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The largest population of Ethiopian wolves, which exists in the Bale Mountains, has been monitored almost continuously by the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme since 1983. In the present paper, we outline wolf monitoring activities in... more
The largest population of Ethiopian wolves, which exists in the Bale Mountains, has been monitored almost continuously by the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme since 1983. In the present paper, we outline wolf monitoring activities in the Bale Mountains from 2001-2004 and provide an estimate of Ethiopian wolf population size for this period. We also discuss wolf monitoring practices based on a review of the long-term objectives of the EWCP monitoring programme. Between 2001 and 2004, as a response to a rabies outbreak, monitoring effort and spatial coverage increased substantially from previous years to include demographic and spatial data on 60 focal packs throughout the Bale massif and an estimated 300 to 350 adult and subadult wolves (> 1 year old). We present an overview of the EWCP’s wolf monitoring objectives, review monitoring protocols and activities during this period and outline considerations for ongoing monitoring in the Bale Mountains. EWCP embraces the following...
Ethiopian wolves Canis simensis are confined to seven ranges of Afroalpine habitats in Ethiopia, where they combine conspicuous sociability with specialised, solitary foraging for a narrow range of Afroalpine rodent species. A detailed... more
Ethiopian wolves Canis simensis are confined to seven ranges of Afroalpine habitats in Ethiopia, where they combine conspicuous sociability with specialised, solitary foraging for a narrow range of Afroalpine rodent species. A detailed field study in the Bale Mountains in 1988-1992 yielded information on the behavioural ecology of this rare carnivore, and was followed up by other field studies on population biology, ecological requirements and genetics. Here we present a review of the current state of knowledge of Ethiopian wolves’ biogeography, diet, foraging behaviour, spatial organization, territoriality, social structure, mating behaviour, reproductive biology dispersal, biogeography, and genetics. We conclude with remarks on the cost the wolves’ specialisation to the Afroalpine ecosystem poses to their long-term conservation.
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... Such information has enabled the successful elimination of rabies from several European countries (Breitenmoser et al., 2000, Muller, 2000, Besch, 2001, Brochier et al., 2001 and Matouch and Vitásek, 2005) and certain parts of North... more
... Such information has enabled the successful elimination of rabies from several European countries (Breitenmoser et al., 2000, Muller, 2000, Besch, 2001, Brochier et al., 2001 and Matouch and Vitásek, 2005) and certain parts of North America (MacInnes et al., 2001). ...
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1As outbreaks of infectious diseases have emerged as a threat to small populations, conservation managers are increasingly making decisions regarding whether and how to intervene in such situations. Past controversies and lack of... more
1As outbreaks of infectious diseases have emerged as a threat to small populations, conservation managers are increasingly making decisions regarding whether and how to intervene in such situations. Past controversies and lack of knowledge and firm guidelines may inhibit this process. We present data on a vaccination campaign against a rabies outbreak in endangered Ethiopian wolves as a case study of a disease-control intervention in a threatened population.2Ethiopian wolves on the periphery of the outbreak area were trapped to administer a dose of injectable rabies vaccine and to assess the magnitude and duration of the immune response. The expansion of an established population monitoring programme allowed us to assess the factors influencing the probability of capturing particular animals and to evaluate the overall success of the intervention.3All wolves sampled 1 month after vaccination had protective levels of serum antibody titres. A booster dose administered within 1–6 months appeared to be necessary to maintain these levels. Females were less likely to be trapped than expected, if dispersing females were included in the population. Animals captured in the first trapping session were more likely to be recaptured if the pack was trapped again.4The intervention was successful in halting the spread of the rabies outbreak and had few short-term impacts on the population of wolves and non-target species.5Synthesis and applications. Demographic, spatial and behavioural heterogeneities within populations may affect vaccine uptake or delivery and thus the efficacy of vaccine-based interventions. Managers of populations of threatened species should ensure that disease-control programmes are carefully designed to maximize information gained on all aspects of an intervention, and thus to evaluate its outcome and impact. Dissemination and discussion of results is crucial in order to apply what has been learnt to similar scenarios in the same or related populations.As outbreaks of infectious diseases have emerged as a threat to small populations, conservation managers are increasingly making decisions regarding whether and how to intervene in such situations. Past controversies and lack of knowledge and firm guidelines may inhibit this process. We present data on a vaccination campaign against a rabies outbreak in endangered Ethiopian wolves as a case study of a disease-control intervention in a threatened population.Ethiopian wolves on the periphery of the outbreak area were trapped to administer a dose of injectable rabies vaccine and to assess the magnitude and duration of the immune response. The expansion of an established population monitoring programme allowed us to assess the factors influencing the probability of capturing particular animals and to evaluate the overall success of the intervention.All wolves sampled 1 month after vaccination had protective levels of serum antibody titres. A booster dose administered within 1–6 months appeared to be necessary to maintain these levels. Females were less likely to be trapped than expected, if dispersing females were included in the population. Animals captured in the first trapping session were more likely to be recaptured if the pack was trapped again.The intervention was successful in halting the spread of the rabies outbreak and had few short-term impacts on the population of wolves and non-target species.Synthesis and applications. Demographic, spatial and behavioural heterogeneities within populations may affect vaccine uptake or delivery and thus the efficacy of vaccine-based interventions. Managers of populations of threatened species should ensure that disease-control programmes are carefully designed to maximize information gained on all aspects of an intervention, and thus to evaluate its outcome and impact. Dissemination and discussion of results is crucial in order to apply what has been learnt to similar scenarios in the same or related populations.
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The relationship between diversity of large trees and altitude was investigated in a Tanzanian tropical rain forest. In total, 231 samples of 20 trees of ≥ 20 cm d.b.h. from the East and West Usambara mountains, covering an elevation... more
The relationship between diversity of large trees and altitude was investigated in a Tanzanian tropical rain forest. In total, 231 samples of 20 trees of ≥ 20 cm d.b.h. from the East and West Usambara mountains, covering an elevation range from 280 m to 2180 m a.s.l., were analysed. An ordination demonstrated a constant turnover of species, genera, family and orders with elevation. There were no obvious zones or discontinuities. There was no decline in plot richness with respect to altitude for species, genera or orders. Family richness was shown to increase with altitude. A measure of genetic diversity, the avalanche index, was calculated for each plot to investigate the effect of incorporating phylogenetic relatedness of individuals into the diversity measure. Distances between taxa were extracted from a recent molecular phylogeny of the angiosperms. Incorporation of phylogenetic diversity at family level enhanced the positive correlation between plot diversity and altitude. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 149, 217–228.
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With rabies emerging as a particular threat to wild canids, we report on a rabies outbreak in a subpopulation of endangered Ethiopian wolves in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia, in 2003 and 2004. Parenteral vaccination of wolves was used to... more
With rabies emerging as a particular threat to wild canids, we report on a rabies outbreak in a subpopulation of endangered Ethiopian wolves in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia, in 2003 and 2004. Parenteral vaccination of wolves was used to manage the outbreak.