SCF in Senegal

  SCF CEO, John Newby, has just returned from a
  productive mission to Senegal. John was
  accompanied by Larry and Tony Johnson,
  representing the Exotic Wildlife Association
  (EWA). Earlier this year, SCF and EWA signed
  an agreement to cooperate on reintroduction
  projects. The 21-26 July mission was the first
  step in cementing this relationship and paving
  the way for EWA and SCF support to Senegal’s
  aridland conservation programme. Following
  meetings in Dakar with officials from Senegal’s
  Direction des Parcs Nationaux (DPN). The
  mission moved north to the historic city of St
© John Newby/SCF                                                      Louis (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the
                                                                Guembeul Nature Reserve.

Guembeul covers some 720 hectares of Acacia woodland and is completely fenced. Established in 1982, the reserve has played a major role in Senegal’s plans to restore its now impoverished Sahelo-Saharan fauna. Although scimitar-horned oryx, dorcas and dama gazelles are extinct in the country, efforts are underway to see them returned to the wild. As Guembeul’s Conservator, Dr. Youm Babacar, explained, the reserve acts as a breeding centre and staging post for reintroductions. Since 2002, animals have been moved from Guembeul to the Sahelian grasslands of Ferlo, where the 600 hectare Katané reserve provides space and natural vegetation for healthy growth and acclimation under semi-wild conditions. The reserve currently holds some 30 oryx provided by the Israeli Wildlife Authority and the Zoo at Vincennes in France. Also present are a number of mhorr dama gazelles, provided by the Parque de Rescate de la Fauna Sahariana at Almeria in Spain. Almeria has also recently provided dorcas gazelles to Senegal and during the trip, the SCF/EWA team met up with Almeria’s Mar Cano (an SCF Board Member) and Teresa Abáigar carrying out monitoring work on the gazelles.

  SCF and EWA are working to support Senegal’s
  efforts and are interested in shipping 10-12 oryx
  to Guembeul and Katané to strengthen and
  diversify the current genetic stock. If all goes
  well and there is need, further shipments could
  follow. As part of SCF and EWA’s long term
  vision, assistance to expand the current
  protected areas is a top priority. In spite of the
  inevitable population growth and pressure from
  grazing, Ferlo still harbours some fine habitat,
  with relict populations of both the ostrich and
  the red-fronted gazelle present.

© John Newby/SCF

UK Falconry Festival

  At the kind invitation of the Hawk Board, SCF
  attended the recent Festival of Falconry in the
  United Kingdom. The festival, held on the 14-15
  July at the Englefield Estate near Reading, was
  the first of its kind ever held and brought to-
  gether hundreds of falconers and falconry
  specialists from some 35 nations worldwide.

  SCF contributed to the conservation aspects of
  the festival with a poster display highlighting
  the crisis facing Saharan wildlife, including both
  birds of prey that are captured indiscriminately
  for illegal trade and prey species like the
© John Newby/SCF                                           threatened Nubian and Sudan bustards.

Major sponsorship for the event was provided by the United Arab Emirates and they had a number of excellent stands describing conservation work on falcons and bustards. It was an excellent opportunity for contacts and discussions on key conservation issues.
  
  SCF wishes to thank Dr. Gordon Mellor, organizer
  of the conservation 'tent', and Dr. Nick Fox for
  his warm invitation to join the festivities.
  Thanks also to Jill Hopkins and Amina Newby for
  their assistance in 'manning' the SCF stand and
  for fielding questions in English, Arabic and much
  to the delight of our Francophone friends,
  French as well.

  The next festival is planned for 2009.



© John Newby/SCF

EWA-SCF - a not-so-exotic relationship

  At the kind invitation of the Exotic Wildlife Association
  (EWA), SCF’s Director, John Newby, attended EWA’s annual
  members meeting in Kerrville, Texas, from the 1-4, March,
  2007. SCF is extremely grateful to EWA Director, Charly
  Seale, and to the Second Ark Foundation for making the
  visit possible.

