The African Wild Dog is one of the most endangered carnivores in the world with only an estimated 3000 individuals remaining in the wild, making African Wild Dog monitoring with the help of conservation volunteers particularly important.
Wild Dog numbers have severely declined due to disease, loss of habitat and human persecution. Once common in all areas of Africa, African Wild Dogs are now extinct (or nearly extinct) in all countries of their former range. The majority of remaining populations are considered too small to remain viable. Of the six countries where they still exist, only three (Botswana, Tanzania and South Africa) have populations of more than 300 Wild Dogs left in the wild.
African Wild Dogs. Photo by Hayden Rattray
Cooperating with the KZN Wild Dog Management Group, Wildlife ACT actively helps in the conservation of these amazing animals. As a Wild Dog volunteer and team member, you will learn how to track these highly efficient hunters, thereby collecting valuable research data.
African Wild Dog monitoring is essential for keeping track of animal movement patterns, habitat utilisation, population demographics, snaring and poaching incidents and breakouts. This valuable information, which Wildlife ACT and our volunteers gather, has numerous management applications, including the planning of successful introduction and removal strategies of priority wildlife species.
African Wild Dog monitoring and tracking involves the proper use of telemetry tracking equipment; the use of hand-held GPS devices; producing animal identification kits; setting up and using camera traps to monitor endangered species; tracking animals using traditional methods; collecting behavioral data and extrapolating this to inform and enhance management objectives on reserves; and a firm understanding of conservation issues facing endangered and threatened species across Africa.
See our news section for the latest information on our wild dog monitoring and conservation projects.
Or visit our video galleries for images and videos of our Wild Dog conservation work.
If you would like to join Wildlife ACT as a volunteer and help with the critical monitoring of the African Wild Dog, please apply today or read more about becoming a volunteer.