EWCP News: March 2007

26 March 2007

BBC TV series to help Ethiopian wolves and other endangered species

The BBC has revealed the full list of celebrities taking part in its forthcoming Saving Planet Earth series - including a journey to the lairs of endangered Ethiopian wolves by the comedian Graham Norton and a search for Indian tigers by the newsreader Fiona Bruce. The nine-part series will commemorate the BBC Natural History Unit's 50th anniversary. The series, which starts in June with a show hosted by Sir David Attenborough, will also include trips by the singer Will Young to find lowland gorillas hunted for bushmeat in Gabon, a journey by Jack Osbourne to study Namibian elephants, and Carol Thatcher's quest to see how long-line fishing endangers albatross in the Falklands. Paul Appleby, the producer of Saving Planet Earth, said the locations had been selected to illustrate the achievements of global conservation groups. At the end of the series, the celebrities will join hosts Sir David Sir David Attenborough and Alan Titchmarsh for a live fundraising finale, which will follow the same format as Children in Need, to draw funds for the Saving Plant Earth Fund. The fund plans to secure enough money for several major projects working with endangered species across the world for the next two to three years. Source: Norton and Bruce join Sir David to 'Save Planet Earth' – Independent Online (9 March 2007)

# posted by Claudio Sillero @ 26.3.07

25 March 2007

In May 2007 the EWCP will get a new in country coordinator

In May 2007 the EWCP will get a new in country coordinator. Dr Graham Hemson will take over from James Malcolm, who returns to Redlands University in California after two exciting years in Ethiopia, which saw among other things the project’s extension into the Arsi Mountains. Graham will be joined by his wife Vanessa and sometime in June by their first child. Graham has previously studied carnivore-human conflict in Botswana for his D.Phil at Oxford University, and joins us from Earthwatch, Australia where he has been managing their science program. While Ness’s more recent background is in television production both Graham and Ness worked in tourism in Botswana where they lived for 7 years. Graham is looking forward to the challenges of Bale and wolf conservation and Ness is looking forward to her own challenge caring for junior in the wild mountains of Ethiopia. In his spare time Graham hopes to tame Bale’s trout with his fishing rod, although he’s never had much luck anywhere else.

# posted by Claudio Sillero @ 25.3.07

22 March 2007

Lone Wolf Project: Simien expedition report

The Lone Wolf Expedition to the Simien Mountains investigated Ethiopian wolves and their rodent prey during seven weeks, covering five different areas of the massif. The team made available a final report informing on the status of wolves and other large mammals, and the diversity and densities of rodents, the main wolf prey. They report of agriculture high in the mountains and high densities of domestic animals, and insights on how wildlife and conservationists are perceived by locals. The Lone Wolf Project advised that in order to address the conservation needs of the wolf and other Ethiopian endemcis, it is unequivocally important to include the needs of the people local to the area, whose lives are deeply entwined with the mountains. The project thanks the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme and the University of Gondar for their support. For more information and few clips visit www.lonewolfproject.org.uk