By Sandra Lai

What does the word caring mean to you? I found myself asking this question after spending 3 weeks in the remote Bale Mountains, a significant part of it capturing, vaccinating, and GPS-collaring Ethiopian wolves. It’s the dry season in Ethiopia — this year, it’s even crackingly drier than usual.

 

We are extremely saddened to learn of the death of wildlife conservationist Ambaye Fenta in the Simien Mountains National Park, northern Ethiopia.

Ambaye was a member of the Michigan State University Simien Mountains Gelada Research Project for the past 15 years, working as a wildlife monitor and research assistant.

 

My name is Henry, and I'm the new Programme Assistant at EWCP. I started back in August, based in Oxford with Claudio and Jorgelina, assisting with any and all aspects of project operations. Earlier this month, Jorgelina and I returned from a trip to our HQ in Dinsho. Along with teams from throughout the country, we arranged a week-long schedule of meetings and planning sessions across all our projects. The aim was not only to strengthen the new EWCP structure, but set the agenda for the new 6-months of our work.

 

A new EWCP paper, published this month in Emerging Infectious Diseases (CDC), describes for the first time the threat faced by Ethiopian wolves when outbreaks of rabies and canine distemper (CDV) occur simultaneously.

 

When we think of pollinators, we often picture flying creatures, such as bees, butterflies, birds or even bats. We certainly don’t think of large carnivores performing these ecological roles. In a paper published in Ecology this month, we discuss a fascinating Ethiopian wolf behaviour – and one of the first recorded instances of plant-pollinator interaction involving a large carnivore.

 

This October, we are thrilled to announce that long-term EWCP staff member Mustafa Dule is the recipient of a WildCRU Inclusivity Accelerator Award.

The accelerator fund was set up to provide vital support - from training and activities to equipment - to contribute to the career development of promising conservationists. It also has a particular focus on recognising and safeguarding local expertise in conservation practice.

 

Ethiopian wolves sit on a ridge against the sunset. © Adrien Lesaffre

Determining accurate population estimates is one of the most challenging, yet important, parts of any wildlife conservation programme. It asks a very simple question - how many animals remain in the wild? Whilst exact population numbers may be secondary to maintaining healthy breeding units for the wolves’ long-term future, it remains a key part of EWCP’s monitoring activities.

 

The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards are a University-wide celebration of our outstanding people. Yesterday the shortlist for the 2024 Awards was announced. There were 250 award entries across the 11 categories this year, with 1,500 individuals included in the nominations.

 

We are delighted to welcome Dinkenesh Ethiopia as a new partner. Dinkenesh Ethiopia is a recently established indigenous NGO whose objectives closely align with those of EWCP.

Originating with strategic support from EWCP, and staffed by founding members with prior experience implementing conservation efforts, Dinkenesh Ethiopia is poised for growth and success!

 

In recognition of EWCP's work for the conservation of Ethiopian wolves, the Oromia Tourism Comission granted EWCP the “Best Conservationist” award during the Oromia Tourism Week 2023. Edris Ebu, who has worked for EWCP for over 30 years, was honoured to accept this award on behalf of the EWCP team. The ceremony took place in Addis Ababa on Wednesday, 27th September 2023.

 

On Monday, 18 September 2023, during its 45th session, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) registered Bale Mountains National Park as a World Heritage Site. It is the second natural heritage site in Ethiopia to receive this prestigious designation, long after the inscription of Simien Mountains National Park back in 1978!

 

In northern Ethiopia lies the Abuna Yosef massif, peaking at 4,260 m-high with Mount Abuna Yosef. There, a small Ethiopian wolf population—around 30 individuals—lives surrounded by people and agricultural lands.

