March/April 2012: The newest issue of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) Bulletin highlights: a new project to save the critically endangered cross river gorilla; a case study on the transboundary migration corridor between Ethiopia and Southern Sudan; and the Central Asian Countries’ effort to develop a road map towards transboundary conservation of argali sheep.

The newsletter notes that funding from Norway is enabling CMS to address key threats to the cross-river gorilla between Nigeria and Cameroon, until June 2013. The project, implemented by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), focuses on habitat outside protected areas and goals to conserve community forests in both countries.

The “Ecological Networks in Africa” project, a collaborative effort between the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA), CMS and partner organizations, aims to understand the dynamics and ecological and economic importance of the White-eared Kob migration between Ethiopia and South Sudan, according to the Bulletin. Satellite-collars and ground surveys will be used to identify the ecological network and movement patterns of this and other ungulate species within the ecosystem, with a focus on the Ethiopian side, where the identification of critical sites is less advanced than in South Sudan.

Finally, the newsletter highlights the meeting held in March 2012 on the Island of Vilm, Germany, where representatives of government agencies, hunting companies, scientific institutions and NGOs from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan discussed ways to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of argali sheep. They shared experiences on sustainable hunting approaches and wildlife management, including quota setting, population monitoring, wildlife disease transmission and ways to engage local communities. Participants agreed to develop an international action plan, and to set up a network and website to ensure regular communication and information exchange. GIZ, in collaboration with CMS, commissioned a needs assessment and gap analysis to evaluate the role of CMS in facilitating international argali conservation. The results will be available in May 2012. [Publication: CMS Bulletin March/April]