Help
Save African Wild Dogs
Too
few people know about the plight of one of the world's most
endangered canids, the
African wild dog (Lycaon pictus)
or Africa's "painted wolf." This unique pack-living
canid, with its large parabolic ears and mottled coat pattern
of yellow, white, and black, once ranged widely throughout
Sub-Saharan Africa in 39 countries. Today wild dogs have
all but disappeared in 15, with perhaps no more than 3,000–5,500
remaining. Their dramatic decline is largely due to human
persecution and habitat fragmentation. The IUCN Species
Survival Commission (SSC) Canid Specialist Group, and American
Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) Canid and Hyaenid Taxon
Advisory Group (TAG) regard African wild dogs as a high-priority
species for wildlife conservation. Their numbers according
to the IUCN Red List are decreasing.
Why
Save African Wild Dogs?
Among
the top carnivores, wild dogs require large, ecologically
diverse areas to survive and may have a significant impact
on the structure and function of ecosystems. One of Africa's
most efficient predators, wild dogs help regulate prey
species that in turn play a role in shaping vegetation
communities. Because of habitat requirements and ranging
behavior, however, they are threatened by human
disturbance and use of natural
landscapes. Securing a future for this species, therefore,
is an essential part in stemming the loss of biodiversity
and preserving a healthy ecosystem. By working with people
living with them, we hope to help secure their long-term
survival.
Our
Approach to Conservation in Practice
Having
lived and worked in the African bush for many years, we
believe that investing in people and taking an adaptive
grassroots approach are necessary to make wild dog conservation
efforts sustainable and indeed truly important to enable
those most directly affected. The African Wild Dog Conservancy's
community
conservation project is in the
biodiversity
hotspots
of northeastern and coastal Kenya, a rich mosaic of protected
areas and community lands under extreme threat. One way
our approach differs from some other projects is that we
have taken the time to learn why many community-based conservation
efforts have not succeeded:
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Our project
was started with the support of local people with
vision, who recognize that the well-being of wildlife,
plants, and people is interconnected, and that healthy
ecosystems improve livelihoods.
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With
this in mind, baseline information on attitudes and
concerns is being collected to track project success,
document and learn from mistakes, and adapt as needed.
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Time
is being taken to build good working relationships with
local people based on trust, recognizing that there
will be bumps along the road, and that conservation
and development are not always compatible. We are striving
to interweave traditional skills and knowledge, and
cultural and religious perspectives with conservation
science, training, and education.
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About
the African Wild Dog Conservancy
Started
in 2001, the African Wild Dog Conservancy
is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated
to working with local communities, and national
and international stakeholders to conserve
wild dogs through scientific research and
education. The AWD Conservancy's objectives
are the following:
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Establish
and support long-term conservation
programs involving local communities
in research and education
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Develop
and implement a collaborative multidisciplinary
program integrating applied field and
captive conservation research
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Facilitate
development programs aimed at improving
the lives of local people by building
partnerships with community-based organizations
and NGOs
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