17 January 2006
The Lone Wolf Project reports preliminary results of its expedition to the Simien Mountains
Posted by George Busby
The Lone Wolf Expedition toEthiopia Simien Mountains
The multi-disciplinary team reports that the level of agriculture was very high in all areas of the mountains that were surveyed. The density of domestic animals was high, which lead to large grazing pressure and possibly a reduction in the plant and fauna diversity. It is clear that wolves are easily distressed by human disturbance and try to shy away from it. It is also clear that the rodent density is very low meaning that few wolves can occupy a small area. Home ranges of wolves are likely to be large and thus the overall density, in an already fragmented landscape, is low. Indeed, in one area of grassland which was protected from grazing, not only was the rodent density greater but there was also a greater diversity in species of rodents.
The expedition also aimed to assess the needs and opinions of local people. Without the involvement of the people whose lives are intimately involved with that of the wildlife of the Simien, there can be little chance of constructively helping conservation inEthiopia
Support from the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme and theUniversity Gondar
The team concludes that that in order to address the conservation needs of the wolf and other endemic Ethiopian wildlife it is unequivocally important to include the needs of the people local to the area and those whose lives are also deeply entwined with the mountains.
For more information, and the full preliminary report, please visit the project’s website www.lonewolfproject.org.uk
The Lone Wolf Expedition to
The multi-disciplinary team reports that the level of agriculture was very high in all areas of the mountains that were surveyed. The density of domestic animals was high, which lead to large grazing pressure and possibly a reduction in the plant and fauna diversity. It is clear that wolves are easily distressed by human disturbance and try to shy away from it. It is also clear that the rodent density is very low meaning that few wolves can occupy a small area. Home ranges of wolves are likely to be large and thus the overall density, in an already fragmented landscape, is low. Indeed, in one area of grassland which was protected from grazing, not only was the rodent density greater but there was also a greater diversity in species of rodents.
The expedition also aimed to assess the needs and opinions of local people. Without the involvement of the people whose lives are intimately involved with that of the wildlife of the Simien, there can be little chance of constructively helping conservation in
Support from the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme and the
The team concludes that that in order to address the conservation needs of the wolf and other endemic Ethiopian wildlife it is unequivocally important to include the needs of the people local to the area and those whose lives are also deeply entwined with the mountains.
For more information, and the full preliminary report, please visit the project’s website www.lonewolfproject.org.uk
# posted by Claudio Sillero @ 17.1.06 
