Mathieu Mahamoud-Issa

Assessment of the abundance of the Soemmerring’s gazelle and the Dorcas gazelle, evaluation of the habitat quality and human disturbances in the Petit Bara desert and Djalelo protected area, in the Republique of Djibouti.

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The Horn of Africa Biodiversity Hotspot hosts numerous endemic and threatened antelope species. One of the major causes of the decline of wild antelope populations is the habitats loss. The human activities such as overgrazing by livestock, cutting trees for charcoal production, combined with the climate change accelerate the processus of desertification and thus, the degradation and loss of suitable habitats for the antelopes. In Djibouti, there is a current lack of data regarding both the distribution and abundance of the threatened antelope species, and the level of degradation of their habitats.

 

This research project focuses on the current occurrence and abundance of the Soemmerring’s Gazelle and the Dorcas Gazelle, the habitat quality and the threats they might face in a region of Djibouti with the following questions:

• Does the Betit Bara desert and the Djalelo protected area are still suitable for the Soemmerring’s Gazelle and Dorcas Gazelle?

• How human-related land use (urbanization, pollution, agriculture, road) and other form of disturbances (livestock, tree cutting, invasive species such as the Prosopis juniflora) impact the suitable habitat and the presence of both species in the Petit Bara desert and Djalelo protected area?

 

The outcomes of this study will provide valuable data to develop effective conservation strategy to reverse the habitat loss and local population decline. Moreover, the current project will give the opportunity to train local people and build capacity to ensure long term efforts in wildlife conservation in the country.

The overall goal is to maintain the natural habitats of threatened antelopes and reverse the decline of their populations in Djibouti.

• Provide actualized data about the current occurrence/abundance and distribution of both Dorcas Gazelle and Soemmerring’s Gazelle in the region of Djalelo – Petit Bara desert.

• Identify favourable habitats for these antelope species in the region.

•  Identify the local threats and discuss both with the government and the local community about practical solutions to mitigate these threats.

• Develop and promote a community-based conservation action plan together with the Association Decan and the local community.

 

Conduct promotion – education activities to raise awareness about the condition of threatened antelope species in the country.

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The project takes place within the Djalelo protected area managed by Decan association and the Petit Bara desert Djibouti, and it’s currently partly funded by the French Ambassy in Djibouti. The project is led Dr. Mathieu Mahamoud Issa, a biologist specialized in Ecology and Animal Behaviour, assisted by Emilie Jeanpierre who is an internship student from France, as well as Yousouf Yasin, the local eco-guard of Djalelo protected area.