Ethiopia:
Conservation of the Ethiopian Wolf

With a population of about 500 individuals the Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis; photo: C. Sillero) is one of the most endangered wild dog species in the world. Its light and slender build and its red-brown fur which has some white parts as well, made the Ethiopian Wolf being reckoned as an imtermediate form between wolf and fox until 1990. As a result of genetic analyses its closer relationship to the wolf was documented though.

Although this wolf species lives in packs of 3 to 13 individuals individuals always hunt alone in the high mountain landscapes of Ethiopia. After the disappearance of the leopard the Ethiopian Wolf does not have any natural enemy anymore - and still the species is as threatened as it has never been before. The rapidly growing human population leaves more and more wasted areas behind through extensive agricultural use of the grounds and expands into the high regions of the country - and into the habitat of the wolf. With the human population also domestic dogs arrived which carried off three quarters of the total population by hybridisation and transmission of rabies around the turn of the millenium. Furthermore, the population is threatened by hunting and the absorption of poisoned baits which are actually meant for other species. But intensive conservation efforts by the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme led to an increase of the population in the Bale National Park in recent years.

To protect the few remaining individuals it is imperative to sterilize as many domestic dogs as possible to prevent hybridisation on the one hand and to prevent an increase of the population of stray dogs on the other hand. Furthermore, the Ethiopian Wolf has to be monitored continously to be able to vaccinate against rabies if required and thus to prevent another epidemic within the population. ZGAP financially supports the implementation of those vaccinations and also a population survey as the base for the "Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan" of the IUCN Canid Specialist Group (CSG). In addition, the value of the unique high mountain landscape with its endemic wildlife has been communicated to the local people via an information campagne to raise awareness for the contact with and conservation of these animals.

More information can be found on the websites of the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP) and the IUCN Canid Specialist Group (CSG).