Building long-term, multi-sectoral, trans-disciplinary partnerships and capacities
Wildlife surveillance for One Health intelligence
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.
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.
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.
