EWCP News

Fun and games (and no rain) at the 12th annual Wolf Day in Dinsho.

2010-03-09T22:30:00.006Z

Anne-Marie Stewart On Sunday the 7th of March, we held our 12th Wolf Day in Dinsho, and all anyone could think about was, “Please let the rain hold off!”For the past two weeks it hasn’t stopped raining here – the normally tranquil streams have turned into raging rivers that are in danger of breaking their banks, while the roads and dirt tracks in town are slippery mud slides that threaten to

Field trip to northern Ethiopia

2009-11-10T15:20:00.009Z

By Anne-Marie Stewart & Chris GordonWe are spoilt in Bale, not only with wolf sightings, but with the relative lack of steep mountains! This was our impression after returning from our first field trip to the north of Ethiopia, two weeks ascending mountains and trekking through wheat fields, visiting the Ethiopian wolf populations in these areas. EWCP works with the Frankfurt Zoological Society (

Rabies Day 2009 in Dinsho

2009-10-07T23:26:00.004Z

“We are against rabies! Dhukkuba saree ni balaaleffanna!” A small band of demonstrators is marching towards us, placards waving, fists raised. It’s not quite a G8 protest, but this group is equally fervent about their cause. Rabies must be eradicated in their town! It’s September 28th, Rabies Day 2009, and the Dinsho Primary School, situated on the boundary of the Bale Mountains National

After the outbreak: Post–intervention monitoring

2009-09-10T13:00:00.002Z

Following on from the recent Ethiopian wolf vaccinations during May and June, life has settled down somewhat in the Bale Mountains. The EWCP monitoring team has been deployed to Sanetti (the vaccination site) and back to Morebawa (the outbreak site). We also have a constant presence in the Web Valley (the October outbreak site). The good news is that no wolf carcasses have been found since the

Vaccinating Ethiopian Wolves

2009-06-19T19:45:00.000Z

Rabies Outbreak in the Bale Mountains – Vaccinating Ethiopian Wolves Posted: 19 Jun 2009 02:03 AM PDT It’s 2am on the Sanetti Plateau. And it’s cold. Very cold. There’s no wind, no sound at all in fact. With the sleeping bag pulled over my head it’s only through a small crack that I can see the light from the full moon

Rabies "barrier" to save Ethiopian wolves

2008-11-10T12:43:00.003Z

Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme Press Release 10 November 2008 A team of dedicated conservationists is battling to save the world's rarest wolf from a rabies outbreak by creating a 'barrier' of vaccinated wolf packs. With less than 500 left, the endangered Ethiopian wolf teeters on the brink of

2008-09-03T09:27:00.001Z

Wolves vaccinated in 2003 developed protective levels of antibodies against rabies!By Darryn Knobel Knobel DL, Fooks AR, Brookes M, Randall DA, Williams SD, Argaw K, Shiferaw F, Tallents LA and Laurenson MK (2008). Trapping and vaccination of endangered Ethiopian wolves to control an outbreak of rabies. Journal of Applied Ecology 45: 109–11 This paper describes the trapping and vaccination

2008-09-02T23:53:00.000Z

Let’s talk about rats! Update from Flavie Vial, PhD student The afroalpine of the Bale Mountains supports an exceptionally high diversity of rare and endemic rodent species, such as the giant molerat (Tachyoryctes macrocephalus), a favourite prey of the Ethiopian wolf! However, over the last 20 years, the park has been used to graze increasingly high numbers of livestock that are suspected

2008-09-02T23:46:00.000Z

EWCP ANNUAL REPORT May 2008 By Dr Graham Hensom, EWCP Field Coordinator A busy 12 months has seen EWCP sign a new MoU with Oromia and WCA, gain momentum in Arsi, celebrate 10 years of Wolf Days in Bale and expand its veterinary team. Programme performance measures indicate that Bale wolves are doing well and rabies immunity rates in domestic dogs increasing with our expanded veterinary

Edie Hemson

2007-06-28T01:10:00.000Z

New EWCP recruit getting ready for Bale!

James' Farewell

2007-06-28T01:03:00.000Z

A few photos from James' farewell bash at the Dinsho LodgeGraham

Graham Norton: Saving Wolves - Monday 2 July 7pm BBC One

2007-06-18T11:14:00.000Z

Passionate dog-lover Graham Norton travels to Ethiopia to investigate a project which is helping man's best friend live alongside their rare wild cousin – the Ethiopian wolf. http://www.bbc.co.uk/savingplanetearth/wolf.shtml Other programs in the series:Will Young: Saving Gorillas Monday 25 June, 7pm Fiona Bruce: Saving Tigers Tuesday 26 June, 7pm Edith Bowman: Saving

New EWCP member Edie Alice Hemson

2007-06-18T03:40:00.001Z

On 11th June Graham and Ness Hemson welcomed the first addition to their family and the newest member of the EWCP team into the world, Edie Alice Hemson.

