tax on net income for the year Net income for the year

Note

Fixed assets Tangible fixed assets Buildings and land Land improvements Equipment, tools and other installations Ongoing new constructions Total fixed assets

2018-12-31

2017-12-31

10 433 173 22 265 185 3 222 528 43 291 35 964 177

8 937 534 20 038 885 2 568 573 1 947 421 33 492 413

1 625 433 1 625 433

1 399 087 1 399 087

2 292 954 493 691 563 797 7 368 789 10 719 231

2 350 299 494 000 765 529 5 099 802 8 709 630

237 540 237 540

74 305 74 305

7 098 602 19 680 806

8 034 914 18 217 936

55 644 983

51 710 349

Current assets Inventories etc Inventories Current receivables Accounts receivable Tax refund claim Other receivables Prepaid exprenses and accrued income

Short-term investments

Cash in hand and bank deposits Current total assets

Total assets

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

BALANCE SHEET Figures in Swedish kronor ASSETS

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

BALANCE SHEET Figures in Swedish kronor EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

Note

2018-12-31

2017-12-31

24 500 24 500

30 337 487 3 718 562 34 056 049

31 746 069 -1 408 582 30 337 487

34 080 549

30 361 987

9 10

3 550 000 7 903 521 11 453 521

3 650 000 6 246 578 9 896 578

0 1 738 731 1 411 224 6 960 958 10 110 913

0 3 133 606 770 659 7 547 519 11 451 784

55 644 983

51 710 349

Equity capital Restructed equity Foundation fund

Unrestricted equity Unappropriated retained earnings Net income for the year Total equity Long-term liabilities Debt to credit institutions Prepaid revenue Total long-term liabilities Current liabilities Bank advances Accounts payable Other current liabilities Total accrued expenses and prepaid revenue Total current liabilities Â TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES

2018-01-01 2018-12-31

2017-01-01 2017-12-31

Operating income Adjustments for non-cash items Depreciation and wrtie-downs Capital gain/loss from sale of equipment

3 791 010

-1 326 099

2 480 399 -16 000

2 397 596 0

Financial income Interest paid Cash flow from current operations before changes in operating capital Chages in operating capital Changes in inventories Changes in receivables Received contributions not used Contributions used Changes in current liabilities Cash flow from current liabilities

5 995 -78 443 6 182 961

2 850 -85 333 989 014

-226 346 -2 009 601 4 314 152 -2 657 209 -1 340 871 4 263 086

296 643 -3 929 225 0 -1 781 692 358 606 -4 066 654

Investment operations Acquisition of tangible fixed assets Sale of equipment Investment contributions received Cash flow from investment operations

-9 449 609 16 000 4 497 446 -4 936 163

-4 862 032 0 1 740 000 -3 122 032

Financing operations Increase in long-term liabilities Repayment of debt Cash flow from investment operations

0 -100 000 -100 000

-773 077 8 109 219 7 336 142 0

-7 288 686 15 397 905 8 109 219 0

Current operations

Cash flow for the year Liquid funds at the beginning of the year* Liquid funds at the end of the year* * Liquid funds comprise cash in hand, bank deposits and short-term investments.

