DOCSLIB.ORG

Sandscript Number 20 Fall 2016

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Sandscript Number 20 Fall 2016 Sandscript Number 20 Fall 2016 Welcome to Sandscript 20 For the past decade, Sandscript has and the Government of Chad, the of SCF and the vibrant chorus of been bringing you news and infor- oryx project will soon see the number partners that support its activities mation about SCF, its projects, of founder animals sent to Chad and mission. In a new series of arti- partners and the challenges it and the reach the hundred mark. Already cles, we will be focussing on the work wildlife and habitats of the Sahara the animals released into the wild of some of our partners, such as the and Sahel face in this ever-changing have started breeding and we are Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, high- world we live in. Issue Number 1 confident there will be several new lighted in this issue. brought news of addax, oryx, dama births in the weeks to come. As 2016 draws to an end I would In this issue: gazelles and ostrich, species all cen- All is not plain sailing, however, the like to thank all our partners, old tral to SCF’s mission and program. oryx’s habitat in Chad and else- and new, for their most generous and Have the last 10 years seen the where in the Sahel is increasingly loyal support. May I wish you all a Front Page Editorial 1 status of these and other desert spe- under threat from phenomena, such Merry Christmas and a very Happy cies and their habitats improve or as climate change and desertification. New Year. As they say in French, deteriorate? It’s a boy! 2 Human impacts, such as the spread “la lutte continue”, the battle goes Personally, I think it’s a mixed bag. of agriculture, increase in the num- on… While species like the addax and the bers of livestock and the wells needed Arabian bustards 3 dama gazelle remain critically endan- to support them, are also significant, gered, measures have been taken to together with the inevitable overgraz- Fire 4 address major threats, including ing and fire that occur when human protection of their vital habitat in population numbers increase in frag- places like Termit in Niger, Ouadi ile environments. Security, too, is a 5 Fossil Rim Rimé in Chad, and the protected major concern. The Sahel and Saha- areas of Tunisia. Much remains to ra remain extremely vulnerable to the SCF-Europe 6 be done, however. threats from terrorism and the prolif- Thanks in large part to the commu- eration of firearms. Inevitably, it is nications and lobbying undertaken the wildlife of wilderness areas that by SCF and its partners, the plight suffers the consequences of anarchy. of these species and many others is While not a research organisation, better known today than ever before per se, SCF strongly believes in the and significant funding is now in- value of applied research as a basis creasingly being made available for for conservation action. It is difficult their protection and that of their to conserve something one doesn’t critical habitats. know and understand. The article on On the positive side, the recent rein- bustard tagging by SCF’s Thomas troduction of the scimitar-horned Rabeil underlines the value of re- oryx to Chad can certainly be listed search in helping mobilize resources as a success, at least in the short and conservation action to where term. The article in this issue by birds and mammals are to be found Birds on a wire: white-throated bee- Tim Wacher on monitoring the oryx at certain times of the year. eater (top) and crested lark and raising local support for their However one weighs things up, we (bottom) benefit from the fences of conservation, is very encouraging. can be certain the outlook for Sahelo- Part of the latest batch of oryx from the oryx pre-release pens to hunt And thanks to our partners the Saharan wildlife would be a lot the EAD “World Herd” in Abu insects and sing. Photos: John Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi bleaker had it not been for the efforts Dhabi. Newby/SCF. SANDSCRIPT Number 20 Fall 2016 Page 2 Female oryx, BLU-36, with her calf, here about 10 weeks old (Photo: Ahmed Al Dhaheri/EAD); Outreach and awareness raising (Photo: Tim Wacher/ZSL) It’s a boy! The first days and weeks following for several weeks. Only later did we wild-born calf. Early on we began to newly-returned scimitar-horned oryx discover they had chosen a place suspect the oldest female, carrying the in Chad was a memorable time. marked by a cluster of observations collar BLU-36, was in calf. Late Come the day of release in the mid- of the original wild oryx made by on the evening of 20 September, dle of August, the grasslands of the John Newby in the 1970s! Quickly, after watching all afternoon the herd central Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim nomad camps began to appear but came close to our vehicle and we saw Game Reserve were lush and green, the oryx remained calm, grazing