Ringo : A Legacy that will Last for Generations
And the opportunity to WIN a trip to Madikwe Safari Lodge

Dear supporter,

Today we pay tribute to an amazing resident of the De Beers Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve who has been instrumental in re-establishing Wild Dog packs right across South Africa. He might be unknown to you, but he has touched the hearts of all who've met him and left a lasting impression.

Meet Ringo - the alpha male of the Venetia-Limpopo Wild Dog pack. This is his story ...

I know I'm supposed to be a hardened scientist but in my line of work it is almost impossible to distance one's self from the study animals completely. In a species as social as the Wild Dog, individual characters and personalities become clear and obvious after only a short time observing them. Some dogs are fantastic hunters, others always start games of catch or tag, some are particularly lazy and then, every now and then, you meet a dog that you know will stick in your memory for a long while.

Ringo, the alpha male of the Venetia Limpopo Wild Dog pack was one such dog. He died on Tuesday the 23rd of August 2006 after an amazing 11 years of life. Every researcher who has ever spent time at Venetia, tracking the dogs in the dependable project Land Rover Defender, would be able to relate a fascinating story about this old legend. He was captured in the Limpopo Province some six years ago along with his brother, Ned. The pair were joined with some females to form the original pack in the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve. It was evident from their earliest days in the holding boma that Ringo was destined to be alpha male of the young pack. He established his dominance immediately and the alpha female, Pattern, became pregnant and gave birth to her first litter of pups before they were even released into the reserve. Since then Ringo and Pattern have sired every pup ever to be born on the reserve, leaving a rather impressive legacy. A number of his offspring have been used to pioneer the formation of new packs in other reserves in the Metapopulation meaning that his genes are spread across half of the country and possibly even across our borders.

In preparation for writing this article I have been reading through past data sheets and tracking records. In them I came across an intriguing tale that captured Ringo's nature to a tee. The record described how, after a long morning of chasing an impala ram, the pack was finally able to force it into a dam. After a little while of frustrated squealing and pacing most of the pack gave up, admitting defeat and left the exhausted impala to live another day. But not Ringo. Perhaps recognising the amount of effort his pack had put into the chase he refused to walk away without the prize. He threw himself head first into the dam, swam after the impala, forced it out of the water and onto the bank where other pack members helped him to bring it down. Amazingly he then stood back and allowed his chase-weary pups to feed on his kill. Ringo has, at risk of humanising him too much, demonstrated this kind of selflessness time and time again. Even in his later years his superior hunting abilities were evident. Despite having acquired a pronounced limp from a healed broken hind leg he always seemed to be among the first of the dogs on the quarry. Although his hairless face and thin, knotted coat may have, his hunting skills never betrayed his age.

Ringo lived longer than any of us could ever have predicted, but when his time did come it was filled with an almost poetic irony. On the morning before his death he moved into a valley we had previously named 'Death Valley' because of the hunting success the dogs had enjoyed there. I thought it apt that this is where the old man chose to spend his last hours. It appears he died from a combination of age and a serious hunting wound on his lower jaw. Brown Hyaenas took his body away and we were eventually able to discover the cave they took him to. I was quietly pleased with his final resting place: a cave high up in the cliffs over-looking the Kolope riverbed. By feeding the hyaenas, his body had become part of the system in which he had existed.

Ringo's loss will always leave a bit of a gap in the Venetia Limpopo Wild Dog population, but a window has now been opened for a new male to take over the role of alpha. And the arrival of some new females, and hence genes, in the weeks to come means Ringo's legacy can now be continued through one of his sons.

Rest in peace, Ringo.

Kathy Potgieter
Carnivore Conservation Group

NPO 015-502     PBO 930 001 777
Photo Credit: Rob Till

WIN a trip for TWO to Madikwe Safari Lodge!

The shocking facts: the Wild Dog is considered extinct in 23 African countries and the total Wild Dog population in Africa is estimated at around only 5 500 individuals. The Endangered Wildlife Trust needs your support to continue their work in conserving not only the Wild Dogs for future generations, but many other species and habitats.

This is your chance to share Ringo's story and ensure that his legacy lives on. What's more - you will have the opportunity to meet three of Ringo's pups - Star, Tattoo and Scud - who have been relocated to Madikwe to start a breeding pack there.

What you need to do:

1. Sign up for the EWTalk newsletter, if you're not already a subscriber. You can do so by clicking on this link - Subscribe to EWTalk.
2. Refer as many friends as you can to sign up as well - simply go to www.ewtrust.co.za.
3. Become an EWT member for as little as R 299.00 per annum and encourage your friends to do the same.

As an EWT member, for every friend that signs up for the EWTalk newsletter, you get an additional entry into the competition to win the amazing 2-day breakaway to Madikwe Safari Lodge. In addition, two lucky subscribers will win an adorable Wild Dog & Pup cuddly toys.

What are you waiting for? Refer-a-Friend today!