  John gave keynote speeches on SCF and its work in Africa,
  stressing the vital role that private collections of
  threatened wildlife can play in conservation work overseas.
  With critically endangered species like the addax and dama
  gazelle, or with species that are now extinct in the wild,
  such as the scimitar-horned oryx, this is particularly
  significant. Some of the biggest, privately managed herds
  of addax and oryx in the world are owned by EWA
  members.
 
  Before and after the meeting, John and Bill Houston, SCF’s
  Treasurer, visited a number of Texan wildlife ranches and
© John Newby                            they wish to thank David and Margaret Bamberger, Jim
                                           Gregory, Don and Bobbie Tarpey, and Laurent Delagrange
for their warm hospitality. Throughout the visit, John and Bill were accompanied by Larry
Johnson, owner of Safari Enterprises, a wildlife transport company, and major donor to
SCF’s oryx and addax reintroduction project in Tunisia.

  Larry is also Chair of EWA’s Conservation
  Committee and was instrumental in obtaining
  EWA support for the signing of a collab-
  orative agreement with SCF. EWA is keen to
  play an active role in the conservation of
  Sahelo-Saharan antelopes and is currently
  looking into the feasibility with SCF of
  sending scimitar-horned oryx to Senegal as
  a contribution to that country’s aridland
  antelope restoration programme.



© John Newby 

An MOU with Algeria...

  On January 23 this year, SCF’s Chairman, Dr. Steven Monfort,
  and the Director of Algeria’s Direction Générale des Forêts
  (DGF),Mr. Mohammed Seghir Mellouhi, signed a cooperative
  agreement covering a broad range of issues in favour of Sahelo-
  Saharan conservation. These include cooperation on methods of
  inventorying and monitoring wildlife populations, reintroduction
  projects, and training. SCF and DGF have also agreed to exchange
information on Sahelo-Saharan wildlife, to organize joint training courses and
technical meetings and to carry out fieldwork together.

DGF is responsible for the conservation and management of all state- owned natural areas, such as forests, wetlands, mountains and deserts. It is also the government institution responsible for the implementation in Algeria of all biodiversity-related conventions. DGF creates and manages protected areas, such as national parks and reserves, and works on species protection through the organization and control of hunting activities.

  In 2005, SCF supported a first fieldtrip to the Ahaggar mountains
  with participants from the Ahaggar National Park Office, Algeria’s
  University of Bejaïa and its National Agency for Nature
  Conservation (ANN). A second mission to Algeria took place in
  March. SCF looks forward to a long and fruitful relationship with
  DGF and other Algerian institutions. With key populations of the
  critically endangered Cuvier’s and slender-horned gazelles, Algeria’s role in the recovery and conservation of these species is capital.
 

...and another with Al Ain Zoo

  Following meetings between Al Ain Zoo
  Director, Dr. Mark Craig, and SCF’s CEO,
  John Newby, SCF and Al Ain Zoo have
  signed an MOU governing cooperation on
  wildlife management, captive-breeding and
  reintroduction of endangered Sahelo-
  Saharan antelopes. SCF will also assist Al
  Ain Zoo in the communication of relevant
  conservation activities and programmes. Al
  Ain Zoo is the United Arab Emirates’ premier
  zoological collection and is currently
  undergoing significant change in all areas of
  operation with the priority of recreation,
© Xavier Eichaker                                            education, conservation and research.

Al Ain Zoo Director, Mark Craig said “The MOU signifies a major conservation partnership with the SCF for the long term conservation of some of the world’s most endangered antelope species. It is also a demonstration of what can be achieved in the field of desert conservation through the efforts of organizations separated by distance but united on the shared vision.”

  SCF’s Chairman, Dr. Steven Monfort, praised
  the MOU’s signing as “a concrete step
  towards cooperation with institutions
  worldwide to save the Sahara’s endangered
  wildlife”. Were it not for zoos and collections
  like Al Ain, species like the scimitar-horned
  oryx, that are now extinct in the wild, would
  be gone forever. As part of the agreement,
  Al Ain Zoo’s Chairman, HH Sheikh Sultan bin
  Tahnoun, has generously pledged core
  support to SCF of $3000 a year for the next
  three years. Thank you Al Ain!

© Xavier Eichaker