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Painted Dog Conservation - Gregory
Rasmussen
http://www.painteddog.org
The African wild dog, or painted hunting dog,
was once common in Africa, with numbers over 500,000
in 39 countries. The effects of human encroachment
have drastically reduced their range and numbers.
Currently, an estimated 3000 dogs remain, and
are restricted to four southern African countries:
Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa.
With time running out, the Painted Dog Conservation
project (PDC) is developing innovative solutions
to protect this unique wild canid. Based in Hwange
National Park in western Zimbabwe, PDC works with
local communities to create and execute new strategies
for conserving the wild dog and the habitat it
shares with people and other predators.
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Greg Rasmussen is the founder and director
of the Painted Dog Conservation project. Greg
is British-born but spent much of his childhood
in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia). After college,
he worked his way into a job on a wild dog project
in Hwange National Park, sold all his belongings
and moved permanently to Zimbabwe to live and
work for the protection of the wild dog. With
over 13 years experience working with wild dogs
in Zimbabwe, Greg has earned his title as "the
most enthusiastic and dedicated wild dog conservationist."
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The goal of PDC is to conserve and increase
the range and numbers of wild dogs in Zimbabwe
and other range countries. Hwange National Park
is home to 17% of the total wild dog population
and serves as a keystone population for dispersing
wild dogs into other regions. The major threats
to wild dogs include snares, shooting and poisoning
(for traditional medicine and fear of livestock
predation) and road kills. Wild dogs are also
under threat from introduced diseases: as human
populations encroach on the dogs' habitat, contact
with domestic dogs increases, and transfer of
canine distemper and rabies is a major threat
to entire populations.
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PDC has developed several conservation strategies
to improve the status of the wild dog among
local communities, and to help protect the dogs
and their habitat:
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PDC works with ranchers to improve the
status of wild dogs. Color-coded collars
on dogs show ranchers that dog numbers are
much lower than suspected. As a result,
PDC has secured a cease-fire in farming
areas where dogs are re-colonizing
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Anti-poaching patrols carry out daily patrols
throughout the region. Over 15,000 snares
have been collected. The snare wire is then
used to make handicrafts to be sold to visitors
as an alternative source of income for local
communities
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Road signs have been erected and reflective
collars fitted on many of the dogs. Road
kills have been reduced by 50%.
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PDC monitors dog packs with radio collars,
gathering valuable information on their
movements, hunting success and causes of
mortality. Their breakthrough work with
translocation and integration of dogs, as
well as with new non-invasive capture techniques,
is offering hope for wild dogs to expand
their range into predator-friendly areas
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Gaining the trust and respect of local
people is an ongoing process and has helped
to transform many poachers into advocates
for the wild dog and participants in the
project
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A rehabilitation facility cares for injured
dogs until re-release
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Inspiring the next generation, PDC operates
an environmental education Bush Camp free of charge
for all local 6th grade schoolchildren. During
four exciting and deeply enriching days, the children
revolve through a series of experiential learning
activities led by specially trained local guides.
Upon seeing local wildlife (many for the first
time in their lives!) and gaining an understanding
of the complex ecology of the wild African savannah,
bush camp graduates leave with an emotional attachment
to caring for the beauty and complexity of nature.
PDC's future goals include building a
Community Conservation Education Center for schoolchildren,
local communities and visitors, which will directly
benefit local people through increased employment
and unparalleled educational opportunities. PDC
is also working to expand their conservation education
program to be included in the national curriculum.
Due to the combined efforts of the Painted Dog
Conservation project and the local communities,
Zimbabwe's wild dog population has increased from
400 to 700 individuals since the inception of
the project. Wild dogs are now the number one
animal that tourists want to see, surpassing lions,
elephants, rhinos and leopards. Once considered
a pest, the wild dog has become a symbol of national
pride in Zimbabwe. WCN is committed to assisting
PDC in its work to insure a protected future for
this beautiful wild canid.
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