or clearly that she was very large and signalling widespread and abundant resting quietly while camels fed near- her teats were very swollen. Early food and water for the oryx. Of by or a caravan passed in the dis- next morning we plotted the latest course, this also meant good condi- tance. satellite positions at the basecamp tions for the traditional seasonal Throughout this period the monitor- and saw that for the first time since transhumance of livestock from near ing team and reserve rangers trav- release BLU-36 had separated from and far. By the time of the release, elled widely to meet with nomads. the herd overnight. We dropped numerous camps with herds of cam- Each time we unrolled posters cus- everything and travelled straight els and small stock were scattered tom made to assist with staff train- back. We spotted her from 800m, throughout. After all the extensive ing and to help generate awareness alone and watchful. Again, we spent preparatory discussions, it was clear in the local population, depicting the whole day, never approaching we were going to learn much, and oryx natural history, ageing methods closer than 500m while she rested or quickly, about how the oryx would and behaviour in a series of photo- fed, not moving far. The main herd react to the nomads and equally graphs. This provided an excellent was nowhere to be seen. Only late in important, how the nomads and focal point while discussing the pro- the evening did we finally catch brief their livestock would react to the ject and these occasions generated glimpses of the head and ears of a oryx. great enthusiasm and very positive new-born calf less than 24 hours Keeping up with our free-ranging feedback while the photos were in- old, just visible above the grass, oryx is possible thanks to the work spected. Often oryx were well remem- standing right in front of its elegant of the comprehensive team of special- bered by at least one of the senior mother. The field team was elated. ists set up by the Government of members of the group. It was clear A very good start to this ambitious Chad and the Environment Agency that the oryx were coping well with project had just been sealed, and as of Abu Dhabi. The latest GPS the environment and with the human we made our way back to camp locations from satellite collars are activities they were encountering, and along darkened bush tracks we set processed and relayed each morning above all were very welcome back by about texting out the good news by to the oryx basecamp, from where the local people. satellite phone. the positions are also forwarded to All the while we were watching Tim Wacher the reserve’s rangers. carefully for the event that marks the Zoological Society of London Following release, the oryx moved beginning of the real transition back Editor’s note: the calf turned out to be a 50km to the west, where they settled to the wild; the birth of the first male. Mother and son are doing just fine. SANDSCRIPT Number 20 Fall 2016 Page 3 Arabian Bustard Ardeotis arabs fitted with a GPS satellite transmitter (Photos: Thomas Rabeil/SCF and Yves Hingrat/Reneco) Where’s that bustard? Sahelo-Saharan bustards are among edge of the Termit & Tin Toumma Initial data shows that four of the some of the least studied birds glob- reserve. Park rangers and staff from females moved very little following ally. Over the past decade, regular SCF partners, the Niger Fauna capture due to incubation and chick surveys have been carried out by Corridor and Niger-Chad Trans- rearing in the area where they had SCF in Niger’s Termit & Tin boundary projects, were part of a been captured. After four months of Toumma National Nature Reserve. team that also included four tradi- monitoring, southward movements, The reserve hosts two species of tional hunters, appointed by the first by two males and then by two bustard, the Nubian and the Ara- Sultan of Zinder. females, were observed, suggesting a bian. The latter is listed as Near Bustard density was relatively high, seasonal movement pattern confirm- Threatened by IUCN. Bustards in with around 1 bird per 2 km². July ing assumptions based on our data general have become extinct over corresponds to the beginning of the from surveys in Niger and Chad. large areas due to agricultural en- bustard breeding season, with males Our hope is the tagged bustards will croachment, over-grazing and espe- observed displaying and one female continue sending information at least cially unsustainable hunting.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Scf Pan Sahara Wildlife Survey
