Living with wolves project

2421405

Project grant Nr.

Target species

Ethiopian wolf

Canis simensis

Mammals, Carnivora, Canidae

IUCN conservation status:

EN (endangered)

EDGE status:

Score 1, Rank 421.
Estimated 2 Million years of independent evolution.

Why engage?

The spectacular Afroalpine habitat is globally unique. It hosts many endemic and highly specialised plant and animal species, including one of the planet's rarest carnivores, the Ethiopian wolf. This charismatic species has been reduced to only about 400 wolves (122 packs in 6 populations).

Need / goals

Identify threats to Ethiopian wolves, learn and integrate new approaches, and engage our partners to affect behavioural change on the local communities and visitors.

Conservation action

Foster coexistence of Ethiopian wolves and people through promoting behavioural change. Minimise impact of threats that affect the wolves’ welfare, directly though mortality or indirectly through disturbance and stress.

Programme partner

Programme location

Dinsho park, Robe, Ethiopia

EWCP (Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme)
WildCRU, The University of Oxford
United Kingdom

Funding

Date awarded:

USD 8000

08/11/24, 11:00

The species

Range

Seven isolated mountain ranges of the Ethiopian highlands, at altitudes of 3,000–4,500 m. Grassland patches north and south of the Great Rift Valley, i.e. in the Simien Mountains, Mount Guna, North Wollo and South Wollo highlands, and Menz. Recently extinct in Gosh Meda (North Shoa), and absent from Mt Choke, Gojjam, for a few decades. South-east of the Rift Valley there are populations in the Arsi Mountains (Mt Kaka, Mt Chilalo and Galama range) and in the Bale Mountains, including the Somkaru-Korduro range.

Habitat

Endemic to the Ethiopian highlands, above the tree line at about 3,200 m. Shrubland, grassland, inland wetlands and rocky areas. Afroalpine fertile grasslands are home to many rodents, the key prey item of Ethiopian wolves.

Threats

Habitat loss
Persecution / hunting
Road kills
Incompatible land use
Inbreeding and hybridisation

Population trend

Stable, under pressure from human encroachment

Conservation attention

High

Conservation need

A number of factors threaten the survival of this super-rare canid. High altitude Afroalpine grasslands are crucial pastureland for the local people’s livestock, and heathlands provide firewood. Increasing livestock populations may be already exerting unsustainable pressure, degrading the Afroalpine ecosystem in many places and reducing the wolves' prey (rodents). Already, 60% of former Ethiopian wolf habitat (i.e. land above the tree-line) has been converted to agriculture. Human encroachment continues due to high population growth. With the herders come domestic dogs, which are numerous in the Ethiopian mountains. They act as reservoirs for infectious diseases, notably rabies and canine distemper. Moreover, given the very small global population of Ethiopian wolves, inbreeding and hybridisation form an additional threat. A handful of hybrid wolves were recorded in the Web Valley of the Bale Mountains in the 1980-90s, the result of crosses between female wolves and male domestic dogs. Political instability and conflict due to livestock predation can lead to killings of Ethiopian wolves, especially in the northern highlands. As more roads are built and traffic increases steadily, so does the risk of wolves being killed by vehicles.

Addressing the need

The EWCP has implemented environmental education at local schools and communities near wolf ranges for over 25 years. While these activities created high levels of awareness across communities, awareness did not necessary result in meaningful changes in specific behaviours leading to human-wildlife conflict.
In 2024 we decided to support "Living with Wolves", a new EWCP activity which aims to ‘foster coexistence through behavioural change’ – working to prevent issues with direct impacts on Ethiopian wolf survival.

Conservation action specifics

The Living with Wolves project aims to minimise impact of threats that affect the wolves’ welfare, directly though mortality or indirectly through disturbance and stress. These threats are emerging or increasing as the lives of people and wolves become more closely linked. Our support will help the EWCP team to identify these threats, learn and integrate new approaches, and engage our partners to affect behavioural change on the local communities and visitors. If we can reduce these sources of disturbances, the wolves will live longer and better lives. Specifically, the funds will help - expand EWCP Wolf Ambassadors initiative in North Ethiopia to communities across the Bale Mountains - support the ongoing field activities of EWCP Wolf Monitors in Bale – first line of defence in the early detection of disease, and the identification of disturbances and other human-wolf conflicts - maintain community outreach campaigns orchestrated through the EWCP Community Leader and Veterinary Teams - maintain competitive salaries to support field teams in the context of ongoing conflict and political unrest across Ethiopia.

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