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

CASH FLOW ANALYSIS Â Figures in Swedish kronor

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

RACCOUNTING AND VALUATION PRINCIPLES AND NOTES General This Annual Report has been prepared in accordance with the Annual Accounts Act, BFNAR 2012:1 (K3) and the Swedish Fundraising Council’s template for annual reports. The Annual Report also includes certain information required by the Swedish Fundraising Control. The accounting principles are unchanged from previous years. Operating revenues Revenues are taken up at the actual value that has been or will be received. A transaction in which Nordens Ark receives an asset or service that has a value, without giving back an equivalent value in exchange, is considered a gift or contribution. If the asset is received because Nordens Ark has fulfilled, or is going to fulfil, certain conditions and there is an obligation to repay the giver should the conditions not be met, it is considered a received contribution. If it is not a contribution, it is a gift. Gifts are normally accounted for in the period in which they are received, and this applies equally to funds received from the Postcode Lottery. Sales of postage stamps, postcards and similar items are declared when the payment is received. Where gifts received have been accepted subject to a proviso that they be used for a specific purpose, and they have not been used by the end of the financial year, they are reported as prepaid gifts in the final accounts. The funds are reversed when the gift is used and they are taken up as operating income (received gifts). The contribution is reported as income when the proviso under which it was received is met. Contributions received are recorded as a debt until the conditions for receiving them are met. Gifts and contributions for the acquisition of fixed assets reduce the cost of that asset. This means that the asset is recorded at its net acquisition cost, which is the basis for calculating its depreciation. Details of the year’s gross acquisition cost and contributions received are shown in the notes. Sales of goods and services are recorded in the period to which the income relates. Operating costs The Foundation’s operating costs and expenses consist of direct project costs, fundraising costs and administrative expenses. The Foundation’s income statement is classified by nature of expense, and details of direct project costs, fundraising costs and administrative expenses can be found in the appropriate notes. Direct projects costs Direct project costs comprise the Foundation’s costs for rescuing and preserving endangered animals, and for information, research and educational activities. Costs directly linked to complying with the paragraph on direct projects in

the Foundation’s statutes are classified as direct project costs. Shared costs distributed over the direct project costs are also classified as direct project costs. Fundraising costs Fundraising costs are direct costs relating to fundraising efforts directed at donors, i.e. revenues in the form of gifts, bequests and donations. The work includes both current donors and efforts to find new ones. Fundraising costs comprise both direct costs such as the collection of staff salaries and shared costs distributed over the fundraising costs. Administrative expenses Administrative expenses comprise the costs incurred in administering Nordens Ark. These include, for example, administrative systems, wages and salaries for administrative staff, premises and audits. Assets and liabilities Assets, allocations and liabilities are taken up at acquisition value unless stated otherwise. Inventories Inventories are valued according to the lower of cost and market principle, using the first-in first-out (FIFO) method. This means that inventories are taken up at the lower of acquisition value according to the FIFO method and real (market) value. A standard deduction of three per cent has been made for obsolescence. Valuation of animals comprises the animals owned by the Foundation. The zoological park’s operations also include animals that the Foundation does not own but has at its disposal as so-called breeding loans. The value of these animals is far in excess of the value of the park’s own animals. New animals resulting from these operations have not been taken up. Tangible fixed assets Tangible fixed assets are taken up at acquisition value less accumulated depreciation and any write-downs. Depreciation according to plan is based on original acquisition values and estimated life. A write-down is made where impairment of value is permanent. Land is not depreciated. Grants received towards acquisition of fixed assets reduce the cost of that asset. Details of grants received are given in the notes. Accumulated support for each type of facility is shown in Note 5. The following depreciation periods are used: Buildings Enclosures and facilities Equipment, tools and other installations

15-100 years 20 years 5-8 years

The difference between the above depreciation and depreciations made for tax purposes is reported as over-/ under-depreciation, which is included in untaxed reserves.

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

Income tax The tax for the current financial year as it is reported in the income statement contains the tax costs or tax revenues. Deferred tax is not reported separately if it is only the balance sheet item Untaxed reserves that entails deferred tax. Deferred tax refund claims are reported only if there is a very high probability that they can be legally set off against tax liabilities. Average number of employees The average number of employees has been calculated by dividing the total number of hours worked during the financial year by an average number of working hours based on the average of the Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blue-collar and white-collar staff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s working hours.

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

NOTES Note 1 Sale of goods and services The figure represents income from hotel, restaurant and shop sales, and from the sale of timber. Net income from the hotel, restaurants and shop amounted to 200 tkr (148 tkr).

Note 2 Gifts and contributions Of the total amount received from organisations, 7 million kronor (7 million kronor) came from the Postcode Lottery. Contributions of 2 072 332 (2 000 000) were received from the Nordens Ark fundraising foundation. During 2018, Nordens Ark Foundation received gifts from the general public totalling 26 103 674 kr (22 817 358 kr) including entrance fees, with bequests accounting for 6 837 025 kr (1 205 239 kr). r

Gifts reported as revenue General public Other organisations Total Entrance fees Total gifts reported as revenue Contributions reported as revenue Companies Other organisations Total Public subsidies EU Others Total Total contributions Total gifts and contributions In the income statement, education and schools includes 2 779 285 (2 887 489 kr) relating to communal childcare expenses. Funds from the Nordens Ark fundraising foundation have been reclassified from grants to gifts. This reclassification has also been made in the 2017 figures above.

