Ethiopian Wolves are dying of rabies
One of Ethiopia’s endemic mammals Ethiopian Wolves are currently dying of
rabies outburst in the Bale Mountains National Park.
Nine Ethiopian Wolves found dead in the past weeks of which their total
number is estimated to be around 500.
The main habitat for the Ethiopian wolf is areas that are above 3200 ms
above sea level namely Abune Josseph Mountain, Semine Mountains National
Park, Guasa Menze Gera heather moorlands, Arsi and Bale Mountains are
where this endemic and endangered mammal found.
Of all that existed in this planet around 300 individuals are expected to
be found in the Bale Mountains where the outbursts exist currently.
According to Ato Berhanu Gilcha Bale Mountains National Park Warden, to
Addis Neger news paper that immediately they got information about the
death of the Ethiopian Wolves at the end of September the blood and
tissue samples are sent to Addis Ababa Pastor Center for laboratory
investigation and finally it is realized that the cause of the death is
rabies.
In order to control the outburst a team of 10 people are organized from
Oromiya Agriculture Office, Ethiopian Wildlife conservation Authority and
Ethiopian wolf Conservation Project and went to the area to start the
vaccination campaign.
While the group is lead by Dr. Fekadu Sheferaw, Dr. Claudio
Silerio Oxford University canine specialist is among the members the
group.
It is estimated that around 100 Ethiopian wolves are infected with the
outburst but the group managed to capture and vaccinate only 5 wolves up
to yesterday.
Ethiopian wolves have a behavior of living in a family constituting up to
13 individuals in family and are territorial.
The objective of the vaccination campaign is to separate and vaccinate
those uninfected ones in order to halt its spread and further damage.
Ato Addisu Asefa, Biologist Bale Mountains National Park and a member of
the team also said that, though the number of wolves already died is not
underestimated, the nature of the spread of the disease makes the
outburst much worrying.
Ato Addisu further explained that, the same outburst in the year 2003 has
killed almost 90 Ethiopian wolves while around 40 wolves died of
Distemper
two years before.
Ato Biniyam Admasu
Frankfurt Zoological Society, Bale Mountain conservation Project worker
also mentioned that, The Ethiopian Wolf is among the critically
endangered species of our planet therefore in order to control such
kinds of outburst the domestic dogs found in the park should be
eliminated.
He further recommended that the community dwelling in the park should
also be benefited from the natural resource and awareness creation should
be done so that they can give value for the natural resources.
Ato Biniyam further explained that apart from rabies and other related
diseases grazing and other natural issues that are the causes of
disappearance of rats, the main diets of the wolves can be mentioned as a
threat for Ethiopian Wolves.
The news is taken from:
Addis Neger Amharic news paper
By Mohammed Selman
Second year / number 053 /page 11
Saturday October 25, 2008
October 15, 2001 Ethiopian calendar
/Free translation by HAPS/
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