Adieu James

2007-06-18T03:32:00.000Z

After two years of service in mountains of Dinsho and the offices of Addis Ababa, James Malcolm has returned to Redlands University in California. He will be sorely missed by the staff at EWCP who organised a spontaneous party on his final day, giving up their Sunday and their own money to prepare a feast, coffee ceremony and all male dance team! The evening was a wonderful

James Malcolm on leaving

2007-06-15T12:45:00.000Z

It has been a privilege and a pleasure to act as Field Coordinator for EWCP for the last two years, but now it is time to leave (a sentiment heartily endorsed by Claudio Sillero my long suffering supervisor in Oxford). I will return to my regular job teaching Conservation Biology to undergraduates in California. (I intend to devote half the course to dealing with obfuscatory bureaucrats.) I think

Ethiopian wolves on the front cover of Behavioral Ecology

2007-06-15T12:26:00.000Z

Congratulations to Deborah Randall and co-authors on the publication of a paper in Behavioral Ecology, from Deb's PhD research on the genetics and mating system of Ethiopian wolves :) It's also great to see Ethiopian wolves on the front cover of the journal, further raising the global profile of this endangered species and the work of the EWCP to understand and protect it.Lucy

Flavie Vial PhD on the impact of livestock grazing in Bale

2007-06-15T12:01:00.000Z

Over the last 20 years, the Bale Mountains National Park

BBC TV series to help Ethiopian wolves and other endangered species

2007-03-26T09:03:00.001Z

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

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

2007-03-25T21:10:00.000Z

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

Lone Wolf Project: Simien expedition report

2007-03-22T18:00:00.000Z

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

Oxford University News Release: Targeted vaccination programme cuts rabies in endangered Ethiopian wolves

2006-10-11T19:27:00.000Z

Researchers have produced the strongest evidence yet to suggest that a targeted reactive vaccination programme, rather than blanket vaccination, can control infectious diseases like rabies in threatened wild canid populations (wild dogs, wolves and foxes. (Low-coverage vaccination strategies for the conservation of endangered species’, D.T.Haydon et al Nature 443, 692-695 -12 October 2006)

Conservation genetics of Ethiopian wolves, by Deborah Randall

2006-09-29T15:38:00.000Z

It is generally assumed that the risk of extinction is higher in small populations of endangered species due to higher inbreeding and lower genetic diversity. Because the genetic diversity among Ethiopian wolves is known to be low, genetic management has been considered to prevent further loss of genetic diversity over time. Nevertheless, a number of uncertainties existed about whether genetic

Job Opportunity with WildCRU in secondment to the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme

2006-09-28T20:14:00.000Z

Department of ZoologyField Coordinator (Ethiopia) Applications are invited for the post of Field Coordinator within the University of Oxford Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology. This is a fixed term contract of two years -starting Spring 2007. We are seeking an experienced conservation biologist (with at least 5 years experience in Africa and a proven

Ethiopia and the wolves on the Terra Sauvage magazine

2006-09-25T21:27:00.000Z

Terre Sauvage is a top natural history French magazine. This September edition: Ethiopie, L’autre Afrique, depicts a series of articles on Ethiopia and its unique biodiversity, from gelada baboons in the Simien Mountains to Ethiopian wolves in Bale. The article describes the many threats wolves are facing in Ethiopia -with outstanding pictures from photographer Andrew Harrington -and

Help us with your photos of Ethiopian wolves for the Lone Wolf Documentary

2006-09-24T16:01:00.000Z

Dear EWCP, I'm currently editing the documentary on the Lone Wolf Expedition to the Simien Mountains carried out in 2005 (www.lonewolfproject.org.uk). The film is promoting research and conservation on the wolf and may accrue some funds for future work. It will be shown at various conferences, given to funders and anyone that contributed to making the expedition possible, such as the

Do extra-pack copulations reduce inbreeding in Ethiopian wolves?

