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Day 9

Rabies vaccine to protect the Ethiopian wolf

Lone Wolf Lone Wolf Lone Wolf Lone Wolf

Rabies vaccine to protect the Ethiopian wolf
Day 9
How a vaccination campaign will save the last Ethiopian wolves

The undisturbed high mountain landscapes of Ethiopia are the habitat of one of the rarest mammals in the world - the Ethiopian wolf. Here, in the treeless heights between 3,000 and 4,500 m, the last representatives of the species have survived. Fewer than 500 animals still roam the mountains. More than half live in the Bale Mountains National Park in southern Ethiopia, the remaining Ethiopian wolves live in several isolated groups in the north of the country. The elegant animals with the reddish-brown fur, pointed ears and long legs feed almost exclusively on rodents. They therefore pose no threat to people and their herds of goats and sheep. Unlike in Europe, there are no conflicts between wolves and people in Ethiopia; here they live peacefully side by side.

How a vaccination campaign will save the last Ethiopian wolves
need
Vaccination against rabies and canine distemper for dogs and wolves to save the Ethiopian wolf from extinction.
activity
Project staff and local volunteers carry out vaccinations to contain the spread of the deadly diseases.
Measurable performance
Number of animals that were vaccinated through the donation.
Result
The spread of diseases dangerous to humans and animals is declining. The population of Ethiopian wolves is recovering and increasing.
Systemically relevant impact
The extinction of the last Ethiopian wolves must be prevented.
background

The wolves' livelihood is shrinking. In the densely populated country of Ethiopia, people are also moving into the high mountains to use the land for agriculture. They drive their cattle to pastures or collect firewood, thereby changing the native flora. The wolves' natural habitats are becoming increasingly scarce, their prey is becoming fewer and fewer, and the wolves are trying to avoid the farmers by moving ever higher into the mountains.

But the greatest threat to the survival of the Ethiopian wolves is invisible: farmers and their dogs are penetrating the wolf's habitat and bringing deadly diseases with them. Canine distemper and rabies break out again and again and have devastating effects. The highly contagious diseases cause nerve damage, encephalitis, paralysis and lead to painful death.

Outbreaks in 1990, 2003, 2009, 2014 and most recently in 2016 resulted in up to 75% of the Ethiopian wolf population dying. These large losses pose an immense threat to the long-term survival of the last Ethiopian wolves. In addition, the spread of rabies endangers the health of the local population.

Day 9 Day 9
The good deed

In order to contain the spread of dangerous diseases, the greatest priority is to vaccinate dogs and wolves across the country. A team of project staff, veterinarians and local volunteers vaccinates several thousand animals every year (over 5,000 in 2016) - a laborious undertaking for everyone involved. In some places, villagers bring their dogs to be vaccinated themselves. In other places, project staff have to go door to door. Free-roaming or semi-feral dogs also have to be caught and vaccinated. The Ethiopian wolves are also vaccinated. An oral vaccination - the stress-free and effective alternative to conventional vaccination - is currently in the test phase. Today's good deed makes it possible to carry out the vaccination campaigns.

cards statistics
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Capital city
102 403 200
102 403 200
Population
795
795
Gross domestic product per capita per year
174
174
Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

Ethiopia has a 3,000-year-old history and, along with Liberia, is the only African country that has never been colonized. The country is characterized by a very rich variety of flora and fauna.

About the organization and further information

organization

Species Conservation Foundation

Website

http://www.stiftung-artenschutz.de/

Initiative for Transparent Civil Society

Further links