Cover Page The handle http://hdl.handle.net/1887/54949

Cover Page

The handle http://hdl.handle.net/1887/54949 holds various files of this Leiden University dissertation

Author: Genbere, G.E.

Title: Ecology of the Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis Rüppell 1835) in a changing

landscape: Human carnivore interactions in Afroalpine ecosystems of Ethiopia

Issue Date: 2017-09-05

Ecology of the Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis Rüppell, 1835) in a Changing Landscape

© 2017, Girma Eshete Genbere girma.eshete@ethiopianwolf.org

Cover photo: EWCP, A.L. Harrington

Photos: EWCP, Girma Eshete Genbere, S. Williams, M. Harvey Lay out: Sjoukje Rienks, Amsterdam

Language corrections: Susie Day ISBN 978-90-5191-181-7

Ecology of the Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis Rüppell, 1835) in a Changing Landscape:

Human–carnivore interactions in Afroalpine ecosystem of Ethiopia

proefschrift

ter verkrijging van

de graad van Doctor aan de Universiteit Leiden op gezag van de Rector Magnificus prof. mr. C.J.J.M. Stolker

volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties te verdedigen op dinsdag 5 september 2017

klokke 13.45 uur

door

Girma Eshete Genbere

Geboren te Arsihalila, Ethiopia

in 1978

Promotores: Prof.dr. G.R. de Snoo

Copromotor: Prof.dr.ir. H. H. de Iongh, Universiteit Leiden & University of Antwerp Dr. J. Marino, University of Oxford

Promotiecommissie: Prof.dr. A. Tukker

Prof.dr.ir. P.M. van Bodegom

Prof.dr. H. Leirs, Universiteit Antwerpen Dr. D. Snelder, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Dr. H. Bauer, University of Oxford

Contents

1 General Introduction

9

1.1 Background 9 1.2 Canidae and the Ethiopian wolf 10 1.3 Afroalpine ecosystem 11 1.4 Rodents as an indicator of Afroalpine ecosystem quality and

Ethiopian wolf prey 12 1.5 Feeding ecology and foraging behaviour 13 1.6 Impacts of human land use 15 1.7 Human–carnivore conflict 16 1.8 Human–Ethiopian wolf conflict 17 1.9 Perception and factors influencing human perception 18 1.10 Hypotheses, aims and research questions of the thesis 19 1.11 Study area 21 1.11.1 Ethiopia 21 1.12 Outline of the thesis 27 References 28

2 The Diet Ecology of the Ethiopian Wolf

37 Abstract 38 2.1 Introduction 39 2.2 Methods 40 2.2.1 Study area 40 2.2.2 Scat collection and analysis 42 2.2.3 Interviews 44 2.2.4 Statistical analysis 44

2.3 Results 44

2.3.1 Scat analysis 44 2.3.2 Interviews 46 2.4 Discussion 47 2.4.1 Conservation implications 49

Acknowledgements 49

References 50

3 The Ecological Relationships of Afroalpine Rodents

53 Abstract 54 3.1 Introduction 55 3.2 Methods 57 3.2.1 Study area 57 3.2.2 Design 58 3.2.3 Data collection 59 3.2.4 Data analysis and statistics 60

3.3 Results 61

3.4 Discussion 65 Acknowledgements 68 References 68

4 Community Resource Uses and Ethiopian Wolf Conservation

75 Abstract 76 4.1 Introduction 77 4.2 Methods 78 4.2.1 Study area 78 4.2.2 Data collection and analysis 79

4.3 Results 80

4.3.1 Socio-economic characteristics and resource uses 80 4.3.2 Conflicts and attitudes 83 4.4 Discussion 86 4.4.1 Conservation implications 88 Acknowledgements 89 References 89

Appendix 94

5 Human–Ethiopian Wolf Conflicts

97

Abstract 98 5.1 Introduction 99 5.2 Materials and methods 100 5.2.1 Study area 100 5.2.2 Data collection 101 5.2.3 Data analysis 102

5.3 Results 102

5.4 Discussion 106 Acknowledgements 108 References 108

6 Synthesis

113 6.1 Introduction 113 6.2 Diet ecology of the Ethiopian wolf 113 6.3 Ecological relationships of rodents under different grazing land uses 115 6.4 Community resource uses and Ethiopian wolf conservation 117 6.5 Human–Ethiopian wolf conflicts 118 6.6 Conclusions 120 6.7 Recommendations 121 References 122

Summary ₁₂₇

Samenvatting ₁₃₁

Acknowledgements ₁₃₅

Curriculum Vitae ₁₃₇

© EWCP/S. Williams