2006-03-20T10:24:00.000Z

Previous research showed that despite social monogamy in Ethiopian wolves, females engage in high levels of extra-pack copulations (EPCs). Like other pack living canids, the dominant female monopolizes breeding, producing a litter of up to seven pups, but all group members contribute to parental care. Philopatric males remain in their natal pack apparently for life and roughly half of all females

Ethiopian wolves and EWCP in National Geographic Magazine March 06 edition

2006-03-20T10:13:00.000Z

In early 2004 National Geographic photographer Anup Shaw and writer Virginia Morell visited the EWCP team in the Bale Mountains. Their story and stunning photographs are in National Geographic Magazine's March 2006 edition. More information on the Ethiopian wolf story is available at:http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0603/feature6/

Threats & long term trends in wolf numbers newly published

2006-01-23T22:43:00.000Z

New Publication: Trends, dynamics and resilience of an Ethiopian wolf population - J. Marino, C. Sillero-Zubiri & D.W. Macdonald - Animal Conservation 9 (2006) 49–58 Abstract: Fifteen years of monitoring in the Bale Mountains provide a valuable time series to better understand the dynamics of populations of the endangered Ethiopian wolf Canis simensis in the face of epizootics and increasing

The Lone Wolf Project reports preliminary results of its expedition to the Simien Mountains

2006-01-17T22:58:00.000Z

Posted by George BusbyThe Lone Wolf Expedition to Ethiopia investigated the status of the Ethiopian wolf, Canis simiensis, and its rodent prey in the Simien Mountains. Through an 18 man, 7 week expedition covering 5 different areas of the Simien Mountains, the Lone Wolf Project collected data on the presence of wolves, other large mammal densities, the habitat types, the rodent diversity and

Ethiopian wolves feature on the National Geographic channel

2005-10-21T03:41:00.000Z

In January 2004 the Kratts Brothers from Canada arrived in Bale to film the Ethiopian wolf episode of "Be the Creature", a documentary about Ethiopian wolves in the Bale Moutains National Park. Staff of the EWCP provided on the ground consulting for the documentary and hosted the film crew in the mountains. Mustefa Dule and Gedlu Tessera, who for the last 5 years have been monitoring wolf packs

James Malcolm reports from Bale

2005-08-25T21:09:00.000Z

Two of the wolf monitoring team visted the western extension of the Bale Mountains, in the Somcaro-Korduro region. In eight days in the field they covered almost all the areas of afro-alpine habitat and found three packs of wolves, with one pack of six. Locals reported two packs further west. A population in the neighborhood of 20-30 for the whole area seems reasonable and it is clear that

News of Lucy's work in Bale

2005-08-18T21:15:00.000Z

Having finished my final field surveys last month, I am currently entering data into the computer and preparing for the major analytical phase of my research. The last rodent grids were trapped in June, and these data will be used to test my rodent/vegetation forecasting model before being incorporated into the main dataset to develop the finished model. My last surveys were focussed on checking

July 2005, Lucy Tallents reports from the field

2005-08-15T23:43:00.000Z

It has been a severe dry season in Bale, and as the date for the start of the rains arrived and passed with barely a cloud in the sky, small mammals became more and more pushed for food. The grass rats scampered about on the surface, and the molerats extended their burrows further into the drying borders of the swamps. They provided rich pickings and the Kotera wolves grew fat and sleek, but

Prof James Malcolm has taken over as EWCP's new Field Coordinator.

2005-08-15T15:26:00.000Z

June 2005, Oxford. James experience with Ethiopian wolves spans 30 years; since 1975 he has visited Ethiopia regularly to study the wolves, mountain nyala and other highland wildlife, and was instrumental in raising awareness on the plight of the wolves which eventually led to the establishment of the EWCP. Originally from Britain James graduated from Oxford and received a PhD from Harvard for

EWCP Press release: Rabies Outbreak Update

2004-02-27T20:54:00.000Z

he mortality in the Web valley has been slowing down - we recovered only two dead animals in January 2004 with the most recent recorded death being on 30 January 2004. In total, we have now lost between 75 - 81% of the Web valley population to the rabies. We have recovered 38 dead animals with assertive reports of a further two dead animals. In addition, we

EWCP Press release: Vaccination of Ethiopian wolves against rabies

2003-11-17T20:52:00.000Z

The EWCP has teamed up with veterinarians from the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Organisation (EWCO) in an effort to contain a rabies epidemic affecting the largest population of rare Ethiopian wolves in the Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP) of southern Ethiopia. The global population of the endangered Ethiopian wolf is estimated at fewer than 500

EWCP Press Release: Rabies in endangered Ethiopian wolves

2003-10-31T20:47:00.000Z

31 October 2003In the last few weeks there has been an outbreak of disease, confirmed as being rabies, among the Ethiopian wolves in the Bale Mountains. The Bale Mountains is home to the most important population of this endangered species that is endemic to Ethiopia. The current Ethiopian wolf population in Bale was estimated at 300 (of the global total estimate of 500) wolves. Since September