Endemic to the Ethiopian Highlands, Ethiopian wolves are the most endangered carnivores in Africa and one of the rarest canids on Earth.
Facing severe fragmentation, the largest remaining sub-population of Ethiopian wolves can be found in the Bale Mountains, southern Ethiopia, with numbers estimated at 120 to 160 adult individuals.
Born Free has funded the vital work of the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP) since 1995. As the only conservation initiative focused on the protection of endangered Ethiopian wolves, together we seek to secure all existing Ethiopian wolf populations while protecting their delicate Afro-alpine (afroalpine) habitat from further degradation.
We are working alongside our partners at EWCP to provide a co-ordinated approach to the essential conservation work required to ensure the survival of the Ethiopian wolf.
Our unique initiative addresses many of the issues faced by Ethiopian wolves in the Bale Mountains and extends to safeguarding their Afro-alpine habitat, vaccinating against disease, working with communities to promote co-existence and more sustainable farming practises, and developing eco-tourism in the area.
LOCATION: Bale Mountains, Ethiopia
GOAL: To protect the Ethiopian wolf and its habitat by counteracting threats to the survival of the wolves and promoting Afro-alpine conservation
ACTIONS: The Born Free-supported Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP) carries out a variety of work which includes population monitoring, disease control, community education, habitat protection, capacity building and research
Found only in a handful of scattered mountain pockets in Ethiopia, the remaining 500 adult Ethiopian wolves are suffering from habitat loss, disease and human persecution.
Work is centred on capacity building, including funding Ethiopian nationals to receive training in order to work with the EWCP field team to:
EWCP has also helped to attract funds to secure the Bale Mountains National Park and is looking to develop eco-tourism in the area – all these actions being compatible with the project’s aim of less reliance on external funding and management – and eventual self-sufficiency.
Born Free has funded and supported this vital work since 1995 and EWCP is now a global initiative, drawing together partners and experts from all over the world who work closely together with the local communities.
With such a low population remaining, urgent efforts are needed to protect the endangered Ethiopian wolf.
Your kind support will help us to continue our efforts to save wild Ethiopian wolves from extinction.
Less than 500 Ethiopian wolves survive – they’re rarer than the giant panda! Adopt the Ethiopian wolf family to help us provide the protection they need.
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