The Ethiopian Wolf is one of the most endangered animals in the world and found only in Ethiopia. Because of different endangering factors prevailing in the wolf habitat, this animal has attracted the interests of conservation groups around the world.
Workshops and training
The tangible jointly taken step by the College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture, Addis Ababa University (CVMA/AAU), Institute for Breeding Rare and Endangered African Mammals (IBREAM), and Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) resulted in a series of capacity building workshops and training both locally and in the USA.
The capacity building training mainly focused on advanced techniques of semen collection and preservation in wild canids. This training has given both EWCA and CVMA experts the knowledge and skill necessary for collecting and preserving semen from the Ethiopian wolf.
IBREAM provided most of the equipment and research supplies required for semen banking. Previous collaborative efforts made by EWCA during the past several years have made an evident difference in the livelihood of the Ethiopian wolves and their habitat, however, ravaging disease and habitat destruction continue to be the most significant threats to the Ethiopian wolf’s existence.
Semen banking expedition
The recent IUCN status of the Ethiopian wolf has initiated urgent action needed in saving the animals from imminent extinction. To this end, EWCA partner CVMA/AAU working in collaboration with IBREAM submitted a concept note on semen banking in 2009 which was subsequently approved.
The final proposal was submitted in 2010, with only informal final approval granted until the approval of an EWCP project for oral vaccination trial was completed. Although CVMA/AAU and IBREAM made a valid agreement with EWCP to perform the field work (i.e., to opportunistically extract semen during the vaccination program) the actual decision was made after the breeding season, and the semen banking expedition was not pursued until August 2014.
CVMA was granted permission in September 2014 to collect and store semen from Ethiopian wolfs of Web valley, Bale Mountain National Park. Following the MoU between EWCA and CVMA, AAU, Dr. Alemayehu Lemma was able to carry out the field expedition in partnership with Dr. Fekede Regassa from EWCP and Mr. Mengistu Wale from IBC. As previously outlined, the primary objectives of the project were:
- To implement a pilot semen collection project, optimize semen collection and freezing protocols, and develop a standardized protocol for routine opportunistic semen collection from Ethiopian wolves.
- To collect and preserve Ethiopian wolf semen in an Ethiopian facility for potential future use of frozen-thawed semen in artificial insemination programmes.
- Train local professionals for sustainable, planned, and opportunistic wolf semen collection and banking.
As a continuation of the August 2010 training for local experts, IBREAM continues its commitment to support the training of more experts by CVMA/AAU.
Conservation goals
IBREAM was instrumental in three field expeditions carried out by CVMA and EBI during September 2014, March 2017, and September 2017. In canids like the EW with breeding restricted to a narrow window of time within the year and strict hierarchy for mating, it is unknown if adult males, other than the alpha male, would be able to produce a viable sperm good enough for storage with adequate fertility.
As previously well described in the justification for semen banking, conservation goals at species level need to contemplate the maintenance of genetic diversity, with the overarching aim of maintaining healthy and viable populations that can thrive into the future. This aim involves circumventing the effects of inbreeding, with concomitant physiological defects such as sperm defects within a small population that may ultimately affect the survival of a species.
Field expedition 29 August to 7 September 2014
The field team comprised the following members:
- Dr. Alemayehu Lemma (College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture/AAU)
- Prof. Caludio Silllero (Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Project)
- Mr. Eric Bedin (Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Project)
- Dr. Fekede Regassa (Ethiopian wildlife conservation authority)
- Mr. Mengistu Wale (Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute)
The field team stayed for nine days within the Web Valley and camped at a minimum of three sites (Tarura, Bowman, and Genale). Of a total of 13 Ethiopian wolves captured, only three were adult males. The rest were either juvenile of both sexes or adult females.
The captured individuals were maintained under light anesthesia (using a combination of Medetomidine and Ketamine) for 15 to 20 minutes. Semen was successfully extracted using Electroejaculation (see Table 1).
