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Short Communication Towards Improving Conservation Strategies for the Endangered Arabian Wolf, Canis Lupus Arabs

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Short Communication Towards Improving Conservation Strategies for the Endangered Arabian Wolf, Canis Lupus Arabs Jordan Journal of Natural History, 8, 2021 Pages 47-50 Short Communication Towards Improving Conservation Strategies for the Endangered Arabian Wolf, Canis lupus arabs Gavin T. Bonsen1* and Anton Khalilieh2 1 Centre for Compassionate Conservation, University of Technology Sydney, Australia; 2 Nature Palestine, Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine Received: November 30, 2020; Revised: December 28, 2020; Accepted: January 5, 2021 While wolf populations are recovering develop strategies to overcome these. globally (Chapron et al., 2014; Mech 2017), Pastoralism remains a predominant form the International Union for Conservation of agriculture across the vast majority of of Nature (IUCN) lists the unique desert- the Arabian wolf’s range. Of course, when adapted Arabian wolf, Canis lupus arabs, wolves’ reliance on human resources leads as an endangered subspecies (Mallon and to livestock depredation, conflicts between Budd 2011). Ranging across arid regions of wolves and pastoralists are inevitable. In the southern Levant and Arabian Peninsula, fact, in some pastoralist landscapes across the Arabian wolf often relies on human the Arabian Peninsula where populations resources (Shalmon 1986); this may be tenaciously persist (Cunningham and attributed to a severely depleted natural prey Wronski 2010a), conflict is so pronounced base coupled with the low productivity of that the rate of encountering a persecuted arid and hyper-arid environments. Where wolf carcass is as high as one in every 8 km conflict with wolves is low, such as in crop (Cunningham et al., 2009)). On top of the farming landscapes throughout Al Naqab and livestock-related persecution, age-old beliefs Wadi Araba, Arabian wolves have developed that wolves endanger human lives (Seddon such an affinity with humans that they and Khoja 2010), and wolf body parts can rarely venture more than 5 km from human be used for therapeutic purposes (Aloufi and infrastructure (Barocas et al., 2018). Eid 2016), persist. As such, Arabian wolves The population in the Al Naqab/ continue to be hunted and persecuted, Wadi Araba area was estimated at around despite their low numbers (Cunningham and 90 – 150 individuals (Cohen et al., 2013); Wronski 2010b). a relatively stable number for an arid to Jordan holds a critical jurisdiction hyper-arid region of roughly 12,000 km2. In for the conservation of the Arabian wolf contrast, the most recent population across as its location provides a stepping-stone Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, and the United between the stable population of Al Naqab/ Arab Emirates (UAE; potentially extinct, Wadi Araba, and the declining population Cunningham 2004), is estimated at 500 – 600 of the Arabian Peninsula. The conservation and is declining (Mech and Boitani 2004). status of the Arabian wolf in Jordan remains Taking into consideration that the latter area unclear, with sparse records over the last few is more than 200 times the size of the former, decades: two wolves were recorded during a covering around 90 % of the Arabian wolf’s 2001 carnivore survey in the north-eastern range, it is crucial to understand the factors Badia (Bunaian et al., 2001), and wolves were driving the Arabian wolf’s demise across recorded in 2011 (Edwards et al. 2017) in such a significant portion of its range, and to addition to a captured wolf being released in *Corresponding author: [email protected] 48 Jordan Journal of Natural History, 8, 2021 2016 (Hamidan N., unpublished data), within wolf sightings and vocalisations around the Dana Biosphere Reserve. Nonetheless, the same area. An interesting point worth numbers appear to be negligible (Hamidan mentioning was that the locals and rangers N., RSCN, personal communication). interviewed within the Reserve did not have Illegal hunting remains a concern in Jordan, any outspoken issue with wolves, nor were although this is being increasingly curbed there reports of wolves approaching tourists by the efforts of the Royal Society for the or behaving in an aggressive manner. Conservation of Nature (RSCN; Eid and On the other hand, while conducting Handal 2018). As long as hunting and tracking surveys in agricultural lands to direct persecution persist, the Kingdom’s the northeast of the reserve’s boundaries, a designated protected areas remain important Bedouin farmer approached the researchers strongholds for wildlife, including wolves one morning to inform them that he had lost a (Amr et al., 2004). young goat the previous night, presumably to During the summer of 2019, the a wolf. While this individual did not advocate researchers sampled an area of approximately retaliation or lethal control of wolves, he 1,800 km2 in Wadi Araba, and the adjacent understandably hoped that more could be Dana Biosphere Reserve, using camera-traps done to prevent future livestock losses. Our and