One of Africa’s most misunderstood predators, the African Painted Dog, is facing extinction in the wild due to the actions of humans.
Until recently, Painted Dogs occurred in large populations in the tens of thousands across Africa. However, over the past 30 years, numbers in the wild have declined dramatically as a result of road kills, snares, culling by farmers, introduced diseases from domestic dogs and habitat loss.
South Luangwa National Park in Zambia is home to one of the last viable Painted Dog populations in Africa but even here their numbers are declining due to poaching and snare wire traps. The snares, which are cheap and easy to make, are set in great numbers to catch animals for bush meat. While the main targets of the snares are herbivores such as antelope, other animals of varying sizes – from Painted Dogs to giraffe – are trapped. The snares are nearly impossible to removewithout human assistance.
Since 2008, Wildlife Conservation Action has provided more than $60,000 to the operation of an African Painted Dog anti-poaching unit and an education outreach program in South Luangwa National Park.
The anti-poaching unit’s main goals are to stop poachers, clear snare wire traps in South Luangwa and raise anti-snare awareness within local communities. The unit has been operational since August 2008 and has removed many snares and apprehended suspected poachers. In addition to helping save Painted Dogs and other animals from snares, the anti-poaching unit is providing employment for local communities.
The education outreach program is operated by the Chipembele Wildlife Education Trust to engage local pupils in learning about the conservation situation in the national park and the value of wildlife, including African Painted Dogs, in the context of their lives.
Please donate to Wildlife Conservation Action to support this important work.
* figures are as at January 2012
