Vaccination "barrier" to save Ethiopian wolves

Dear friends of EWCP,

I just returned from Ethiopia where we have been battling to save the world's rarest wolf from a rabies outbreak. With less than 500 left, the endangered Ethiopian wolf teeters on the brink of extinction. In their stronghold in the Bale Mountains National Park wolves live in close contact with the Oromo people. Whilst this coexistence is encouraging, it places the wolves at great risk of catching the rabies virus from the dogs the Oromo use to herd livestock.

Despite the efforts of our veterinary team, who vaccinate thousands of dogs in Bale's villages every year, the virus has raised its ugly head again and jumped into the wolf population. Fifteen wolves have died to date, and laboratory tests have confirmed our worst fears that the wolves are facing another devastating rabies outbreak. If left unchecked, rabies is likely to kill over two-thirds of all wolves in Bale's Web Valley, and spread further, with wolves dying horrible deaths and numbers dwindling to perilously low levels. In 2003 a similar epidemic swept through, and a rapid response by the EWCP blocked the spread of the epidemic.

Our team has been working against the clock vaccinating wolves to create a "barrier"; to prevent the virus from spreading. We knew from previous outbreaks that we had to move quickly to stop the virus in its tracks and after frantic preparations we vaccinated the first wolf on 20 October.

Tracking and vaccinating these animals is a far from easy task. We were travelling on horse-back and camping out in remote mountains above 12,000 feet with temperatures falling as low as -15°C. But the first three weeks of the intervention have gone well and to date we have vaccinated fifty wolves in eleven vital packs that connect the Web Valley population with other wolves in Bale.

The objective is to secure a "cordon sanitaire" of safely vaccinated wolf packs which will prevent the virus reaching other packs living further afield in the Bale Mountains.

While it is too early to know for certain we are upbeat that this vaccination will have the desired effect and that the epidemic will begin to fizzle out. These preciously rare wolves can ill-afford it another massive die-off.

It is in dire times like these that your support is most important. Please spare a thought for our wolves in need and get in touch with our partners if you think you can help.

Thank you!

Dr Claudio Sillero

Oxford, UK

In the news: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7715693.stm