|
The Zululand Wild Dog Conservation and Management Programme |
|
To contact us: Michael Somers Centre for Wildlife Management 0002 Pretoria Tell: +27 (0) 420 2627 E-mail: mjs (at sign) @up.ac.za
The main collaborators: Jan Graf, University of KwaZulu-Natal. Markus Gusset, University of KwaZulu-Natal/Walter Sisulu University. Fredrik Dalerum, University of Pretoria. Penny Spiering, University of Pretoria and Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Ant Maddock, JNCC, UK Rob Slotow, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal. Michael J. Somers (ZWDCMP leader), Centre for Wildlife Management, University of Pretoria, RSA. Micaela Szykman (AWDRCP leader) Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Conservation & Research Center, USA Sue van Rensberg, Regional Ecologist, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. |
|
Numbers of wild dogs, Lycaon pictus, are declining and approximately 5500 wild individuals survive in in Africa. The only viable population of wild dogs in South Africa is in the Kruger National Park although introductions have been made to several other reserves (Mkhuze, Madikwe, Pilanesberg and Venetia) in this country. Wild dogs are one of only three mammals in South Africa that are endangered. After an absence from KwaZulu-Natal of about fifty years, 22 wild dogs were reintroduced into Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) (formally Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park) in 1980-1981. This release was successful but numbers declined after 1993. Following recommendations by the wild dog biologists and approval by KZN Wildlife more wild dogs were released into HUP in 1997. This was to enable the population to become part of the proposed Southern African Metapopulation. This reintroduction was sponsored by The Green Trust (WWF-SA) and KZN-Wildlife (then Natal Parks Board). This project has involved not only biologists and KZN Wildlife but also local communities and private landowners and a positive awareness about the wild dogs has been created. The greatest success we have had is increasing the population from less 6 individuals (1997) to about 80 at present! Besides these successes in awareness we have also learned a great deal about wild dog reintroductions and this has greatly contributed to their conservation. We now have a better understanding of pack formation in bomas and the integration of introduced dogs into existing wild dog packs. There is compelling evidence, from large conservation areas, that competition with lions is critically important to wild dog conservation. As the lion in HiP are now being monitored by the University of Natal and KZN Wildlife, continued monitoring of the wild dogs for another year will afford a very valuable opportunity to determine the relationship between these two species in small conservation areas. |
|
M. Somers © |