2018

2017

13 134 298 9 072 332 22 206 630 12 969 376 35 176 006

7 499 929 9 100 000 16 599 929 15 317 429 31 917 358

2018 2 423 433 5 036 693 7 460 126

2017 2 392 593 4 173 993 6 566 586

568 189 426 675 994 864 8 454 990

587 265 349 750 937 015 7 503 601

43 630 996

39 420 959

2018

2017

14 624 566 2 242 698 2 448 093 41 371 206 60 686 563

15 231 414 2 992 624 2 619 781 40 950 242 61 794 061

Note 3 Operating costs and expenses Fundraising costs, administrative expenses and direct project costs reported according to the Swedish Fundraising Controlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guidelines amount to:

Direct costs in connection with goods and services Other fundraising costs Administrative expenses Direct project costs Total

2018 18 31 8 15 72

2017 25 40 6 15 86

Total number of employees during the year Men Women Total

2018 50 115 165

2017 59 122 181

Wages and salaries, other remunerations and social costs Board and Managing Director Other employees Total

1 039 168 25 061 525 26 100 693

1 005 000 26 369 888 27 374 888

Social costs Pension contributions for the Board and Managing Director Pension contributions for other staff Social security contributions Total

529 485 1 320 427 8 213 932 10 063 844

529 824 1 300 191 8 621 908 10 451 923

2018-12-31

2017-12-31

4 7

3 8

5 3

6 3

2018-12-31

2017-12-31

10 547 355 1 636 278 0 12 183 633

10 547 355

If the MDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s employment is terminated by the Foundation, the MD will receive severance pay equivalent to 12 monthsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; pay. The amount will be reduced if the MD finds other employment within a period of 12 months. Distribution by gender Distribution of men and women on the Board: Women Men Distribution of men and women on the management team: Women Men

Note 5 Depreciation of tangible assets Buildings and land Acquisition value at beginning of year (of which land 6 696 523) Reclassification Investment Purchases Accumulated acquisition value at end of year

0 10 547 355

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

Note 4 Employee costs Average number of employees Men Women Male seasonal staff Female seasonal staff Total

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

Accumulated depreciation at beginning of year Depreciation for the year Accumulated depreciation at end of year

-1 609 821 -140 639 -1 750 460

-1 469 190 -140 631 -1 609 821

Book value

10 433 173

8 937 534

2018-12-31

2017-12-31

Land improvement Acquisition value at beginning of year Purchases Reclassification of investment Reclassification of contributions Contributions Accumulated acquisition value at end of year

42 730 391 4 613 688 1 101 949 -1 000 000 -1 150 000 46 296 028

39 712 354 3 018 037 0 0 0 42 730 391

Accumulated depreciation at beginning of year Depreciation for the year Reclassification Accumulated depreciation at end of year

-22 691 506 -1 339 339 0 -24 030 845

-21 340 993 -1 350 513 0 -22 691 506

22 265 183

20 038 885

2018-12-31

2017-12-31

14 467 476 1 654 376 -48 000 0

13 617 940 849 536 0 0

16 073 852 -11 898 903 48 000 -1 000 421 -12 851 324

14 467 476 -10 992 451 -906 452 -11 898 903

3 222 528

2 568 573

2018-12-31

2017-12-31

1 947 421 3 513 347 -3 347 448

2 692 963 254 458 -1 000 000

Accumulated contributions amount to 32 609 791 kr (32 609 791 kr).

Book value Accumulated contributions amount to 49 417 920 kr (47 267 920 kr).

Equipment, tools and other installations Acquisition value at beginning of year Purchases Divestments/scrapping Reclassification Contributions Accumulated acquisition value at end of year Accumulated depreciation at beginning of year Divestments/scrapping Depreciation for the year Accumulated depreciation at end of year Book value Accumulated contributions amount to 1 691 659kr (1 691 659 kr).