Table 1.
|
Capture site |
Age |
Total volume |
Number of straws stored |
|
Bowman (Web Valley) |
Adult (2+yrs) |
2 ml |
34 |
|
Bowman (Web Valley) |
Adult (3yrs) |
3.2 ml |
26 |
|
Genale (Web Valley) |
Adult (3+yrs) |
0.5 ml |
6 |
Published results
The results of this expedition are published as a poster on the Research Day forum of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture in October 2015.
The findings have also been presented at the 30th Annual Conference of the Ethiopian Veterinary Association and published in the Proceedings. (30th EVA proceedings, September 2017, pp 109-119)
Field expeditions and results
March 2017
The 2014 expedition provided an excellent experience in field semen collection. However, the quality of the frozen semen was dismally poor. Various factors could be involved in affecting the quality of semen during and after freezing. Subsequently, optimization of the freezing protocol and testing of different extenders remains to be work of the future. Further, of all the wolves collected during the breeding season, none was the alpha. Mating in Ethiopian wolves is limited to the breeding season and monopolized by the alpha male raising two essential questions:
1) Will the semen collected from the alpha male be of better quality than from the subordinates previously collected?
2) Subordinate males were able to produce semen although these animals were not breeding. Do these same animals produce semen even when out of season?
Subsequently, a second field expedition was planned in March 2017 which is outside of the known breeding season of the Ethiopian wolf to identify whether it is possible to collect viable sperm from males other than the alpha which may be suitable for storage and has acceptable fertility.
The field team comprised the following members:
- Dr. Alemayehu Lemma (College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture/AAU)
- Prof. Caludio Silllero (Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Project)
- Mr. Eric Bedin (Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Project)
- Mr. Mengistu Wale (Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute)
- Mr. Abeje Kassie (Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute)
The captured individuals were maintained under light anesthesia using the same method used during the previous expedition (Medetomidine and Ketamine). Wolves were captured with successful electroejaculation (see Table 2), but no viable sperm collected. The older adult male had no sperm in the ejaculate while the relatively younger male had sperm cells, but all were dead.
Table 2.
|
Capture site |
Age |
Total volume |
Number of straws stored |
|
Agichu (Sanettie) |
Adult (9yrs) |
6.5 ml |
0 |
|
Agichu (Sanettie) |
Adult (3yrs) |
2 ml |
0 |
September 2017
The March 2017 expedition gave an insight into possibilities of semen collection out of season. The fact that no viable semen was collected probably indicates even nonbreeding males produce semen only during the breeding season. Nevertheless, obtaining semen from the alpha male has not been achieved. Subsequently, a third field expedition was planned for September 2017 which is the known breeding season of Ethiopian wolf.
The field team comprised the following members:
- Dr. Alemayehu Lemma (College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture/AAU)
- Mr. Eric Bedin (Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Project)
- Mr. Mengistu Wale (Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute)
- Mrs. Frehiwot Ayele (College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture/AAU)
The captured individuals were maintained under light anesthesia using the same method used during the previous expedition (Medetomidine and Ketamine). Semen was successfully extracted using Electroejaculation (see Table 3).
Table 3.
|
Capture site |
Age |
Total volume |
Number of straws stored |
|
Alandu (Web Valley) |
Adult (2+yrs) |
0.8 ml |
3 |
|
Mekana (Web Valley) |
Adult (5yrs) |
2.25 ml |
15 |
|
Mekana (Web Valley) |
Adult (8yrs, Alpha male) |
2.8 ml |
9 |
Although the semen collected from the alpha male was relatively higher in quality compared with other males in the same area, it was still not the best quality for freezing.
Summary
The straws containing EW semen samples are currently stored both at EBI and CVMA. The efforts to optimize field collection and cryopreservation of semen have to continue. To do this, the involvement of more experts with sufficient knowledge and skills is necessary.
CVMA with support from IBREAM is currently planning to conduct skills training for six experts (three from EBI, two from EWCA, one from CVMA). As both EBI and EWCA are nationally the primary stakeholders for in situ conservation, they must take over the responsibility of future semen collection and cryopreservation of Ethiopian wolves. The way forward for IBREAM will be to focus on in situ captive breeding.
Report compiled by:
Alemayehu Lemma (Ph.D.)
College of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture
Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia