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Partnerships with local partners

Partnerships with the provincial Taskforce, which oversaw the project's activities in general, and the provincial Agriculture Extension Center and Farmers’ Union helped achieve the expected results despite travel restrictions owing to COVID-19.

Partnerships with these local partners also led to the later integration of the project’s interventions into provincial partner’s programmes.

* Engagement with all levels of government in the province, specifically, at the project's sites, was critically important to establish the partnerships

* Endorsement of the project at national level was critical to ensure provincial and local buy-in

* Widespread availability of smartphones and access to network and desktop computers was vital to ensuring progress even during the pandemic's travel restrictions

* Building strong partnerships is a risk-reduction strategy, as shown during the pandemic wherein local partners were able to conduct many activities with guidance remotely by expert staff

Documentation and dissemination of results

Building long-term, multi-sectoral, trans-disciplinary partnerships and capacities

Building long-term partnerships and capacity for multi-sector surveillance of zoonotic diseases along wildlife trade chains promotes and supports effective One Health collaboration from the spillover frontlines to national and international policy makers, and improved understanding of pathogen diversity, disease dynamics and potential risks posed by wildlife trade. Platforms for regular multi-sector discussion between animal health, environment, enforcement, and human health sectors, as well as with and amongst international and multi-lateral partners, is essential for open discourse and sharing of information on the risks, challenges and opportunities for pandemic prevention. This is critical to improve cross- sectoral trust, understanding, communication and coordination to increase opportunities for effective legislative change and cultural shifts.

Openness of host governments to coordination between environment, law enforcement, animal health and human health sectors and investment of time and personnel from those sectors in wildlife surveillance for One Health intelligence; patience; funding; One Health coordination platforms

Trans-sectoral coordination and support from the government is essential from the beginning to ensure effective surveillance for diseases of zoonotic origin along wildlife trade chains and to promote understanding and sharing of findings. Openness of national governments to make science-based policy changes to reduce health risks posed by wildlife trade is essential for meaningful, long-term impact.

Documentation and dissemination of results

Detection

Through monitoring efforts, diseases among wolves are detected at an early stage, diagnostic capacity is improved, and interventions can be implemented as soon as possible, saving the lives of many wolves. Through our integrated disease management initiative, we provide training and technical manuals for local veterinary staff and develop Disease Alert Networks to improve the ability to detect, diagnose, and contain outbreaks in wolves and dogs.

A team of highly trained monitors, working on foot or horse-back, closely observe wolf packs. During outbreaks, they are the first to detect dead wolves, and swiftly conduct post-mortems and collect diagnostic samples, while a wider network also alerts EWCP of outbreaks of rabies or distemper in dogs. The strengthening of laboratory systems and veterinary services are key enabling factor to support robust rabies detection and monitoring in the country.

Many dogs roam freely in the rural highlands, where they encounter wolves and can transmit diseases. The presence of domestic dogs, paired with increased agricultural activity in the area, makes ongoing monitoring critically important to detect evolving threats and help guide appropriate conservation action. The awareness and participation of many stakeholders forms a vital network to support detection.

Vaccination

To be effective, vaccination campaigns in domestic dogs have to achieve and maintain 70% coverage, which presents a practical challenge in a remote landscape with a high turnover in the dog population. Under the EWCP initiative, a comprehensive approach is taken to prevent and prepare for disease introduction and spread in wolf populations: vaccination campaigns are carried out in domestic dogs in and around wolf habitat, preventive oral vaccination of wolves is conducted, and emergency vaccination of wolves is administered in response to a confirmed disease epizootic.

Research, including a successful field trial, resulted in the EWCP being able to conduct preventive vaccination of wolves against rabies using an oral bait (a vaccine sachet hidden inside a piece of meat). Oral vaccination is cheaper, less stressful for wolves, and easier to scale up than injectable vaccines.

While the injectable rabies vaccine is used routinely in domestic dogs around the world, successful vaccination in wolves required a different approach: oral rabies vaccination. While oral baiting approach is used in some wild carnivores in North America and Europe, this was the first time that the SAG2 rabies vaccine was used in an endangered species. Trials were conducted on bait preferences and vaccine delivery in wolf populations in the Bale Mountains.

Feasibility and efficacy of oral rabies vaccine SAG2 in endangered Ethiopian wo…

Evidence and Awareness

As part of the conservation strategy, government agencies, protected area managers and local communities are informed of the threat imposed by diseases on the wolves and how to minimise it, leading to stakeholders becoming more actively engaged in controlling disease risks. The conservation strategy is based on and contributes to the scientific evidence base for canid conservation and disease management. The awareness focus of the initiative ensures community members understand why domestic dog vaccination is important and the value of reporting disease observations.

