THE AFRICAN WILD DOG

The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) is a canid native to Sub-Saharan Africa. It is the largest of its family in Africa, and the only member of the genus Lycaon, which is distinguished from Canis by its fewer toes and dentition, which is highly specialised for a hypercarnivorous diet. It is classed as endangered by the IUCN, as it has disappeared from much of its original range. The current population has been estimated at roughly 39 subpopulations containing 6,600 adults, only 1,400 of which are fully grown.

Challenges faced by this dog

Humans

Throughout Africa, wild dogs have been shot and poisoned by farmers, who often blame them when a leopard or hyena kills livestock.

Image: tusk.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evasion of space

As human populations expand, leading to agriculture, settlements, and roads, African wild dogs are losing the spaces in which they were once able to roam freely.

Inage: tusk.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Solutions

Our solutions to protecting the African wild dog:

Engage local communities

 African Wildlife Foundation educates community members on protecting their local wildlife and equips them to do so. In the Samburu Heartland, AWF, with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Dutch government, employed 12 scouts from five neighboring communities. These scouts monitor the African wild dogs, learning their movements and alerting herders when African wild dogs are present. By providing access to new employment, AWF is able to weave conservation and economic opportunity together to incentivize African wild dog protection.

Mitigate human-wildlife conflict

Retaliation is the primary reason for wild dog killings. We work with communities to help them construct bomas—livestock enclosures—that protect livestock from predators.

post source: African Wildlife Foundation