Ongoing new construction Acquisition value at beginning of year Purchases Contributions

Book value

-3 070 028 1 000 000 43 292

0 0 1 947 421

43 292

1 947 421

2018 5 995 5 995

2017 2 850 0 2 850

2018-12-31 962 274 1 526 008 4 826 903 53 602 7 368 787

2017-12-31 1 008 817 1 678 518 2 356 429 56 038 5 099 802

Accumulated contributions amount to 1 000 000 kr (0 kr)

Note 6 Interest income and similar income Interest Dividends Total

Not 7 Skatt The Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities are liable for tax. Tax deficit amounts to 85 758tkr (76 162 tkr)

Note 8 Prepaid expenses and accrued income Prepaid expenses Accrued contributions Accrued gifts Accrued revenue Total accrued expenses and prepaid revenue

Note 9 Long-term liabilities Debt

Between 1 and Over 5 years 5 years 400 000 3 150 000 400 000 3 150 000

Debt to credit institutions Total

Note 10 Long-term prepaid revenue

Balance at beginning of year Received contributions Funds used in accordance with conditions Total long-term prepaid revenue

2018-12-31

2017-12-31

6 246 578 4 314 152 -2 657 209 7 903 521

8 028 270 0 -1 781 692 6 246 578

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

Reclassification of investment Reclassification of contributions Accumulated acquisition value at end of year

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

Note 11

Bank advances

Credit granted in the form of bank overdraft facilities

Note 12

2017-12-31 1 000 000

2018-12-31 5 295 821 967 010 518 666 179 450 6 960 947

2017-12-31 5 435 558 964 218 693 750 453 993 7 547 519

2018-12-31 5 500 000 5 000 000 10 500 000

2107-12-31 5 500 000 5 000 000 10 500 000

Accrued expenses and pre-paid revenue

Employee-related debts Prepaid contributions and gifts Other prepaid revenue Other items Total accrued expenses and prepaid revenue

Note 13

2018-12-31 1 000 000

Pledged securities

Corporate mortgages Property mortgages Total pledged securities Contingent liabilities Figures in Swedish kronor

ADMINISTRATION REPORT

Ã&#x2026;by Manor, March 20, 2019

REVISIONSBERÄTTELSE

AUDIT REPORT

To the Board of NORDENS ARK FOUNDATION Org. No. 854600-6191

inaccuracies and are considered to be material if, individually or together, they can reasonably be expected to affect the financial decisions taken by those using the annual report.

Annual report statement We have audited the annual report for Nordens Ark Foundation for the year 2018.

As part of an ISA review, I employ professional judgment and have a professionally sceptical attitude throughout the audit. Furthermore:

We believe that the annual report has been compiled in accordance with the Annual Accounts Act and gives a view that is true and fair, in all material respects, of the Foundation’s financial position as at December 31, 2018, and of its financial results and cash flow for the year, in accordance with the Annual Accounts Act. The Administration Report is consistent with the other parts of the Annual Report.

• I identify and assess the risks of material errors in the annual report, whether due to irregularities or inaccuracies; design and perform audit measures, inter alia based on these risks; and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to form the basis for my statements. The risk of not detecting a material error due to irregularities is higher than the risk of not detecting a material inaccuracy due to errors, since irregularities may include acts of collusion, forgery, deliberate omissions, incorrect information or breach of internal control.

Basis for statement We have carried out the audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards in Sweden. The auditors’ responsibilities according to this practice are described more fully in the sections The Authorised Auditor’s Responsibility and The Elected Auditor’s Responsibility. We are independent of the Foundation, in accordance with good auditing practice in Sweden. As authorised auditor, I have fulfilled my ethical responsibility according to these requirements.

• I obtain an understanding of the part of the Foundation’s internal control that is important to my audit in order to formulate audit measures appropriate to the circumstances, but not in order to comment on the effectiveness of internal control. • I evaluate the appropriateness of the accounting principles used and the reasonableness of the Board and MD’s estimates in the annual report and related information.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate as a basis for our statements.

