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In the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve (OROAGR) in Chad, the Sahara Conservation Fund’s (SCF) field staff are continuing to develop the captive group of North African ostriches (Struthio camelus camelus). Wild North African ostriches were once common in the Reserve, but disappeared several decades ago. Individuals from this captive group will be reintroduced once the population is large enough, in accordance with the ambitions of the Oryx Project Phase II.

Thanks to the much-appreciated collaboration with the Chadian wildlife authorities and African Parks Network (APN) / Ennedi Natural and Cultural Reserve  – APN providing ostriches from Zakouma National Park in southern Chad – SCF was able to establish a group of 11 individuals at the site, now one year old and in good shape. In early 2021, similar translocation operations from Zakouma to OROAGR  added another 15 ostriches to the group.

These individuals were aged between one and three weeks old, and are currently being kept separate from the original group, in order to avoid any age-related conflict.

In addition to these operations, SCF has been participating since January in a field study on ostrich predation, conducted by APN. Members of the Oryx Project team joined the APN team to take part in the field work. The study is being carried out in Zakouma National Park – where the ostriches live wild – and involves the inventory and mapping both of the population and of nesting sites.

After being fitted with GPS tags, most of the ostriches from the original captive group at the Base Camp will be released into the Reserve in July or August, while some could be kept for breeding. For now, the birds are receiving the best possible care from the SCF team on site, being offered a balanced diet and all the appropriate vaccinations needed to ensure good health.

In addition, the team is closely monitoring the behavior of the ostriches on a daily basis, checking that they are feeding and drinking properly, and have everything they need to stay sheltered and warm at night. This is especially important during the cooler months, as cold weather can be dangerous to young ostriches. Moving forward, SCF and all the project team and partners hope that conditions will be met for the release of some ostriches before the end of the year – an exciting step and one which will be a first for this region of Chad.

Photos © Marc Dethier

The Scimitar-horned Oryx Reintroduction Programme in Chad is a joint initiative of the Government of Chad and the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi. Under the overall leadership and management of the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi, on-the-ground implementation of the project is carried out by the Sahara Conservation Fund. In 2019, following a highly successful first phase of activities, EAD generously agreed to develop and fund a second five-year phase of operations. Phase II of the project maintains focus on building the oryx population but also adds new Sahelo-Saharan species to the mix, including the Critically Endangered addax antelope (Addax nasomaculatus), dama gazelle (Nanger dama), and North African ostrich (Struthio camelus camelus).

On March 14, 2016, scimitar-horned oryx set foot on Chadian soil after an absence of almost 40 years. Welcomed back home like long-lost sons and daughters, the oryxs’ return was the fruit of cooperation between many players working hand in hand under the leadership of the Government of Chad and the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.

Five years on and eight shipments later, a further 200 oryx have joined the initial twenty-five. Today, more than 360 oryx roam free in the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve, edging us closer and closer to our initial milestone of 500 breeding adults. Ultimately, we all want to see so many healthy and secure oryx that their conservation status is reclassified from Extinct in the Wild to a lower category of threat.

Of the initial 25 founders, at least 16 and possibly 19 are still alive. One female, initially named Blue 23 but now recollared as Red 02 (photo), has produced five calves, and others have performed similarly, producing a total of 42 calves, of which most have survived.

Conservation of wildlife and the restoration of extinct or critically endangered species is not a simple, one-off undertaking but a constant battle requiring major and permanent commitment. Overhunting saw the oryx disappear from Africa in the 1980s but there will always be new threats and new challenges moving forwards. Bushfire is now a major concern, something that hardly ever occurred in the past. Solid partnership has so far enabled us to achieve some truly remarkable results and it is this same spirit of working together that will ensure the growth and prosperity of the oryx population and its struggle back from the brink.

The Scimitar-horned Oryx Reintroduction Programme in Chad is a joint initiative of the Government of Chad and the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi. Under the overall leadership and management of the Environment Agency–Abu Dhabi, on-the-ground implementation of the project is carried out by the Sahara Conservation Fund. In 2019, following a highly successful first phase of activities, EAD generously agreed to develop and fund a second five-year phase of operations. Phase II of the project maintains focus on building the oryx population but also adds new Sahelo-Saharan species to the mix, including the Critically Endangered addax antelope (Addax nasomaculatus), dama gazelle (Nanger dama), and North African ostrich (Struthio camelus camelus).

The Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) has recently participated in a new beautiful coffee-table book Erg/Reg by Italian photographer, researcher and documentary advisor, Ugo Mellone.

Ugo Mellone specializes in conservation research projects with the aim of raising awareness about threatened species and their habitats through photography. He made contact with SCF in May 2020 as he was aware the organization consistently carries out sensitization activities on this same matter at different scales. He was awarded with the Montphoto grant 2019 and had already returned from the Sahara with a number of impressive photos.