    SCF PAN SAHARA WILDLIFE SURVEY PSWS Technical Report 12 SUMMARY OF RESULTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PILOT PHASE OF THE PAN SAHARA WILDLIFE SURVEY 2009-2012 November 2012 Dr Tim Wacher & Mr John Newby REPORT TITLE Wacher, T. & Newby, J. 2012. Summary of results and achievements of the Pilot Phase of the Pan Sahara Wildlife Survey 2009-2012. SCF PSWS Technical Report 12. Sahara Conservation Fund. ii + 26 pp. + Annexes. AUTHORS Dr Tim Wacher (SCF/Pan Sahara Wildlife Survey & Zoological Society of London) Mr John Newby (Sahara Conservation Fund) COVER PICTURE New-born dorcas gazelle in the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve, Chad. Photo credit: Tim Wacher/ZSL. SPONSORS AND PARTNERS Funding and support for the work described in this report was provided by: • His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi • Emirates Center for Wildlife Propagation (ECWP) • International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC) • Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) • Zoological Society of London (ZSL) • Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte Contre la Désertification (Niger) • Ministère de l’Environnement et des Ressources Halieutiques (Chad) • Direction de la Chasse, Faune et Aires Protégées (Niger) • Direction des Parcs Nationaux, Réserves de Faune et de la Chasse (Chad) • Direction Générale des Forêts (Tunis) • Projet Antilopes Sahélo-Sahariennes (Niger) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Sahara Conservation Fund sincerely thanks HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, for his interest and generosity in funding the Pan Sahara Wildlife Survey through the Emirates Centre for Wildlife Propagation (ECWP) and the International Fund for Houbara Conservation (IFHC). This project is carried out in association with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL).
    [Show full text]
  • Wildcare Institute
    WildCare Institute Saint Louis Zoo Many Centers, One Goal. The WildCare Institute is dedicated to creating a sustainable future for wildlife and for people around the world. WildCare Institute A Remarkable Journey From an Urban Park, Down the Stream, Around the World ...................... 6 The Story Behind the Saint Louis Zoo’s WildCare Institute ........................................................ 8 Some of the Institute’s Top Achievements ................................................................................ 11 Center for American Burying Beetle Conservation ..................................................................... 16 Center for Avian Health in the Galápagos Islands ...................................................................... 18 Center for Cheetah Conservation in Africa ................................................................................. 20 Center for Conservation in Forest Park ...................................................................................... 22 Ron Goellner Center for Hellbender Conservation ..................................................................... 24 Center for Conservation in the Horn of Africa ............................................................................ 26 Center for Conservation of the Horned Guan (Pavon) in Mexico ................................................. 28 Center for Conservation of the Humboldt Penguin in Punta San Juan, Peru ................................ 30 Center for Conservation in Madagascar ...................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Description De Poste
    Chief Executive Officer The Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) is a pioneering international conservation organization working at the forefront of efforts to save the endangered wildlife of the Sahara and the Sahel. Since its founding in 2004, SCF has been instrumental in the protection and restoration of unique desert antelopes, such as the addax and scimitar-horned oryx, establishment of one the largest protected areas in the world in Niger, implementation of a recovery programme for the planet’s largest bird, the North African ostrich, and has put Saharan wildlife on the global conservation agenda through a combination of field work, communications, and outreach. Nearly 15 years after it was established, SCF is at a transition point in its development. It has a growing portfolio of species-focused and landscape management initiatives, including a major new EU-funded project in Chad, and a broadening suite of partnerships. A new strategic plan has been developed which sets ambitious goals for advancing the restoration of key target species across the Sahara and Sahel and improving the management of the ecosystems they depend on, as well as amplifying SCF’s role as a leading global voice for the conservation of the region’s unique wildlife. As part of the new strategy and in line with the overall growth and evolution of the organization, SCF is recruiting a visionary, passionate, and skilled Chief Executive Officer to lead the organization. He or she will be the primary leader of the staff and operations, set strategic direction and execution, and build strong relationships and collaborations with a wide range of local and government partners, funders, conservation organizations and networks, and other actors relevant to SCF’s work.
