Sandscript Number 2 November 2007
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Sahara Conservation Fund Sandscript Number 2 November 2007 Walking the walk Welcome to Sandscript 2! Our they decided to challenge their guest editorial is by Dr. Steven own community of zoos to Monfort, Associate Director for “walk the walk” by spearhead- Conservation & Science at the ing effective antelope conser- Smithsonian Institution. Steve is vation programs in North one of SCF’s founders and chairs Africa. Inside this issue: its Board of Directors. He was The response from the zoo intimately involved in early wildlife community was gratifying and surveys of Chad and Niger and will led to the formation of the Cybertracker 2 soon be joining the team in Niger to Sahelo-Saharan Interest help with an aerial survey of the Group (SSIG), which by 2005 Dr. Steven Monfort is a Ostrich 3 world’s last viable population of had evolved into the Sahara seasoned desert hand. addax. Conservation Fund. SCF from landscape-level ecology Desert all stars 4 For decades, modern zoos largely owes its genesis to the have professed their dedica- zoo community and its foun- to finding novel ways for no- tion to connecting animals in dation remains firmly an- madic people and wildlife to Saharan crocs 4 their collections to the conser- chored by the continued core co-exist in the vast Sahara. vation of their counterparts in and project support provided SCF is a modern success story and the zoo community can Friends of Sahara 5 nature. Until recently, how- by a growing cadre of North ever, zoos too often failed to American and European zoos. take tremendous pride in the translate this philosophy into SCF‟s evolution is also a tre- major role it has played in Pause for thought 5 conservation action. In 1998 a mendous example of the ca- ensuring this success and in small group of zoo managers pacity that modern zoos and the fact that it stands shoulder -to-shoulder with SCF in its Fennec Fox 6 and biologists who were pas- their partners have for work- sionate about Sahelo-Saharan ing across the conservation battle to save Sahelo-Saharan antelope reached a simple spectrum – from single spe- wildlife. conclusion: they had had cies propagation to meta- enough of empty rhetoric and population management, and The miracle of life We came, we saw...but we are isn‟t. At ten times that num- is a blessing to the addax. To still far from conquering the ber they are still incredibly reduce heat stress and water concerns we have for the sur- vulnerable and by far one of loss, addax actively seek out vival of the addax. During the most critically endangered shade during the hot season, fieldtrips in April and June species on earth. often visiting favourable spots Beautiful desert plants like this year over 50 were spotted year after year where the odd Tribulus (top) and Cornulaca At this time of the year, when in Niger. It sounds a lot but tree still stands far enough out (above) bloom in large numbers daily temperatures soar well spread over the Sahara‟s 3 in the desert to provide shel- after rare desert rainfall. Both above 120°F, the slightest million square miles really ter and security (cont. on p.2). are vital for wildlife's survival. shade cast by twig or tussock S a n d s c r i p t Number 2 November 2007 Page 2 Some of the world’s last wild addax spotted by SCF’s project team in Niger, May, 2007 (Photo: Thomas Rabeil/SCF) The miracle of life (cont.) The above picture, taken in avoiding any activity likely to plane from Aviation Sans Fron- Niger this May, shows a waste energy and cause in- tières, ground support from group of unbelievably fit ad- creased water loss. When Spazi d‟Avventura and fund- dax considering the condi- chased by hunters or even ing from SCF, Addax Petro- tions under which they live. It zealous photographers keen leum Corporation, CMS, the also underlines the miracle of on that shot of a lifetime, EU and new partner Gilman their continued existence. death through heat exhaustion International Conservation Unlike the agile and more invariably occurs. When it the survey will cover the nu- cosmopolitan gazelles, or the comes to balance with one‟s cleus of the known addax SCF team in Termit: Thomas fennec and gerbils that can environment and correspond- range in Niger. In 2004, the Rabeil, Ahmed Oumarou and hide away underground in ing vulnerability there can be last survey carried out by local Abdoulaye Harouna. cool burrows, the addax has no finer example. NGO SOS Faune du Niger nowhere to hide from the In November, the team in recorded 128 addax. Fingers heat and the sun. It is also a Niger will carry out an aerial crossed that we find at least as clumsy runner, desperately census