Reflecting on 30 years of EWCP

Ethiopia’s landscapes have changed quite remarkably over these few decades, and the tasks to protect Ethiopia’s nature and wildlife are enormous and as urgent as ever. While we can boast that the 10% of Ethiopian land set aside as protected areas is a clear national commitment to the conservation of nature, it is not enough. Many of these special places and the wildlife that live there are struggling - their protection is simply not effective. It’s not just that wildlife populations are shrinking, but many of the ecological functions of these landscapes are under threat. As highland swamps and bogs dry out, they lose their ability to soak up and release water downstream. These are not just issues for nature-lovers and conservationists, but for all Ethiopians.



EWCP’s chief aim remains the protection of the charismatic endemic Ethiopian wolves. But species conservation can’t happen in isolation. We must deliver better habitat protection, not just for wild species but to enable sustainable livelihoods for the people living hand-in-hand with nature. We must continue to work with local people to protect the local ecology and support the health of people, livestock and the environment, while providing a home to these magnificent animals.

This 30th anniversary is quite a remarkable achievement, and it also coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, the body responsible for wildlife conservation in the country. I recently met with my good friend Zelealem Tefera to reminisce about the close ties that we have shared between EWCP and EWCA for so long. We remembered and paid homage to a few of our most remarkable colleagues in our 30th Anniversary Annual Report.

We have formally been in the business of protecting Ethiopian wolves for 30 years. The team may be getting older, but we are still going strong.



Built on the shoulders of some long-standing EWCP allies and employees, the establishment of Dinkenesh Ethiopia as a key player in Ethiopian wolf conservation marks a new era, contributing to our resilience and building a more sustainable future for EWCP.

“Dinkenesh in Amharic means ‘you are marvellous, one of a kind’,

vividly reflecting the special nature of Ethiopia’s wildlife and wild spaces”

Last year had a special significance for us, with Dinkenesh formally joining in two EWCP projects. In partnership with Oxford’s Department of Biology, they are implementing the Biodiversity Friendly Futures project with funding from the Darwin Initiative Biodiversity Challenge Fund, scaling up this important work across the wolf habitats of the Amhara region (page 14). Secondly, the One Health project in Bale – helping to safeguard wolves and people from the threat of disease – is now formally implemented by Dinkenesh.

Thank you for working together all these years, and for your ongoing support. The wolves won’t be here without all of you!