 

In the very early morning hours, at EWCP Headquarters, at the heart of Dinsho Hill in Bale Mountains National Park, among the multitude of bird songs and the soft rustling of the junipers, there was the smell of freshly-made coffee and a tinge of a French accent…

 

By Sandra Lai

For one thing, our trip to the Simien Mountains to capture and collar wolves definitely did not start smoothly… Right before our departure from Dinsho, we were still desperately looking for some crucial missing equipment, our internal flight was suddenly cancelled, the car waiting for us up there broke down right after loading up the field material… It would take a few days for everything to settle down and for all the people involved to be able to gather in Simien Mountains. The Bale team, which consisted of me, Muktar (EWCP veterinary team leader) and Alo (EWCP monitoring team leader and expert trapper), finally joined our Science Director, Jorgelina, and the Amhara and Simien team already camping in Kechemo Buahit, the territory of the first targeted pack.

 

After Bale Mountains, the Simien Mountains host the second most important population of Ethiopian wolves. These rare animals are endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands, that is, they are found nowhere else in the world. The Simien Mountains, a World Heritage Site, is the inspiration behind their scientific name, Canis simensis – a species described in 1840 from a specimen collected there by German naturalist Eduard Rüppell. Compared to wolves in Bale, which are diurnal and relatively easy to find, Simien wolves are notoriously shy and difficult to observe. Reproduction is also not as good as in Bale: litter sizes are always small—seldom more than three pups—and several packs are not able to produce a litter each year. Wolf packs therefore remain small. In addition, some areas in Simien Mountains withstood many months of brutal fighting during the Tigray war until very recently. Recent research across the world have highlighted that human disturbance may shift animal activity to the night, with potential negative consequences on reproduction and survival. To address this question, after obtaining approval from the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, EWCP launched in early March 2023 a GPS collaring study of Ethiopian wolves in Simien Mountains. This is the first time Ethiopian wolves are tracked after the first study conducted in 1988-1992 by Claudio in the southern slopes of Bale’ Sanetti Plateau using VHF collars.

 

By Sandra Lai

As promised, I returned to Ethiopia, this time during the wolf breeding season. And I decided to do exactly like the wolf monitors do and go to the Web Valley on horseback! Alongside the Sanetti Plateau—the largest Afroalpine plateau in Africa—, Web is the most important Ethiopian wolf study site in Bale Mountains. The ride from the EWCP Headquarters near Dinsho to the Sodota Camp in Web takes about 3 hours. By car, it takes only 40 min. But we would take a longer road, “the road for horses”, as Hamza, one of the wolf monitors, explained.

 

In 2018, Ethiopia launched a National Rabies Control and Elimination Program with the aim of eradicating rabies in the country by 2030. Rabies is a major public health concern in Ethiopia and kills > 2700 people annually, mainly in rural areas, with 99% of cases caused by a rabid dog bite. Livestock and wildlife are also affected by disease outbreaks, making it crucial to adopt a One Health approach to tackle this deadly virus. With the principal reservoir of rabies being domestic dogs, mass vaccination of dogs is one of the key actions undertaken by the federal government. The eradication programme is now in its Phase 2 (2021-2023), which goal is to implement dog mass vaccination campaigns in 13 selected towns in 9 regions. Collaboration is essential between all levels, from the federal to the local actors, partners and stakeholders.

 

As scientists and conservationists, we want to run the best projects possible to have the greatest impact for Ethiopian wolves. Building capacity is extremely valuable and our senior staff have been working hard to expand their knowledge, expertise and leadership, making the most of recent opportunities to collaborate with other African organisations.

 

Welcome to the world of wild canids! Dogs in the Wild: Meet the Family introduces some of these amazing canine carnivores found across the globe.

This new documentary from BBC Earth explores the diversity of canid species, the reasons for their success and the threats they face.

 

 

From an old shipping container to a crucial field lab!

 

All the way back in 2020, work began to install a brand new field lab at EWCP HQ in Dinsho, Bale Mountains National Park. A facility was sorely needed as a base of veterinary operations, to process and store samples, and conduct post-mortems. The project started with the arrival of a repurposed shipping container, freshly customised and kitted out at the Born Free Foundation’s Kotteh Wildlife Rescue Sanctuary near Addis, by a team headed by Bereket Girma.

 

By Sandra Lai

 

When I described my new position in EWCP and mentioned that I would be going to Ethiopia to work on Ethiopian wolves, my friend Emilie exclaimed: “oh! so you are a biologist studying an endangered species in a war zone!” I froze… Was that really what I would be doing? Technically, yes, the Ethiopian wolf is classified as “Endangered” and indeed, Ethiopia is currently having some conflicts… so she was correct in a sense. What would the reality be like over there?

 

Last year we were joined by a number of MBiol students from Oxford University who used EWCP data to complete a year-long research project. One student, Naomi Hawrylak, conducted her study on the nature of interactions between wolves and dogs and is excited to share her interesting findings below:

 

I received an email from Charlie Knowles in 2002, asking about our work to protect Ethiopian wolves and interested to learn how he could help. He pitched his ‘wildnet’ idea, and I bought into it straight away. Of course, had I been familiar with the entrepreneurial spirit infusing Silicon Valley at the time, it would have been obvious to me that the initial conversation or ‘pitch’ is essential for people to engage and bond. This ability to share our work and love for wildlife with other people, and particularly with philanthropists with an interest in nature, was just one of the many things we learnt with Charlie and his staff in subsequent meetings.

 

We are marking this World Rabies Day by celebrating a recent win for the wolves in the campaign against the disease.

 

Rabies has always been a huge threat to the wolves, able to rip through populations and devastate numbers. Late last year, in the Bale Mountains’ Web Valley, an alert came in from the settlement of Lencha. A young female Ethiopian wolf had been seen in close proximity to villagers’ homes, seemingly in very poor condition and displaying abnormal behaviour. This raised alarm bells for the staff at EWCP and the Bale Mountains National Park, who quickly rallied to the scene to assess the situation.

 

 

By Dr Jorgelina Marino

 

At the peak of the rainy season the EWCP team have been busy in the highlands of Delanta in North Wollo. Until recently one of the epicentres of the war, signs of fighting are still evident. Particularly in the nearby Gashena town, a strategic location at the crossroads to three main cities, taken and recovered three times at the cost of many lives.

 

We are thrilled to welcome Dr Sandra Lai to EWCP! Sandra joins us in the UK for a 3-year postdoc with the University of Oxford’s WildCRU, and will soon be heading off to the Bale Mountains to meet the wolves. As she prepares for the work ahead, Dr Lai shares this thoughtful and emotive piece:

 

In the hills of Shehano, perched in the slopes of the Simien Mountains, lives a unique wolf: Terefe. He is the first ever Ethiopian wolf to be nursed back to health and released back to the wild after a life-threatening injury. Following his successful rescue and rehabilitation in 2020 by EWCP staff and associates, we have closely followed Terefe’s journey since his release, thanks to his Lotek Litetrack collar. Though he failed to re-join his natal pack, Terefe survived well enough on his own as he roamed northwards, eventually settling near the village of Shehano. Here, he was joined within a few months by a young female wolf, and the Terefe pack was formed.

 

Jorgelina has just returned from a much-anticipated trip to the field – here are her highlights!

The Bale Mountains receives me with their familiar contours against the crisp blue sky. At the EWCP headquarters, the place I love and call home, a warthog keeps me company. Eric and the team have left ahead of me to start the wolf captures in earnest before Ramadan begins.

 

Many of you will be aware that habitat loss has confined Ethiopian wolves to the mountain tops, leaving small populations threatened by lethal viruses teetering on the edge of extinction. Fortunately for the wolves, we are out in force throughout their range, monitoring and vaccinating packs and working with communities to protect their unique habitats. Through many years of work, we have been able to pinpoint the key threats that need addressing, and identify new ones as they emerge.

 

Ethiopia has been facing turmoil for over a year, and our field operations have been in a state of flux. After many months of uncertainty, the New Year has seen us take the first steps towards resuming work as normal. With the spread of conflict spanning many of the mountain ranges where we work, our field operations throughout northern Ethiopia were suspended and staff pulled out for their safety. Now, as the situation stabilises we have been able to cautiously set out into the mountains once again. The safety of our staff remains our highest priority, though we are eager to check up on the wolves and people in the mountain ranges we have been unable to visit for some time.