for addax. With a many. Cybertracking desert wildlife Cybertracker is the brainchild but not computers. In Niger, manner of data as they travel of South African, Louis Lie- SCF uses Cybertracker exten- around. SCF scientists Tho- benberg. It comprises a sively to collect data. mas Rabeil and Abdoulaye pocket-PC, an integrated GPS In the coming weeks we will Harouna will train the guards unit and software that pro- be recruiting the first teams of and then remain in close con- vides a pictorial interface for community game guards to tact with them to download recording data. Its use patrol the Termit area on data from the hand-held de- amongst scientists, park rang- camelback. Apart from keep- vices. The combination of ers and community game ing an eye on things and community game guard, cam- guards has revolutionized data spreading the word about elback patrol and Cyber- collection. The secret not only conservation, the guards will tracker is expected to revolu- lies in the technology but in also be equipped with Cyber- tionize data collection on the Thomas Rabeil makes a Cyber- its growing use by people with trackers and will record all region‟s endangered species. tracker data entry in Termit. intimate knowledge of wildlife S a n d s c r i p t Number 2 November 2007 Page 3 Alhousseini Alghaler of Niger NGO GAGE-Azihar looks after some of the Sahara’s last ostriches (Photo: Kelley Bishop/SCF) Ostriches are well endowed SCF‟s ostrich project in Niger in Niamey, a site near the look after the remaining six has been awarded significant Sahelian village of Gadabeji desert ostriches in their care. grants from the AZA Conser- has been identified. Gadabeji With assistance from SCF and vation Endowment Fund lies on the boundary of a ga- a local GEF natural resources ($27,700) and St Louis Zoo‟s zetted game reserve and pro- management project, food is Field Conservation program vides excellent access to po- being purchased and infra- ($9,950). The funds will go tential reintroduction sites structure maintained. The fact towards the purchase of os- throughout Niger‟s Sahelo- that the local town of trich breeders, incubators, Saharan region. Iférouane is currently under genetic analysis and training. Next January, a team com- siege and has suffered some With extra support from San prised of Sara Hallager of the worst flooding in living Diego Zoo, the incubators (Smithsonian National Zoo), memory only goes to under- will be shipped to Niger in Scott Tidmus (Disney‟s Ani- line the commitment of early 2008. mal Kingdom) and vet Pete GAGE and its supporters. As SCF consultant, Kelley Black (St Louis Zoo) will visit soon as conditions permit, Bishop, has been working Niger to take blood samples SCF will be providing hu- with our partners from Ni- from captive ostrich for ge- manitarian aid to address the ger‟s wildlife service to iden- netic analysis at the National flooding and destruction of tify suitable sites for an os- Zoo. The samples will be used local wells and gardens. Do- trich captive-breeding centre. to select birds best matched nations to our relief fund are With support from the Inter- for inclusion in the breeding desperately needed. national Foundation for Wild- programme. If you would like make a do- life Conservation (IGF) and In the north, SCF partner, nation please contact us at the local UNDP/GEF office GAGE-Azihar, continues to [email protected] Burying our heads in the sand Although the ostrich is not are virtually extinct. Loss of significant and extremely considered endangered on a this gene pool and associated short-sighted in light of continental scale, uniquely adaptations to life in a water- climate change and desertifi- SCF’s Kelley Bishop has adapted Saharan populations less environment would be cation. carried out a major inventory of captive ostrich in Niger. S a n d s c r i p t Number 2 November 2007 Page 4 Desert all stars: Cornulaca monacantha The Arabs call it hadd, the many drought resistant plants, smaller desert species, includ- Tubbou zri and the Twareg it is prickly but in spite of its ing lizards, beetles and gerbils. tazera. To the addax, it‟s the waterless home, the plant Addax will often shelter from staff of life and what makes contains precious moisture; a fierce sandstorms and shade survival possible in one of the source of water that makes it themselves from the burning harshest environments on a preferred species for wildlife sun behind especially large Cornulaca monacantha: good earth. Cornulaca monacantha and camels alike. As it grows specimens. All in all, it‟s a true for addax, good for camels and good (we have no common name larger and collects windblown keystone species and desert all for controlling desertification.