    [Show full text]
  • Scimitar-Horned Oryx Conservation Planning Workshop II
    Scimitar-horned Oryx Conservation Planning Workshop II 25-27 October 2010, Sidi Fredj, Algeria WORKSHOP REPORT Cover photo: © Olivier Born A contribution of the IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group and the Sahara Conservation Fund © Copyright 2010 CBSG IUCN encourages meetings, workshops and other fora for the consideration and analysis of issues related to conservation, and believes that reports of these meetings are most useful when broadly disseminated. The opinions and views expressed by the authors may not necessarily reflect the formal policies of IUCN, its Commissions, its Secretariat or its members. The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Lees, C., Miller, P., Beudels-Jamar, R., and Newby, J. 2010. Scimitar-horned Oryx Conservation Planning Workshop II: Workshop Report. IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group: Apple Valley, MN. To order additional copies of Scimitar-horned Oryx Conservation Planning Workshop II Report contact the CBSG office: [email protected], 001-952-997-9800, www.cbsg.org. ii Content Page # 1. Executive Summary 1 2. Participant Introductions 5 3. Vision and Stakeholder Statement 7 4. Evaluation Matrix: Method 9 5. Population Viability Modelling: A Preliminary Report 17 6. Building the Evaluation Matrix 31 Appendices A. Workshop Participants 43 B. Acronyms and Abbreviations 45 C Working Group Reports 47 iii iv Scimitar-Horned Oryx Workshop II Draft Report December 30, 2010 Section 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Issue 28 – Fall 2020
    ISSUE 28 – FALL 2020 An eye on the conservation of the wildlife in the Sahara and in the Sahel The biannual publication of the Sahara Conservation Fund, only organization dedicated uniquely to the biodiversity of the Sahara and the Sahel ISSUE 28 – FALL 2020 ISSUE 28 – FALL 2020 Welcome to this 28th issue of Sandscript. In spite of areas far away from cities and public services, we have complex health and safety conditions, SCF continues long realized both the difficulty for them to access to carry out its work and field missions, taking all healthcare and the opportunity for us to do something 4 necessary precautions. This perseverance has been of value about it. Health missions are not only a key addax, oryx, & dama gazelles crowned with success. We are very pleased to share element of SCF's approach, they also reflect the idea of little rays of light with you the news of the birth of a dama gazelle at the restoring "healthy" ecosystems, including humans and 6 Oryx project site in Chad. Born of a couple of adults wildlife in an equal and mutually beneficial way. captured in the wild at the beginning of the year, the calf ouadi rimé-ouadi achim is in perfect health and revives the hope of seeing this Although, the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Project sahara, sahel, & ouadi species one day wandering the Sahel in great numbers. (POROA) in Chad has experienced the impact of the Covid pandemic, the team is working hard on the In this issue, we also share news of two other antelope development of the reserve’s management plan, an species SCF is working on – the scimitar-horned oryx essential tool in the quest for improved cohabitation and the addax.
    [Show full text]
  • THEIR FUTURE IS OUR FUTURE Biodiversity
    TRACKS THE INFLIGHT MAGAZINE FOR COP12 JANE GOODALL: “We are stealing the planet from future generations” RENEWABLE ENERGIES: Friend or Foe to Migratory Animals? ANIMALS AROUND THE WORLD: 12 Fascinating Stories from the Field THEIR FUTURE IS OUR FUTURE Introduction Roy A. Cimatu DENR Secretary of the Philippines For the first time in Asia, the Philippines will host the triennial Confe- rence of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations‘ Convention on the Con- servation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). This is the 12th CMS COP Meeting, which will be held from 23 to 28 October 2017 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila. CMS provides the international legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats. Our country became a Party to CMS – also known as the Bonn Convention – in 1994. Today, the Philippines is the only ASEAN Party State to the Convention. This is a great opportunity for our country to contribute to the long- term ecological health of our planet through the conservation of key species. Out of the 17 megadiverse countries, nine are Parties to CMS: Australia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, In- dia, Madagascar, Peru, South Africa, and the Philippines. In this CMS COP 12, the protection of no less than 34 species will be on the negotiating table. Among these 34 are well-known species such as the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus). Our country is supporting the listing of the Whale Shark on CMS Appendix I (Threatened Migratory Species), to cloak this species with immediate and strict protection.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 Annual Report OUR CEO’S STATEMENT TEAMWORK: the ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT
    2019 Annual Report OUR CEO’S STATEMENT TEAMWORK: THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT I have known of the Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) since its founding in 2004, and All of the achievements described in this annual report can only have been accomplished through the dedication and its significant conservation successes achieved over the last 15-years; reintroducing hard-work of the SCF team members and government partners in the field. the scimitar-horned oryx and translocating West African giraffe. Taking the helm of SCF is a huge responsibility. The SCF teams in Chad and Niger include extremely competent field technicians who undertake arduous task of surveying and monitoring focal species. These team members are, in turn, supported by competent administrative and logistical staff. What I was unprepared for was realising just how far SCF, “punched above its weight.” Achieving these goals with a small, dedicated team in Paris and the field projects in Chad and Niger. And that the oryx and giraffe projects were not the full extent of the SCF’s activities. In partnership with many like-minded organizations and government authorities, SCF implements projects that improve protected area management, supporting endangered species, monitoring ecological systems, and provides medical assistance to communities in remote areas. The details of these activities are recorded in these pages. Over the last few months, I have come to admire the extent of SCF’s activities and the teams that lead these projects enormously. These achievements cannot be realised single-handedly. SCF benefits from a vast network of scientists and specialists that provide technical insight. It receives support from many quarters, without which we could not Implement these projects.
    [Show full text]
  • Sandscript Number 2 November 2007
    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.
    [Show full text]
  • COP13/Doc.28.2.4 MIGRATORY 19 September 2019 Original: English SPECIES
    CONVENTION ON UNEP/CMS/COP13/Doc.28.2.4 MIGRATORY 19 September 2019 SPECIES Original: English 13th MEETING OF THE CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES Gandhinagar, India, 17 - 22 February 2020 Agenda Item 28.2 PROPOSAL FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THE CONCERTED ACTION FOR SAHELO-SAHARAN MEGAFAUNA: SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX (Oryx dammah), ADDAX (Addax nasomaculatus), DAMA GAZELLE (Nanger dama), SLENDER-HORNED GAZELLE (Gazella leptoceros), CUVIER'S GAZELLE (Gazella cuvieri), DORCAS GAZELLE (Gazella dorcas), RED-FRONTED GAZELLE (Eurdorcas rufifrons), AND BARBARY SHEEP (Ammotragus lervia) * LISTED ON THE APPENDICES OF THE CONVENTION Summary: The CMS Secretariat has submitted the attached proposal for the renewal and continuation of the Sahelo-Saharan Megafauna Concerted Action in accordance with the process elaborated in Resolution 12.28. The proposal further recommends the inclusion of two additional species in the Concerted Action: the Red-fronted Gazelle (Eurdorcas rufifrons), and Barbary Sheep (Ammotragus lervia). With this inclusion, the Concerted Action will focus on the conservation of the following eight species: Scimitar-Horned Oryx (Oryx dammah), Addax (Addax nasomaculatus), Dama Gazelle (Nanger dama), Slender-Horned Gazelle (Gazella leptoceros), Cuvier's Gazelle (Gazella cuvieri), Dorcas Gazelle (Gazella Dorcas), the Red-fronted Gazelle (Eurdorcas rufifrons), and Barbary Sheep (Ammotragus lervia). *The geographical designations employed in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the CMS Secretariat (or the United Nations Environment Programme) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The responsibility for the contents of the document rests exclusively with its author UNEP/CMS/COP13/Doc.28.2.4 SAHELO-SAHARAN MEGAFAUNA CONCERTED ACTION (i).