As always willing to promote the cause of this area’s natural and cultural magnificent heritage worldwide, SCF agreed to partner with Ugo on this multilingual (English, French, Italian, Spanish) publication. Meant for the general audience, the book focuses on a variety of landscapes and wildlife species in a region that some can still see as a simple barren wasteland. Fighting this prejudice is part of SCF’s mission – changing perceptions on how life can thrive in arid ecosystems and even recover from extinction also is. That’s why a written piece from John Newby, SCF Senior Adviser, along with some of his most interesting photos of SCF’s conservation activities in the field, have been included to the final product.

Nature and desert enthusiasts should also enjoy this book a lot, finding great comfort browsing through it, especially now that travel restrictions unfortunately prevent many of us from seeing all of that in real life.

The book is available for purchase online here.

SCF and Ugo are grateful to the European Union and the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi for contributing the costs of publishing this beautiful and most timely book.

The slender-horned gazelle (Gazella leptoceros) Conservation Strategy 2020-2029 has been published in English and French by IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group.

The slender-horned gazelle (Gazella leptoceros) is endemic to the Sahara Desert. It formerly occurred in sandy areas from Algeria west to the Nile Valley in Egypt. Numbers have been reduced mainly due to excessive, uncontrolled hunting and the species has disappeared from several areas, including most of those in the eastern part of the range. Currently the only certainty is that slender-horned gazelles are present in the two great ergs of Algeria and Tunisia, although a few individuals could persist in the Western Desert of Egypt and Libya, and no other localities have been confirmed. Numbers in the wild are estimated to be in the low hundreds. The ex situ population is very small and is descended from a tiny number of founders. The species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Since 2016, the slender-horned gazelle situation has been discussed annually at a special session in the margins of the annual meetings of the Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group (SSIG), involving the main stakeholders. The aim of the sessions was to update the species’ status and agree priority actions. In view of the precarious situation, it was agreed in May 2019 SSIG meeting in Tunis to develop a ‘Slender-horned gazelle conservation strategy’ to provide a framework to guide actions needed to conserve and restore populations, both in situ and ex situ, as well as to aid the development of National Action Plans. The roadmap was discussed further with government agencies and NGOs during the IUCN North Africa Regional Conservation Forum in Monastir, Tunisia, in June 2019.

We are grateful to the all those who participated in the planning sessions on slender-horned gazelle at the SSIG meetings as well as to those who contributed to the development of the strategy.

IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group

Monitoring vulnerable and endangered species using field observation data is a key aspect of successful wildlife conservation. Proving this to be the case, data collected as part of SCF’s monitoring work may have highlighted a worrying trend in the Nigerien population of Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia).

Also known as the ‘aoudad’, the Barbary sheep is a species of Saharan ruminant found in mountainous habitats. In Niger, it resides in both the Aïr & Ténéré National Nature Reserve (ATNNR) and the Termit & Tin-Toumma National Nature Reserve (TTNNR) – both of which are protected areas that provide refuge for critically endangered species such as the addax and dama gazelle.

There is currently no official data on the total population size of aoudad, partly due to the difficulty in monitoring the species. Barbary sheep live in difficult-to-access areas, and it is problematic to assess their numbers using traditional survey methods such as observation vehicles. The species is listed as ‘vulnerable’ in IUCN Red List and is included in CMS Appendix II. While no estimate is available for the population size of Barbary sheep in the ATNNR, it has been estimated at between 100-150 individuals in the TTNNR (Rabeil and Turmine, 2016). Field observations using camera traps indicate that the overall population in Niger may have declined significantly in recent years.

The main threat to the Barbary sheep is poaching, despite the fact that the species is protected in Niger under Law N° 98-07 of 29 April 1998, which established the Hunting and Wildlife Protection Regime. These regulations do not seem to have had a positive effect on the aoudad and SCF has reason to believe that not enough attention is being given to the species in Niger. Going forward, conservation efforts need to pay particular attention to the ecology of the barbary sheep in the country and action may need to be taken to ensure that the current negative population trend does not continue.

Since 2015, under a joint initiative sponsored by the government of Chad and the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, the Sahara Conservation Fund has spearheaded the fieldwork of the ongoing Chad scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) reintroduction project. The immense success of the project’s first phase has led to the approval and funding of a second phase, which now enables the project’s partners to expand their scope to other Sahelo-Saharan species.

A New Phase

The recently completed first phase of the project reestablished a population of about 280 individuals scimitar-horned oryx in the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve in Chad. The animals now peacefully wander the reserve under the watchful eye of local and international stakeholders.

Under the overall leadership and management of  the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi, the new second phase is expected to last 5 years and will focus on both continuing to build up the existing oryx population and on introducing other species to the reserve. Current phase 2 plans include starting new populations of addax (Addax nasomaculatus), dama gazelle (Nanger dama), and North African ostrich (Struthio camelus camelus). So far, the addax are the first new neighbors for the oryx  recently joined by the tallest bird in the world: the North African ostrich. 

