Presented during the 17h Annual Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group Meeting organized by the NGO Sahara Conservation Fund in Senegal, from 4 to 6 May 2017. The Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) gathers every year about a hundred people who are interested in the field of Sahelo-Saharan species conservation.

1. 17th Annual Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group Meeting
2 days of talks on biodiversity conservation in the Sahara and in the Sahel
Special Session on Ostriches : Returning the North African ostrich to Tunisia
Marie PETRETTO, Conservation Biologist – Marwell Wildlife
May 4 – 6, 2017

2. Returning the North African ostrich to Tunisia
SSIG St-Louis, Sénégal
Mai 2017
Marie Petretto,
Chawki Najjar & Abdelkader Chetoui

3. Dghmes
25
Orbata;
32
Sidi
Toui; 8
Friguia;
5
Moroccan lineage
ü20 chicks imported
ü12 (6;6) contributed
ü41 (+14) birds in 8 years
25
32
8
5
41 adults
16 juveniles
8 chicks
Sudanese lineage
ü40 chicks imported
ü3 (1;2) contributed
ü5 (4;1) not yet breeding
ü10 birds in 3 years
2017

4. Dghoumes NP (Tozeur)
4(1;3) from
Chadian
lineage
9(5;4)
released in
the NP
(7;7) Adults
3 juveniles
3 chicks
20
0
5
10
15
20
25
Jul-08 Jan-09 Jul-09 Jan-10 Jul-10 Jan-11 Jul-11 Jan-12 Jul-12 Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14 Jul-14 Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16 Jul-16
nber of chicks
nber of adults
2009 2010 2011 2012 20142013 2015 20162008 2017
(7;7) Adults
3 juveniles
8 chicks
1 nest
25

5. Orbata NR (Gafsa)
8(5;3) from
Chadian
lineage
21(7;8,6)
released in
200km²
0
5
10
15
20
25
Jun-08 Dec-08 Jun-09 Dec-09 Jun-10 Dec-10 Jun-11 Dec-11 Jun-12 Dec-12 Jun-13 Dec-13 Jun-14 Dec-14 Jun-15 Dec-15 Jun-16
nber of chicks
nber of adults
20(12;8) adults
(1;3) juv
11 chicks
35
2009 2010 2011 2012 20142013 2015 20162008 2017
24(13;11) Adults
8 juveniles
>2 nests
32

6. Sidi Toui NP (Médenine)
2009 2010 2011 2012 20142013 2015 20162008
3(1;2) from
Soudanese
lineage
released
Chicks of
Soudanese
lineage
imported
(1;2) Adults
5 juv (F?)
1 nest
8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
nber of chicks
nber of adults

7. -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20
Chicks
Juveniles
Adults
Friguia Sidi Toui
Sudanese lineage
(N=8+5)
OrbataDghoumes
Chadian lineage
(N=20+18+11)
MALES FEMALES
UNDETERMINATE
SEX
(21; 14)
(4 ; 10)

8. 11
25
8
5
21
-30 -25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
North-African ostrich (S. c. camelus) population
structure,
all protected areas (N=70), 01/17
male female
Friguia Sidi Toui
Sudanese lineage
(N=8+5)
OrbataDghoumes
Chadian lineage
(N=38+11+8)

9. §Sex ratio & population size
§Nests (locations / eggs number / date of any events)
§Hatching, death & other life events
§Health condition
§Opportunistic behavioral observations
§Opportunitistic post-mortem
hatching rate Brood size survival rate
reproductive
success
Mean value 62%
10 chicks
(2 to 21)
43%
0,98
adult/mature
female
Dghoumes 62% (N=8) 12,3 25% (N=10) 0,50
Orbata
41.9±12.0%
(N=69)
(Sabei et al., 2009)
7,9 70% (N=7) 1,53
Sidi Toui 8,5 39% (N=2) 1,75
ü Sexual dimorphism: ~18 month old
ü First nest: ~24 month old
ü Nest size: ~20 eggs

10. Brooding & rearing
Since 2011, in Dghoumes:
ü102 chicks kept in captivity, 81 died!
ü33 chicks left “free-ranging”, 33 died!

11. §Nutritional unbalance
§Access to water ?
§Predation pressure
§Management procedures
& consequences on
Behavioural patterns

12. ALLEE EFFECT

13. What could be the next steps for
the North African ostrich conservation
in Tunisia ?

14. Current context & Achievements
ü National strategy for sahelo-saharan conservation 2001-2020 that
includes North-African ostrich return
ü Reintroduction started in 2008 (2 lineages represented; 70% pop
growth)
ü On going repopulation of natural habitat after 130years of absence
ü Existing agreements, infrastructures, experiences and demand
ü Identified weaknesses and possible mitigation solutions

15. Proposed Action plan
• Increase the number of sites
• Increase the groups size
• Improve management
• Improve resources, facilities and support
5 years
Viable metapopulation in Tunisia (natural breeding)
Free ranging animals
Able to source other projects

16. Increase the number of sites
El Gonna
Orbata
Dghoumes
Sidi Toui
Oued Dekouk
Djebil
Senghar-
Jabbes
Chadian
lineage
57 birds*
Sudanese
lineage
13 birds*
Bou Hedma/
Haddej
*May.2017

17. Increase the groups size
1 adult / female / year
Estimated functioning group size ~40 adults / PA
Better success with hard release of juveniles
+ 10 birds in Dghoumes/ Bou Hedma /Oued Dekouk in 2017-2018
+ 20 birds in Senghar in 2018-2019
+ 10 birds in Djebil / El Gonna in 2019 or later
+ 10 birds in Djebel Orbata in 2019 or later

18. Improve management
Action Challenge Timescale
+ 10 birds in Dghoumes/
Bou Hedma /Oued
Dekouk
+ 20 birds in Senghar in
Get 20 chicks from
Morocco + 30 chicks
from Saudi Arabia
Ensure they will be
reared safely
(Orbata? El Gonna?
Friguia?)
Prepare full release in
Senghar
June 2017
During >15months
Release in DNP, BH,
OD= Dec-March 2018
Release in Senghar =
Dec-March 2019
+ 10 birds in Djebil / El
Gonna
Secure Djebil
Build fence in El Gonna
Get additional imput from
Morocco & Saudi Arabia
2019 and beyond
+ 10 birds in Djebel
Orbata
Organize a community-
based conservation
project
2019 and beyond

19. Improve resources, facilities &
support
ü Rearing sites set up
ü Food and vitamin supply
ü Capture / transport material
ü Workshops & trainings to the park staff
ü Hiring a project leader

21. Improve resources, facilities &
support
ü Set up the rearing sites
ü Food and vitamin supply
ü Capture / transport material
ü Workshops & trainings to the park staff
ü Hiring a project leader

22. Research component
Behaviour
Ecology
Physiology/Health

23. Thank you!