THE PROGRAMME► Monitoring

Objective: Assess Ethiopian wolf population trends, with a focus on Bale and other critical populations; measure levels of grazing stock, domestic dogs, persecution and habitat loss affecting wolf status.

Regular and standard monitoring serves to perceive whether wolf numbers are increasing or decreasing, and as a permanent alert system to detect the incipient threats and epizootics (see Disease monitoring).

In the Bale Mountains, home to the largest wolf population, monitoring activities started in 1985. EWCP's continuous work has resulted on a valuable dataset that permits us to look at long-term trends, the factors influencing them, the dynamics of local populations, and their recovery from epizootics (see Research).

Elsewhere, the team is building up a growing dataset from wolf populations in Arsi, Menz, Wollo, Mount Guna and the Simien Mountains. EWCP's expansion to these northern highlands followed extensive surveys in the late 1990s that confirmed the existence of small populations in almost every sizeable Afroalpine patch.

Wolf Monitoring

Map of focal wolf packs EWCP has been closely observing packs of wolves in core areas of the Bale Mountains since 1988, thus creating one the most detailed long-term datasets for any wild carnivore.

Through observations of focal packs we obtain data on: pack numbers and their territories, wolves per pack, age and sex, timing of breeding, number of pups emerging from dens, survival at six and twelve months, and formation or disappearance of new groups. Assessments from standard interviews are also used to gauge changing threats to wolves and reports of causes and circumstances of wolf mortality.

Since the outbreak of rabies in 2003 monitoring expanded to around 50 packs, in order to follow-up on the emergency vaccination of wolves in the Bale Mountains, implemented to contain the disease to the Web valley. The map shows the territories of all focal packs monitored in 2005.

Monitoring Human Use of Afroalpine Resources

EWCP appraises the intensity of resource use by people visiting or living in Afroalpine habitats, and of potential conflict with conservation goals, building up baseline data to compare success of conservation initiatives.

Oromo with horses Using regular transects we measure the density of users and seasonality of use, including livestock grazing, use of mineral springs, grass cutting for thatch, collection of construction material and firewood. The work in North Ethiopia is conducted in collaboration with the Frankfurt Zoological Society.


Monitoring Rodent Prey

Rat The use of permanent rodent trapping grids serves to evaluate prey availability, and drops in density of prey populations that may be detrimental for wolves.

Starterd in Guassa (Menz) in 1997 and more recently in the Bale Mountains. Pilot trappings soon to start in the Arsi Mountains and other critical wolf areas.

Monitoring Habitat Change

In 1998-2000 we mapped the extent of the areas occupied by wolf populations, which were mainly limited by the upper level of the ever expanding subsistence agriculture (see Ethiopian wolf distribution update).

The team has continued extensive field surveys across wolf populations to map the changing limits of wolf suitable habitat. We are building up a GIS database with spatial data on wolves, people's activities, topographic variables and vegetation. This constitutes the baseline against which to quantify habitat loss and to identify the areas most vulnerable to further agriculture expansion. The work in North Ethiopia is in collaboration with the Frankfurt Zoological Society.