Scientist discovers new populations of endangered antelope

The Abbott' Duiker antelope captured by one of Trevor Jones' camera traps.

A Research Fellow within Anglia Ruskin University's Department of Life Sciences has discovered previously unknown populations of an endangered antelope species in Tanzania's southern rainforests.

Trevor Jones, working in collaboration with colleague Andrew Bowkett from the University of Exeter, used camera traps and DNA analysis of dung samples to establish the presence of three separate and previously unknown populations of the Abbott's Duiker antelope in the Udzungwa Mountains region.

The Abbott's Duiker has been in decline for several decades, mainly due to loss of habitat and hunting for bushmeat. Following an assessment by Trevor and his colleagues in 2008, its status on the Red List of Threatened Species was raised from 'vulnerable' to 'endangered'.

Trevor Jones

There are an estimated 1,500 mature individuals in the wild spread across 4 separate Tanzanian mountain ranges; Kilimanjaro, Usambara, Southern Highlands, and the Uduzungwa Mountains.

The discovery of 3 new populations, reported this month in the leading conservation journal Oryx, provides renewed optimism for the future of this antelope, and highlights the importance of preserving the Udzungwa Mountains rainforest to ensure their survival.

Trevor has been working in Tanzania since 2002 and has previously helped to discover new species of chameleon, giant elephant shrew and monkey. Recorded in 2005, the kipunji monkey was the first new species of monkey to be discovered in Africa for 25 years and has since been assigned its own genus.

Anglia Ruskin University

Faculty of Science & Technology

Scientist discovers new populations of endangered antelope