Copyright©2007
The Murulle Foundation
All Rights Reserved.

Updated: December 11, 2007

For Immediate Release
November 1 , 2006

TMF promotes conservation and awareness with several published articles in 2006

Several important writings were completed in 2006 that were directed toward international conservation interests and the general science community.

IUCN Antelope Survey

In May 2006, Paul Evangelista submitted a manuscript to the IUCN Antelope Specialist Group on the status of the mountain nyala at the request of Dr. Jens-Ove Heckel, chairman of the IUCN Antelope Specialist Group for Northeast Africa. The report was well received by the IUCN and will be included in the soon to be completed Antelope Survey update for northeast Africa. The manuscript specifically addresses current population estimates at regional scales, overall status of each managed area, new populations of mountain nyala that have never been previously reported, and the sustainability of trophy hunting as a management tool. Upon receipt, Dr. Jens-Ove Heckel requested permission to publish the report as a chapter in the forthcoming 2007 IUCN Report on the Status, Survey and Conservation of East African Antelopes and also encouraged TMF to consider presenting this work at the IUCN Conference on Antelope Conservation in Germany in June 2007.

Technical Report for EWCD

Meeting the requirements of TMF’s 2006 research permit and contract with the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Department (EWCD), a technical report on the mountain nyala was completed in October 2006 and will be submitted in December. This work is an EWCD internal report on the range and distribution of the mountain nyala with maps of each of the Controlled Hunting Areas, Bale Mountains National Park, and other areas managed for mountain nyala throughout Ethiopia. Additional focus of the report is placed on mountain nyala habitats (critical habitat, land degradation, vegetation structure).

ZGAP Newsletter

A general article on the distribution of mountain nyala was forwarded to ZGAP (Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations) where it was translated into German and published in the ZGAP newsletter. ZGAP is a dedicated conservation NGO based out of Munich Germany with very close ties to Dr. Jens Ove-Heckel who is the chairman of the IUCN Antelope Specialist Group. More information about ZGAP can be found on their website: www.zgap.de.

African Indaba

An article on mountain nyala distribution and several newly discovered populations was published in African Indaba in September 2006. African Indaba is a free, bi-monthly e-Newsletter for hunter-conservationists and all people who are interested in the conservation, management, and sustainable use of Africa’s wild natural resources. To read Paul Evangelista’s articles in Africa Indaba, visit African Indaba online at www.africanindaba.co.za.

African Journal of Ecology

A paper titled "The Utility of Passive Tracking Index for Monitoring Wildlife Populations in the Omo Valley" by Richard Engeman and Paul Evangelista has been accepted for publication in the African Journal of Ecology. Printing is scheduled for 2007.