Background

The Lowveld Wild Dog Project was set up in 1996 as a joint PhD research project between the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute and Aberdeen University in Scotland and the Institute of Environmental Studies in Zimbabwe. The main aim of the research was to investigate the behaviour and ecology of a population of African wild dogs, Lycaon pictus, in the absence of their two main competitors, lion Panthera leo and spotted hyaena Crocuta crocuta.

The project has been working mainly on Save Valley Conservancy (SVC), a large privately owned game reserve in the south east lowveld region of Zimbabwe. However, it has also been monitoring the whole population of wild dogs within the southeast lowveld region of Zimbabwe. To date ten radio collars have been fitted to wild dogs in different packs to assist with the research and monitoring.

The project currently employs four African trackers that have proved to be invaluable field assistants. All three are experienced at foot tracking as well as radio tracking and are proficient at using handheld GPS units. Each tracker has his own mountain bike to help them keep up with the wide ranging dogs and they have been trained to write accurate reports on sightings of dogs, tracking movements and any kills located.

The field work part of the PhD research finished in October 1999 but the project will continue if enough funding can be sourced.

Why is it important for the project to continue

The African wild dog is a highly endangered large carnivore with only an estimated 3000 5000 occuring naturally in the wild. The population of wild dogs in the SE lowveld of Zimbabwe is important for two reasons. Firstly, the population is thought to number over 200 individuals, which represents 5 7% of the total world population. Secondly, the population could be instrumental in creating a link between two of only three remaining populations numbering over 350 individuals; that in Kruger National Park, South Africa, and the other being the population occupying Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe, and going through to Botswana and Namibia. It is, therefore, an important population to monitor and where possible, encourage its growth.

Much of the region is experiencing a change in land use from cattle ranching to game and wildlife ranching. Expansion of the wild dog population is, therefore, a very real possibility. However, it will require continued education and sustained public relations programmes as many cattle and wildlife ranchers cannot, at present, see the benefit of wild dogs, nor the need to conserve them.

Also, it would be a real shame if the project, which has become efficient at monitoring and collecting data on a highly endangered and important species, was to come to an end.