WCN Wildlife Conservation Network

Claudio Sillero, Photo: A. L. Harrington

Dr. Claudio Sillero

Dr. Claudio Sillero was born in Argentina, lives in Oxford, England and is internationally recognized for his work on carnivore conservation projects spanning four continents. One of his greatest contributions to conservation is his work to protect the critically endangered Ethiopian wolf. In 1995 he founded the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program (EWCP), receiving the Whitley Award for Animal Conservation from the Royal Geographical Society in 1998.

Watch Dr. Claudio Sillero's
2012 Expo Presentation

Threats

The Ethiopian wolf is the only species of wolf in Africa, as well as the most rare and endangered canid in the world. Fewer than 500 wolves remain in seven isolated populations. They face a variety of threats due to conflict with Ethiopia's ever-expanding human population, including fragmentation of highland habitat, disease from domestic dogs and hybridization, as well as direct persecution.

Solutions

EWCP alleviates threats to Ethiopian wolves by monitoring their numbers and protecting the areas where they live. The program vaccinates domestic dogs to effectively control the spread of disease. EWCP has created a comprehensive education campaign for local school children and employs many local residents, raising the standard of living and fostering a strong conservation ethic among those who most closely co-exist with this rare carnivore.

Watching the Wolves: A Technological Revolution

In the icy wind and rain of the Ethiopian highlands, it has never been ideal scribbling observations about Ethiopian wolves into notebooks. Despite the difficult conditions, a team of dedicated monitors has been following and observing Ethiopian wolves for over 20 years, providing insights into wolf population trends over time. The monitors also give critical early warning when disease hits the wolf populations, allowing EWCP to react immediately to limit disease losses. More