World renowned conservationists descended on Marwell Wildlife in April to attend the 10th annual meeting of the Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group. Under discussion was how best to help the varied wildlife which lives within North Africa and the Sahara, the world’s largest desert. Species currently under threat of extinction include types of antelope that can be seen in the park, such as the scimitar horned-oryx, dorcas gazelle, dama gazelle and addax, as well as various carnivores including the Saharan cheetah.

The Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group (SSIG) conference is an annual forum which is facilitated by the Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF), an international organisation established to conserve the wildlife and habitats of the Sahara and bordering Sahelian grasslands, an area that is 9 million km² and comparable in size to the United States.

The SCF is the first ever non-governmental organisation dedicated exclusively to the conservation of this vast region and the decisions that were made at Marwell will have long lasting implications for the management and protection of the rare and endangered animals that live within this hostile desert.Marwell Wildlife hosted the first conference ten years ago and has been instrumental in the development of both the SSIG and SCF.

Dr Tim Woodfine, Marwell Wildlife Conservation Director and Chair of the SCF Conservation & Science Committee, believes that the SCF is the strongest voice in the world for saving the many critically endangered species that roam the Sahara. “From the results of biological studies to help us understand and prioritise conservation needs, to how local people are included in the wildlife conservation plans and strategies, the conference addressed a wide range of issues that affect both the many different animal species as well as the people living and working in North Africa”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Left image) captive born addax (right image) captive born scimitar horned-oryx

19 May 2009