• I draw a conclusion about the suitability of the Board and MD to use the assumption of continued operation in the preparation of the annual report. I also draw a conclusion, based on the audit evidence obtained, as to whether there is any significant uncertainty relating to events or circumstances that could lead to meaningful doubts over the Foundation’s ability to continue its business. If I conclude that there is a significant element of uncertainty, I must in the audit report draw attention to the information in the annual report relating to the significant element of uncertainty or, if such information is insufficient, to modify the statement on the annual report. My conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of the audit report. However, future events or circumstances may mean that a foundation can no longer continue its business.

Responsibility of the Board of Directors and the Managing Director It is the Board of Directors and the Managing Director who are responsible for the preparation of the annual report and for giving a true and fair view in accordance with the Annual Accounts Act. The Board and the MD are also responsible for the internal control they deem necessary to establish an annual report that contains no material errors, whether due to irregularities or inaccuracies. In preparing the annual report, the Board and MD are responsible for assessing the Foundation’s ability to continue operations. They indicate, where applicable, conditions that may affect their ability to continue operations and to make the assumption that they will continue. However, the assumption of continued operations is not applicable if the Board and MD intend to liquidate the Foundation or cease operations, or have no realistic option but to do so.

• I evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the annual report, including the disclosures, and whether the annual report reflects the underlying transactions and events in a manner that gives a true and fair view. Among other things, I must inform the Board of the planned scope and focus of the audit and of the timing of it. I must also inform them of significant observations in the course of the audit, including any significant shortcomings in internal control that I identified.

The Authorised Auditor’s Responsibility I have to conduct the audit in accordance with the International Standards on Auditing (ISA) and good auditing practice in Sweden. My goal is to achieve a reasonable degree of certainty that the annual report as a whole does not contain any material errors, whether due to irregularities or inaccuracies. Reasonable certainty is a high degree of certainty, but it is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISA and good auditing practice in Sweden will always detect a significant error, if any exists. Errors may arise due to irregularities or

The Elected Auditor’s Responsibility My task is to carry out an audit in accordance with the Audit Act and to do so according to good auditing practice in Sweden. My goal is to attain a reasonable degree of certainty as

to whether the annual report has been prepared in accordance with the Annual Accounts Act, and whether the annual report gives a true and fair view of the Foundation’s results and position.

audit. The audit of the administration is based mainly on the audit of the accounts. Any additional audit measures carried out are based on the authorised auditor’s professional assessment and the other selected auditors’ assessment based on risk and materiality. This means that we focus the audit on actions, areas and conditions that are essential to the business, and where deviations and violations would have particular significance for the Foundation’s position. We review and test decisions taken, the basis for decisions, actions taken and other conditions relevant to our statement.

Statement on other requirements according to laws and statutes Statement In addition to our audit of the annual report, we have carried out a review of the Board of Directors and the Managing Director’s management of NORDENS ARK FOUNDATION for 2018.

Gothenburg, March 20, 2019.

It is our opinion that the Board members and Managing Director did not act in breach of the Foundations Act, the Foundations Regulations or the Annual Accounts Act.

Ann-Lovise Rosenqvist Authorised auditor

Basis for statement We have conducted the audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards in Sweden. Our responsibility in this regard is described in more detail in the section headed The Auditor’s Responsibility. We are independent of the Foundation, in accordance with good auditing practice in Sweden. As authorised auditor, I have also fulfilled my ethical responsibility according to these requirements. We believe the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate as a basis for our statement. Responsibility of the Board of Directors and Managing Director The Board and Managing Director are responsible for administration under the Foundations Act and Foundations Regulations. The Auditor’s Responsibility The objective of our audit of the administration, and thus our statement, is to obtain audit evidence in order to be able to assess with reasonable certainty whether any Board member or the MD in any essential respects: • has taken any action or been guilty of any negligence that may cause liability to the Foundation, or if there are grounds for revocation, or • in any other way acted in breach of the Foundations Act, the Foundations Regulations or the Annual Accounts Act. Reasonable certainty is a high degree of certainty, but it is not a guarantee that an audit performed in accordance with generally accepted auditing practice in Sweden will always detect actions or omissions that may result in liability for compensation against the Foundation. As part of an audit in accordance with good auditing practice in Sweden, the authorised auditor uses professional judgment and has a professionally sceptical attitude throughout the

