Category: Painted Dogs

Drought Forces Zimbabwe To Relocate 2,500 Wild Animals To New Reserves

The effects of climate change are outpacing poaching as the No. 1 threat to wildlife. In Zimbabwe, officials are now moving more than 2,500 wild animals from a reserve in the southern part of the country further north due to an ongoing drought. Rangers are relying on trucks, cranes and even helicopters to move the animals from the drought-stricken area.

“Project Rewild Zambezi,” the operation has been dubbed, involves moving animals to the Zambezi River valley, which will also help improve wildlife populations in that area. It is one of the largest live animal relocation projects in southern Africa, with more than 2,000 impalas, 400 elephants, 70 giraffes, 50 each of buffalo, wildebeest, zebras, and elands, 10 lions and 10 wild dogs, among other animals, being moved north.

The animals are being relocated from the Save Valley Conservancy to the Sapi, Matusadonha and Chizarira conservancies in the north. According to officials, the project is necessary to avoid a crisis.

“We are doing this to relieve pressure. For years we have fought poaching and just as we are winning that war, climate change has emerged as the biggest threat to our wildlife,” Tinashe Farawo, spokesperson for the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, told The Associated Press. “Many of our parks are becoming overpopulated and there is little water or food. The animals end up destroying their own habitat, they become a danger unto themselves and they encroach neighboring human settlements for food resulting in incessant conflict.”

One other option was to cull some of the animals to reduce competition for resources among the wildlife, but Zimbabwe has not had a culling since 1987. Conservationists argue that culling is a cruel and unnecessary solution.

The “Project Rewild Zambezi” is one of the largest in Zimbabwe. The country’s last mass relocation of wildlife occurred from 1958 to 1964, as hydro-dam construction led to rising water that ultimately created Lake Kariba. More than 5,000 animals had to be relocated at the time.

Drought is becoming an increasing threat in Zimbabwe and across Africa, reducing food and water available for wildlife, including vulnerable rhinos and giraffes. But hunting and poaching have also taken their toll. In Sapi Reserve, a UNESCO site, wildlife populations quickly declined from the 1950s until 2017, when it was taken over by the non-profit Great Plains Foundation. Relocating animals from areas affected by drought will also help in the foundation’s efforts to rewild and restore populations in Sapi Reserve.

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Human-Wildlife Conflict Driving African Wild Dogs To Extinction

The African wild dog (also known as Painted Dogs) has become one of the most critically endangered species in Africa.

A PACK OF WILD DOGS CREDIT: PHOTO BY CHAD COCKING

At one time, nearly 500 000 wild dogs roamed the continent, but now only an estimated 7 000 of them remain.

With massively reduced numbers from the encroachment of farming activities, there is lack of genetic variation and a new strand of canine distemper threatens the species further.

The African Wildlife Foundation says habitat fragmentation and human-wildlife conflicts have nearly driven African wild dogs to extinction.

We need your pledge to raise awareness about the threats to these colourful carnivores now,” the foundation said in a statement.

“There are only about 6 600 remaining in the wild, but AWF is working to increase their numbers by expanding undisturbed wilderness areas where dogs can roam, collaborating with farmers to protect livestock, and more.

“African wild dogs are efficient hunters, with a hunt success rate of almost 80%. This makes them the third most productive hunter in the wild.”

The African wild dogs are said to be one of the top three most efficient hunting animals in Africa and are found in most parts of the continent aside from the drier deserts in the north, and the denser forests of the southern tip.

As some of the most social and vocal animals roaming the earth today, the African wild dog was an essential species to maintaining biodiversity in the African plains.

The African wild dog has been listed as an endangered species since 1990, and the species may soon be listed as critically endangered.

Their shrinking range is now located in the southern half of the continent.

In Zimbabwe, poachers are endangering the wild dogs in the Hwange National Park.

With limited employment opportunities and sporadic rainfall that negatively impacts farming yields, bush meat hunting has gained popularity over the past several years as a means to make a living.

As a result, poachers use wire snares, which kill animals indiscriminately. Wild dogs are particularly vulnerable to injury or death by snares because they cover a lot of ground while hunting and travel more than 12 miles per day on average.

A WILD DOG CAUGHT IN A SNARE. PHOTO BY KRUGER NATIONAL PARK

In addition to snares, poachers sometimes poison water sources with cyanide.

They are normally targeting Elephants for their ivory but kill a variety of other species in the process, including the African wild dog.

The range of the African wild dog, as described by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is shrinking daily as humans attain more land and are pushing the animals into smaller, less desirable territories.

What you can do

Support ‘Protect All Wildlife’ by donating as little as £1 – It only takes a minute but it can last a lifetime for an animal in need. Thank you.

We believe EVERY animal should be treated with respect, empathy, and understanding. We raise awareness to protect and conserve wild, captive, companion and farm animals. It is vital that we protect animals against acts of cruelty, abuse, and neglect by enforcing established animal welfare laws and, when necessary, take action to ensure that those who abuse animals are brought to justice.

Protect All Wildlife are involved in many projects to protect animals’ rights, welfare, and habitats. Money contributed to Protect All Wildlife supports ALL of our worthy programmes and gives us the flexibility to respond to emerging needs. Your donations make our work possible. Thank you for your support.

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