    [Show full text]
  • Home, Home on the Range
    Home, home on the range. .. J OHN N EWBY ...where the deer and the antelope play1. Well, perhaps used conservation can also generate complementary income and to play, if the rangelands of the Sahel and Sahara are anything employment. In this regard, the wildlife of the Sahel and to go by. Today, the large bird and mammal fauna of this vast Sahara is no different from a host of other threatened species region of North Africa is one of the most threatened, in faced with similar threats of habitat loss and increased oc- part as a result of livestock development. Drought, desertifi- cupation and transformation of once wilder lands. fi cation, habitat loss and, especially, overexploitation have Signi cant similarities and common ground exist reduced many species to the verge of extinction, with species between the arid-land wildlife and pastoral sectors. such as the addax Addax nasomaculatus, dama gazelle Traditionally, pastoralism mirrors wildlife in its dependence Nanger dama and cheetah Acinonyx jubatus absent from on access to pastures and plants of high quality, in seasonal over 95% of their former ranges (Durant et al., 2014). One movements based on climate, precipitation and the ensuing pasture, and in mobility as an adaptation to unpredictability species, the scimitar-horned oryx Oryx dammah, is extinct in in the distribution, quantity and quality of grazing. Both the wild, and populations of others, such as the Barbary sheep sectors share common threats, and possibly benefits, from Ammotragus lervia, dorcas gazelle Gazella dorcas, slender- climate change, depending on the prevailing scenario (IIED, horned gazelle Gazella leptoceros, Cuvier’s gazelle Gazella 2013).
    [Show full text]
  • Home, Home on the Range
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by RERO DOC Digital Library Home, home on the range. .. J OHN N EWBY ...where the deer and the antelope play1. Well, perhaps used conservation can also generate complementary income and to play, if the rangelands of the Sahel and Sahara are anything employment. In this regard, the wildlife of the Sahel and to go by. Today, the large bird and mammal fauna of this vast Sahara is no different from a host of other threatened species region of North Africa is one of the most threatened, in faced with similar threats of habitat loss and increased oc- part as a result of livestock development. Drought, desertifi- cupation and transformation of once wilder lands. fi cation, habitat loss and, especially, overexploitation have Signi cant similarities and common ground exist reduced many species to the verge of extinction, with species between the arid-land wildlife and pastoral sectors. such as the addax Addax nasomaculatus, dama gazelle Traditionally, pastoralism mirrors wildlife in its dependence Nanger dama and cheetah Acinonyx jubatus absent from on access to pastures and plants of high quality, in seasonal over 95% of their former ranges (Durant et al., 2014). One movements based on climate, precipitation and the ensuing pasture, and in mobility as an adaptation to unpredictability species, the scimitar-horned oryx Oryx dammah, is extinct in in the distribution, quantity and quality of grazing. Both the wild, and populations of others, such as the Barbary sheep sectors share common threats, and possibly benefits, from Ammotragus lervia, dorcas gazelle Gazella dorcas, slender- climate change, depending on the prevailing scenario (IIED, horned gazelle Gazella leptoceros, Cuvier’s gazelle Gazella 2013).
    [Show full text]
  • Sandscript Number 20 Fall 2016
    Sandscript Number 20 Fall 2016 Welcome to Sandscript 20 For the past decade, Sandscript has and the Government of Chad, the of SCF and the vibrant chorus of been bringing you news and infor- oryx project will soon see the number partners that support its activities mation about SCF, its projects, of founder animals sent to Chad and mission. In a new series of arti- partners and the challenges it and the reach the hundred mark. Already cles, we will be focussing on the work wildlife and habitats of the Sahara the animals released into the wild of some of our partners, such as the and Sahel face in this ever-changing have started breeding and we are Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, high- world we live in. Issue Number 1 confident there will be several new lighted in this issue. brought news of addax, oryx, dama births in the weeks to come. As 2016 draws to an end I would In this issue: gazelles and ostrich, species all cen- All is not plain sailing, however, the like to thank all our partners, old tral to SCF’s mission and program. oryx’s habitat in Chad and else- and new, for their most generous and Have the last 10 years seen the where in the Sahel is increasingly loyal support. May I wish you all a Front Page Editorial 1 status of these and other desert spe- under threat from phenomena, such Merry Christmas and a very Happy cies and their habitats improve or as climate change and desertification. New Year.
    [Show full text]