Bo Norming Elected accountant

BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AUDITORS AND STAFF 2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman of the Board - Margareta Wallin Peterson Deputy Chairman - Susanne Wiklund, Leif Nilsson Board members - Christer Petrén, Pål Svensson, Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg, Staffan Jufors, Johan Höjesjö, Nicke Bäcklund, Lisbeth Schultze, Mats Höggren AUDITORS Ann-Lovise Rosenqvist, Deputy Auditor - Bo Norming

STAFF

Buildings - Mikael Fredriksson (director), Emil Gunnarsson, Åke Gustavsson, Alf Hjelm, Lars Johansson, Pernilla Knuthsen, Inger Larsson, David Molander, Sofia Viksson

Managing Director - Mats Höggren Deputy Managing Director - Linnea Johansson

Financial department - Maria Hoffmann

Scientific Leader - Mats Niklasson (director), Karin Amsten (researcher)

HR - Linda Gadd, Susanne Geisen (temp.)

Zoological Department - Ewa Wikberg (director), Karin Amsten, Leif Blomqvist, Christer Larsson, Sara Nilsson, Emma Nygren, Gustav Samelius (researcher)

Communications and Found Raising - Therese Patriksson (director), Jenny Magnusson, Ann Mårtensson, Lotta Olofsson, Camilla Törnebohm (temp.)

Head Keepers - Ingela Andersson, Sara Barr, Susanne Geisen, Alfred Lindskog, Therese Lindström (temp.)

Education - Jenny Loberg (director), Eva Andersson, Björn Johansson, Pelle Karlsson

Zookeppers - Ann- Charlotte Berntsson, David Carlgren, Anna Einemo, Irja Enggren, Elin Eriksson-Byröd, Kristofer Försäter, Maria Hallenberg, Josefin Hansson, Sara Hedvall, Jimmy Helgesson, Sandra Josefsson, Dick Liljegren, Kenneth Emil Skydt, John Söderlindh, Sverker Thoresson, Linda Tordebring, John Uno, Camilla Wikberg, Viktor Åström, Stina Öqvist, Dèsirée Axén (temp.), Rebecca Mattsson (temp.), Pauline Mets (temp.), Anders Persson (temp.), Jonathan Persson, (temp.), Sofie Staxäng (temp.)

Pre-school - Linda Åsberg (director., t.o.m. 31/7), Anna Crogård (director, fr.o.m. 1/8), Karolina Gullberg, Liselotte Nielsen, Eva Petersson, Lina Säll, Margaretha Willbo Hotel & Guest service - Anders Meuller (director), Beatrice Ahlgren Svanberg, Joakim Bergman, Ann-Sofie Helgesson, Sandra Karlsson, Maria Kautto, Tina Olofsson, Marianne Pettersson, Ellinor Thuresson, Camilla Törnebohm, Daria Santana Bobowska (temp.)

Registered Veterinarians - Michelle Kischinovsky

Hasselbladstiftelsen

Stiftelsen Erik & Lily Philipsons minnesfond

A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE Göteborgs Högre Samskola

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M-Brain AB, Miramar Seafood AB, Ancon AB, Rambo AB, Kellfri

Magnusson & Freij, Ann-Katrin Lundberg, Kent Holmberg Bildit AB, HoistGroup, Hallbergs Plantskola, Riksbyggen MO Bohus Älvsborg, LRF-Väst, Santa Maria AB Arnold Andreasson Konsult AB, Leif Nilsson i Göteborg AB, Grohus, Eurobag AB, Royal Canin AB Göteborg, Sollidens Handelsträdgård AB, Carlssons El & Jakt , ”Medlemsfamiljerna i f.d Montessoriskolan Villa Darjeeling”, Henrik O Fiskaffär OffiTech AB, Björn Gillsjö - Brea Fisk, Grönsakshallen Sorunda, Repashy, Data Protect L. Simberg Fastighetsförvaltning, Cricket Express, Dormakaba Sverige AB

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Åby säteri, 456 93 Hunnebostrand, Sweden www.nordensark.se nordensark@nordensark.se