Bringing in the Birds

African Parks Network, a collaborator of the project, and SCF, are hopeful that this project will result in an abundant ostrich population in Central and Northern Chad. Members across both organizations are extremely happy to work and make progress together on the ostriches. In addition, Marc Dethier, the SCF oryx project manager, claims that the experience gained on animal translocation, and the “work synergy” within the oryx project team enhances the quality and speed of the work they do together.

Despite the immense size of the adults, ostriches are surprisingly delicate and conservationists have struggled to safely transport them. Following best practices established by involved veterinary experts and other organizations, Marc and the APN team  flew fifteen day-old ostrich chicks to the reserve from the Zakouma National Park. The SCF team in Chad plans to release the chicks when they are 18 months old and are better able to defend themselves from predators. Before being released, GPS tracking devices should be fitted on the birds in order to collect data and track their movements. 

The ostrich chicks first met the oryx when project leader Marc Dethier placed the feeding troughs of each group in front of each other, separated by a fence. As the two species grew more accustomed to each other, and as the chicks grew taller, they were permitted to cross the fence to meet their new neighbors in person. Reports say that the two groups are getting along very well!

Released ostriches will have access to food and water at least in the beginning. Close monitoring of their health and behavior will determine if the ostriches adapt well to their habitats. So far, the translocation and conservation efforts of this project have proved successful with low mortality rates and good overall health of the birds.

It is with great sadness that the Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) mourns the deaths and remembers the lives of the eight victims of the mass shooting that took place on August 9, 2020 at the Kouré Giraffe Reserve, Niger. One of the victims of the attack was Kadri Abdou, President of l’Association des Guides de Girafes of Kouré, also known as the Association pour la Valorisation de l’Ecotourisme au Niger (AVEN). SCF often conducts fieldwork in the Kouré area in collaboration with Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) to preserve the last West African giraffes. Both organizations have worked with Mr. Abdou as a guide and remember him fondly.

SCF has extended its condolences to Mr. Abdou’s family and has collaborated with GCF to provide support to them, including providing cattle and farm tools.

SCF and partners, despite the tragedy, remain unified by the collective desire to move forward and create a positive impact in terms of wildlife conservation and humanitarian assistance.

Abdoul Razack Moussa Zabeirou, a project officer working with both SCF and GCF, has recently met with local stakeholders and representatives from ACTED and the Association pour la sauvegarde de la girafe au Niger (ASGN) to discuss initiatives and needs of the local population.

Despite earlier plans to participate in the annual giraffe count, SCF has re-evaluated its plans in light of the new security circumstances and most likely will not participate in the census this year. As an alternative, a workshop involving the Government representatives and all stakeholders has been proposed in order to discuss the existing data and revise the Niger Giraffe Conservation Strategy. In addition, joint conservation work with AVEN is being shaped in order to provide income for the local guides and their families, as tourism revenue has been greatly impacted.

SCF condemns the senseless violence but refuses to be cowed by the attack. Now more than ever, we need to continue to collaborate with other conservation and humanitarian organizations to work towards a brighter future.

The exciting second phase of the Chad scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) reintroduction project has seen more than a few high points and low points since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the immense success of Phase 1 and the reintroduction of about 280 scimitar-horned oryx to the Ouadi Rimé-Ouadi Achim Game Reserve in Chad, Phase 2 called for similar conservation measures to be taken for addax (Addax nasomaculatus), North African ostriches (Struthio camelus camelus), and dama gazelles (Nanger dama).

Given the urgency facing dama gazelles – a species that is literally on the verge of extinction – SCF decided to try to implement the most immediate recommendation from the Dama Gazelle (Nanger dama) Conservation Strategy 2019 – 2028, capturing individuals from the tiny population in the Manga region of Chad. These individuals represent a particularly genetically diverse population of wild dama gazelle. Genetic diversity is known to be the most crucial quality for the conservation of this endangered species as it increases the population’s chances of surviving disease and a changing environment. In January four dama gazelles (three females and one male) were successfully captured thanks to a remarkable teamwork in the field. 

COVID-19 Challenges

However, international and domestic travel restrictions have prevented veterinarians from visiting the four individuals since their capture several months earlier. Without immediate medical oversight, particularly rapidly increasing temperatures this year in the area have resulted in the deaths of two of the four gazelles.

In response to the COVID-19 challenges, though, field staff have implemented new ways to use internet to connect far-away veterinarians with the remaining individuals. Between long-distance, small-scale medical interventions, drug administration, and diet adjustment, reserve field teams have gained invaluable knowledge about caring for dama gazelle, a species known to be particularly difficult to manage in captivity. 

Happy Birthday!

As a result of the hard work of the field teams and the long-distance experts, SCF is thrilled to announce the birth of a dama gazelle calf on August 24^th. This birth gives SCF great hope about the potential of a local, captive breeding program to rebuild the population.