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GNUSLETTER VOL. 31 NO. 1
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GNUSLETTER VOL. 31 NO. 1
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GNUSLETTER VOL. 29 NO. 1 GNUSLETTER VOL. 32 NO. 2
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New Research and Reports
Trade of ungulates in Moroccan markets for decoration
and medicinal use.
Daniel Bergin and Vincent Nijman
Wild populations of bovids in Morocco are at a historic low and
this is primarily due to hunting and habitat loss (Loggers et al.,
1992, Cuzin et al., 2008). Boundaries of protected areas are rarely
adequately marked and are not properly enforced (Loggers et al.,
1992). Until recently, there were nine species of wild ungulates
present in Morocco. Of these, only four remain – wild boar Sus
scrofa, Barbary sheep Ammotragus lervia, dorcas gazelle Gazella
dorcas, Cuiver’s gazelle Gazella cuvieri (Cuzin et al., 2007) and ex-
tremely small numbers of reintroduced dama gazelle Gazelle dama
(Mungall et al 2014). Hunting has been the driving factor behind
the extirpation of the other ungulate species – hartebeest Alcelaphus
buselaphus (most recent observation: 1925), Barbary stag Cervus
elaphus barbarous (prior to 1932), addax Addax nasomaculatus
(1963) and oryx Oryx dammah (1973) – in Morocco in the recent
past (Loggers et al., 1992; Cuzin et al., 2008) and habitat loss
continues to threaten the remaining species. As indicated by these
local extinctions, hunting can be a signicant barrier to the conser-
vation of Moroccan ungulates, especially when left unregulated and
unchecked. Although much of the hunting is for consumption of the
meat, some animals such as the oryx are also hunted for their skins
(Cuzin et al. 2007). Animal parts are a common sight in the markets
of Morocco (Shipp, 2002; Bergin and Nijman, 2014a). They are
often used as ingredients in traditional medicines and as decorations
for herbalist – shops selling a variety of other goods but especially
herbs, spices, oils and traditional medicines (Bergin and Nijman,
2014b).
During the months May – June 2013, May 2014 and December
2014, surveys of the markets of 22 cities were conducted by the rst
author with repeat surveys in many of them. Shops were surveyed
exhaustively and all observed species of mammal and reptile and
their parts were recorded. No specimens were purchased during the
surveys to avoid fuelling the trade.
Dorcas gazelle Gazella dorcas and Barbary sheep Ammotragus
lervia heads displayed in a herbalist in Marrakech during eldwork
in 2014.
Ungulate parts were observed for sale in 11 of the 22 cities sur-
veyed (see table 1). The most commonly observed species was
the dorcas gazelle (87%) with few examples of other ungulates.
Allowing for pelts not sold between surveys but assuming that the
pelts did not cross to non-adjacent shops between the two years, a
conservative estimate of the minimum number of individual Dorcas
gazelles represented in the two surveys is 98 animals. Goat skins
(numbers of which were not recorded because of the likelihood
that the pelts came from domesticated animals) were very common
and were often painted to resemble both real and invented animal
markings. These pelts were occasionally referred to as Berber lions,
a reference to the Berber tribe who make up a large percentage of
the Moroccan population. Horse skins painted with zebra stripes
were also observed in the markets on several occasions and vendors
were very open about the authenticity of these fakes. Almost all
of the observed ungulate parts were being sold in herbalists, with
the only exceptions being one zebra and one giraffe pelt sold in sou-
venir shops in Casablanca. Through observations and discussions
with the vendors, it appears that the animal parts had two main
functions: to be sold as decorative items and for use in traditional
medicine. A potential further function is that they may be used
to decorate shops in order to appear more exotic and attractive to
tourists and to advertise the presence of traditional medicine in the
shop. Of the extant species, Dorcas Gazelle and Cuvier’s Gazelle
are protected under the old and new Moroccan laws as are Dama
Gazelles. However it is evident from the specimens, openly dis-
played in the markets, that this is not strictly enforced. For species
such as the Dorcas gazelle, this is a concern because there are only
800 - 2000 left in the wild in Morocco (Cuzin et al., 2007). There-
fore a minimum of between 5 - 12% of the country’s population of
gazelles were observed in the markets during these three surveys,
provided the pelts were not imported. Also observed was a single
dama gazelle, which because of its status as Critically Endangered
and because they are likely no longer extant in Morocco is of great
concern. Zebra and giraffe skins in the markets indicate an import
network from western or southern Africa.
With initiatives such as the national Strategic Action Plan for the
Conservation, Restoration and Management of Ungulates in Mo-
rocco (Cuzin et al., 2008), Morocco is moving in the right direction
with its conservation. Bovid populations can rapidly expand if al-
lowed to do so (Yom Tov and Ilani, 1987) and there has been some
success in increasing populations of Aoudad and Dorcas Gazelle in
the past. The trade in these animals is far from clandestine and the
laws could therefore be enforced if the means were made available
to the Eaux et Forets. Cuzin (2007) proposed a plan for helping Mo-
roccan wild ungulates, giving several recommendations how best to
increase their population numbers. It is recommended that putting
a stop to the trade in these animals be added to the objective list as
this trade operates outside of the law and provides prots for those
that undermine the conservation efforts for these ungulates.