passive tracking surveys (searching for tracking surveys revealed that wolf activity wolf tracks – i.e. pugmarks) to assess wolf was higher in close proximity to human activity and determine the importance of resources, suggesting an urgency to develop this region for Arabian wolf conservation. strategies towards human-wolf coexistence Extending north to cover the Fifa Nature within these pastoralist landscapes. Reserve, the current study area included two protected areas governed by the RSCN, Acknowledgements as well as vast agricultural landscapes predominantly used by Bedouin pastoralists. There are several members of the RSCN to To increase the probability of detection, which the researchers wish to extend their camera-trapping primarily focussed on sincerest gratitude. Many thanks go to Dr permanent water points (i.e., springs and Nashat Hamidan and Thabit Alshare for artificial water sources), while tracking allowing this research to take place and for surveys were conducted in areas where there organising the logistics. The researchers are was enough suitable substrate that could be utterly appreciative of the time that Abdullah cleared daily and searched for fresh tracks Al’Oshoush and Yahya Al’Muhafazah (i.e., 500 m transects). spent with them in the field, organising and Both camera-traps and tracking assisting with fieldwork locally. Many thanks confirmed that the area surrounding the go to Ibrahim Mahasneh and the staff at the Dana Biosphere Reserve is an important Fifa Nature Reserve for their hospitality in region for the Arabian wolf (Figure 1). The the field. Lastly, thanks are also extended researchers recorded most wolf activity to the rangers – Ibrahim, Abdalrahman, and in the lower (western) reaches of the Dana Faraj – as well as Malik Nananah and the Reserve (e.g., Ein Salamani; Figure 2), and rangers at the Dana Biosphere Reserve for the adjacent agricultural fields northeast their guidance, knowledge, and assistance of the reserve’s boundary. A young wolf in the field. Sincere thanks also go to Peter was confirmed by camera-traps at Ein Ibn C. and Nashat H. for their helpful comments Thicker in the Fifa Nature Reserve; however, and guidance leading to the publication of no wolf tracks were recorded within the Fifa this manuscript. Reserve. Camera-traps confirmed a single wolf in the upper part of the Dana Reserve close to Rumana Camp, and the researchers were provided with anecdotal reports of Bonsen and Khalilieh 49 Figure 1. Location of the study area (a), illustrating the important region for wolves around the Dana Biosphere Reserve (wolf images correspond to where Arabian wolves were recorded in this study’s surveys); the study area’s location within Jordan (b); and the Arabian wolf’s range across the Middle East (c). Figure 2. Camera trap image of an Arabian wolf at a protected spring (Ein Salamani) in the western reaches of the Dana Biosphere Reserve. 50 Jordan Journal of Natural History, 8, 2021 References Aloufi, A and Eid, E. 2016. Zootherapy: A in the Negev Desert: is this justified? study from the Northwestern region of Oryx, 47: 228–236. the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Cunningham, PL. 2004. Checklist and status Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Indian of the terrestrial mammals from the Journal of Traditional Knowledge,15 United Arab Emirates. Zoology in the (4): 561–569. Middle East, 33: 7–20. Amr, ZS, Hamidan, N and Quatrameez, M. Cunningham, P, Wronski, T and Al Aqeel, K. 2004. Nature Conservation in Jordan. 2009. Predators persecuted in the Asir Biologiezentrum. 2: 467–477. Region, western Saudi Arabia. Wildlife Barocas, A, Hefner, R, Ucko, M, Merkle, JA and Middle East, 4 (1): 6 Geffen, E. 2018. Behavioral adaptations Cunningham, PL and Wronski, T. 2010a. of a large carnivore to human activity Distribution update of the Arabian in an extremely arid landscape. Animal wolf (Canis lupus pallipes) from Saudi Conservation 21 : 433–443. Arabia. Wildlife Middle East, 5 (3): 4 Bunaian, F, Hatough, A, Ababaneh, D, Cunningham, P and Wronski, T. 2010b. Mashaqbeh, S, Yousef, M and Amr, Arabian wolf distribution update from Z. 2001. The Carnivores of the Saudi Arabia. Canid News, 13: 1–6. Northeastern Badia, Jordan. Turkish Edwards, S, Al Awaji, M, Eid, E and Attum, Journal of Zoology, 25: 19–25. O. 2017. Mammalian activity at artificial Chapron, G, Kaczensky, P, Linnell, JDC, von water sources in Dana Biosphere Arx, M, Huber, D, Andrén, H, López-Bao, Reserve, southern Jordan. Journal of JV, Adamec, M, Álvares, F, Anders, O, Arid Environments, 141: 52–55. Balciauskas, L, Balys, V, Bedo, P, Bego, F, Eid, E and Handal, R. 2018. Illegal hunting Blanco, JC, Breitenmoser, U, Brøseth, H, in Jordan: Using social media to assess Bufka, L, Bunikyte, R, Ciucci, P, Dutsov, impacts on wildlife. Oryx, 52: 730–735. A, Engleder, T, Fuxjäger, C, Groff, C, Mallon, D and Budd, K. 2011. Regional Holmala, K, Hoxha, B, Iliopoulos, Y, Red List Status of Carnivores in the Ionescu, O, Jeremic, J, Jerina, K, Kluth, Arabian Peninsula. IUCN, Sharjah, G, Knauer, F, Kojola, I, Kos, I, Krofel, M, UAE. Kubala, J, Kunovac, S, Kusak, J, Kutal, M, Mech, LD.
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