Coordination with government partners and other stakeholders ensures ongoing exchange of information. Everyone is aware of the threats faced by the wolves and shares the common goal of protecting them. Community members play important stewardship roles, including as wolf ambassadors and community guards.

The vaccination of wolves was a novel approach in the continent. Knowledge exchange with government partners and national and international disease experts ensured the latest scientific guidance was available and considered in decisions important to the survival of wolf populations and the species. EWCP’s approach is informing best practices for disease management in conservation.

Implementación de estrategias para fortalecer la conservación y la salud de vicuñas y de su hábitat

Vicuñas dentro del corral de captura en el área protegida Apolobamba

Omar Torrico WCS

A partir de la coordinación multisectorial, las comunidades realizan el registro de sarna durante los censos poblacionales y en las capturas para esquila y liberación, en formularios oficiales de la autoridad en biodiversidad nacional. Se espera que el área protegida implemente el uso de indicadores ecológicos y epidemiológicos para la mejor toma de decisiones de conservación. Los ganaderos locales reciben capacitaciones en manejo sanitario y productivo de alpacas coadyuvando a mejorar la salud del ganado y a disminuir el potencial de transmisión de enfermedades. Finalmente, a través del Grupo Interinstitucional de Trabajo en “Oro Responsable” se realizan escuelas de campo piloto para aplicar las mejores prácticas, técnicas sociales y ambientales disponibles, que permitan mitigar el impacto de la minería aurífera en las comunidades.

- Se desarrollaron participativamente con las comunidades locales y autoridades cinco instrumentos técnicos para la gestión y toma de decisiones por la Asociación de Comunidades manejadoras de Vicuñas de Apolobamba, el área protegida de Apolobamba.

- Se realizaron acuerdos de buena voluntad entre mineros auríferos locales, comunidades manejadoras de vicuñas, autoridades originarias y el área protegida, para la conservación de las vicuñas y del hábitat. Esto debido al impacto de la minería sobre los bofedales y pastizales y por el uso de mercurio.

- Los instrumentos desarrollados en conjunto con las comunidades locales y la ACOFIVB les permiten realizar una mejor gestión de sus actividades y en conjunto con el área protegida de Apolobamba y también son de utilidad para las demás asociaciones manejadoras de vicuñas en Bolivia.

- Aunque se ha involucrado a cooperativas mineras legales en la conservación de la especie y de su hábitat, existen otras numerosas actividades mineras ilegales que representan un nuevo reto para la gestión del área protegida y de las comunidades locales para la conservación y la salud de las vicuñas y otros animales silvestres, de los animales domésticos, de los humanos y del paisaje en su conjunto.

Documentation and dissemination of results

Instrumento técnico operativo de manejo de la vicuña en el área protegida de Apolobamba, 2022

Acuerdo de protección y conservación de la vicuña frente a la minería aurífera en Apolobamba

Manual técnico de buenas prácticas de bienestar animal y de medidas sanitarias…

Buenas prácticas de bienestar animal y medidas sanitarias en el aprovechamient…

Guía de manejo del vellón durante la esquila y predescerdado de la fibra de vi…

Guía para la esquila mecánica de la fibra de vicuña

Protocolo de bioseguridad para el aprovechamiento de la fibra de vicuña en Boli…

Earn your badge

Porini Foundation

Once you collected 8 different species in a collection, you will receive a badge for your achievement.

Badges are a playful way to motivate the collector to finalize his collection and donate money to the PCA.

Playing is a very powerfull way to get to know conservation work.

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Transparency

Blockchain has build in transparency

Porini Foundation

Blockchain allows immediate transactions and to "follow your money". We can therefore show/proof the percentage of donations actually arriving at the PCA.

We implemented a link to the PCA wallet where collectors can see how their money is added in real time to the PCA wallet in possession of the Conservation actor. To do this, we use a zero-carbon blockchain ito allow the transfer of Nature Collectibles and other assets around the world.

Transparency is always asked for, and with blockchain, we have a easy way to show the transfers from the collector to the PCA.

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Rangers Voice

Rangers Voice from Colombia

Porini Foundation

Using a mobile Application allows us to present informations directly to the user and we invited a person to present their conservation work, a real "voice" from the protected or conserved area.

The ranger's willingness to be interviewed to illustrate the conservation work in the PCA.

Having a "face" and a direct "voice" from a person involved in the conservation work is very informative and allows a better bindig to the PCA and the work done for conservation.

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Mobile Application

EDU to Diamond edition

Porini Foundation

We developed a user-friendly mobile application which can be downloaded over the official stores. People can now save endangered species by buying a digital token

Building a zero-carbon blockchain allowed us to lauch NCs in a sustainable way nand to make these digital twins globally tradeable.

A mobile app allows us to present a custom interface which is easy to use and to hide our technology behind it. Everybody "knows" mobile Apps ;-)

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