Ethiopian Wolves, one of Ethiopia’s most endemic mammals, are currently dying because of a rabies outburst in the Bale Mountains National Park.

The main habitat for the Ethiopian Wolf are areas 3200 ms above sea level, namely Abune Josseph Mountain, Semine Mountains National Park, Guasa Menze Gera heather moorlands, Arsi and Bale Mountains. The planet’s around 300 individuals are expected to be found in the Bale Mountains, where the disease is currently raging.

After the deaths of the Ethiopian Wolves at the end of September, blood and tissue samples were sent to Addis Ababa Pastor Center for laboratory investigation and it was found that the cause for the deaths is rabies.

In order to control the outburst, a team of 10 people from Oromiya Agriculture Office, Ethiopian Wildlife conservation Authority and Ethiopian wolf Conservation Project went to the area to start a vaccination campaign. While the group was lead by Dr. Fikadu Sheferaw, Dr. Claudio Silerio, the Oxford University canine specialist, is among the members.

Even though an estimated hundred Ethiopian wolves are thought to be infected, 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; they are territorial.

The objective of the vaccination campaign is to separate and vaccinate uninfected animals in order to prevent further damage.

Ato Addisu Asefa, Biologist Bale Mountains National Park and a member of the team said that the spread of the disease is very worrying. He further explained that a similar outbreak in the year 2003 has killed almost 90 Ethiopian wolves while around 40 wolves died of distemper two years before
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Hana Kifle, Director
P.O. Box 2495
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Telephone: 251-011-654 47 56 / 011- 645 54 32
E-Mail: hanakifle@haps-eth.org.et
Web: www.an-group.org/x_haps.htm

HOMELESS ANIMALS PROTECTION SOCIETY is founded in October 29, 2001 to work throughout the country to help the animals and solve the problem with the help of ANIMAL PEOPLE, USA and it is the first of its kind in Ethiopia.

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