*No ungulate specimens were observed in the cities of Agadir,
Oujda, Chefchaouen, Essaouira, Tanger, Tetouan in 2013 or Tanger,
Tetouan, Kenitra, Fnideq, Ceuta, Beni Nsar or Melilla in 2014.
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GNUSLETTER VOL. 30 NO. 1
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GNUSLETTER VOL. 32 NO. 2
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Table 1. Table of cities in which ungulate parts were observed
showing coordinates of the city, number of repeat surveys in the
markets for 2013/3014 and numbers of each species observed
2013/2014
References
Bergin D. and Nijman V. (2014a) Ongoing, open wildlife trade in
Moroccan markets: reptiles, mammals and their derivatives.
TRAFFIC Bulletin xx: xx-xx
Bergin D. and Nijman V. (2014b) Illegal and open wildlife trade in
Morocco’s capital. SWARA July – September
Cuzin, F., Sehhar, E. A. and Wacher, T. (2007) Etude pour
l’élaboration de lignes directrices et d’un plan d’action stratégique
pour la conservation des ongulés au Maroc. Haut Commissariat aux
Eaux et Forêts et à la Lutte Contre le Désertication (HEFLCD),
Projet de Gestion des Aires Protégées (PGAP) et Banque Mondiale,
Global Environment Facility (GEF). Vol. 1.
Cuzin, F., Sehhar, E.A. and Wacher T. (2008) Strategic action plan
for the conservation, restoration and management of ungulates in
Morocco (English supplement to Vol.1). Haut Commissariat aux
Eaux et Forêts et à la Lutte Contre le Désertication (HCEFLCD),
Projet de Gestions des Aires Protégées (PGAP) and World Bank
Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Loggers, C.O., Thévenot, M. and Aulagnier, S. (1992) Status and
Distribution of Moroccan Wild Ungulates. Biological Conservation
59(1):9-18.
RZSS and IUCN Antelope Specialist Group (2014). Conservation
review of the dama gazelle (Nanger dama).
Shipp, A. (2002). Wildlife for sale in Marrakech, Morocco. Trafc
Bulletin 19: 65.
Yore-Toy, Y. and Ilani, G. (1987) The numerical status of Gazella
dorcas and Gazella gazella in the southern Negev Desert, Israel.
Biological Conservation, 40, 245-53.
The Ungulate Community of upper Humla, North-Western
Nepal
Geraldine Werhahn1*, Raju Acharya2, Yadav Ghimirey2, Naresh
Kusi2, Bidhan Adhikary2 and Binod Kunwar2
1 Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, The Recanati-Kaplan
Centre, Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Tubney House,
Abingdon Road, Tubney, Abingdon, OX13 5QL, UK. Email: geral-
dine.werhahn@zoo.ox.ac.uk
2 Friends of Nature (FON) Nepal, G.P.O Box: 23491 Sundhara,
Kathmandu, Nepal
* Corresponding author
Keywords: argali, Equus kiang, Ovis ammon, Pantholops
hodgsonii, Procapra picticaudata, social survey
INTRODUCTION
The dramatic increase of altitude in Nepal from the tropical low-
lands in the south up the steep mountains of the Himalayan range to
the rolling alpine grasslands of the trans-Himalayas on the Tibetan
plateau in the north results in a variety of different habitats, which
comprise a large diversity of ora and fauna. The Himalayan region
is recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot (Myers et al. 2000).
In the north-western corner of Nepal lies the remote district of
Humla which borders the Tibetan Autonomous Region in China on
the north and is situated in the south-western corner of the Tibetan
plateau (MacNally 19986). Upper Humla contains trans-Himalayan
habitats with its alpine grasslands being roamed by a diverse but
little described ungulate community, which is the subject of this
report.
We report the ndings on ungulate species recorded in the area
during research expeditions conducted in 2013 and 2014 for snow
leopard Panthera uncia and grey wolf Canis lupus respectively.
These expeditions have revealed the presence of many ungulate
species of interest such as Tibetan gazelle Procapra picticaudata,
argali Ovis ammon, kiang Equus kiang, and blue sheep Pseudois
nayaur in this yet relatively intact alpine grassland ecosystem.
STUDY AREA
The study area is situated in the trans-Himalayan landscapes of
Limi Village Development Committee (VDC) of Humla district in
Nepal (Figure 1). Two study sites, Ngin khola and Chyakpalung,
ranging in elevation from 4500m to 5200m above sea level, were
explored during the early summer months of May-July in 2013
and 2014. The habitat is characterized by alpine steppe vegeta-
tion (Schaller 1998) and is home to a diverse high-altitude wildlife
community including snow leopard, wolf, red fox Vulpes vulpes,
Tibetan fox Vulpes ferrilata, Himalayan marmot Marmota hima-
layana, blue sheep and kiang (personal observations). The closest
permanent settlements to the study area are Jhang and Halji village
in Limi valley, and can be reached within 1-2 days of walking. A
dirt road from Jhang to the Chinese border to the North has been in
place for a few years, but trafc is extremely low (1-2 vehicles per
day) and limited to the snow free summer months of June to Au-
gust. No permanent human settlements are found in the study area
due to the harsh climatic conditions, but nomadic pastoralists herd
