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Mission Statement To actively promote the conservation of the Wild Dog in South Africa. Background and history The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) is classified as "endangered" according to the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and is therefore considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. Major threats to wild dogs include human-induced mortality, habitat transformation, interspecific competition with other large carnivores and exposure to infectious diseases (Fanshawe et al. 1991; Woodroffe & Ginsberg 1997a, 1999; Creel & Creel 1998, 2002; Woodroffe et al. 2004). Therefore, the traditional focus of wild dog conservation efforts has been mainly on mitigating these negative factors in the few remaining viable populations in large protected areas (Woodroffe & Ginsberg 1997b, 1999; Woodroffe et al. 2004). Considering increasingly fragmented landscapes, Mills et al. (1998) proposed a complementary approach, whereby separate sub-populations of wild dogs in several small, geographically isolated conservation areas in South Africa are to be managed as a single meta-population. This intensive management approach - to supplement the single viable population occurring in Kruger National Park - involves the re-introduction of wild dogs into suitable conservation areas, and periodic translocations among them to mimic natural dispersal and maintain gene flow. In order to oversee the formation of a South African wild dog meta-population, the Wild Dog Action Group was formed in August 1998. It is now called the Wild Dog Advisory Group of South Africa (WAG-SA). Membership is wide, including reserve managers, conservation scientists, government officials, private landowners, captive breeders and wildlife veterinarians. When the idea of a managed South African wild dog meta-population was first conceived, the meta-population comprised just 49 individuals living in four packs in two sub-populations in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and Madikwe Game Reserve. Within the last seven years, the meta-population has grown to more than 200 individuals living in more than 12 packs in eight sub-populations. Current meta-population sites include: Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (wild dogs re-introduced in 1980), Madikwe Game Reserve (1995), Pilanesberg National Park (1999), De Beers Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve (2002), Marakele National Park (2003), Tswalu Kalahari Reserve (2004), Drifters Balule Game Reserve (2005) and uMkhuze Game Reserve (2005). Literature cited Creel, S. & Creel, N.M. (1998) Six ecological factors that may limit African wild dogs, Lycaon pictus. Animal Conservation 1: 1-9. Creel, S.
& Creel, N.M. (2002) The African wild dog: Behavior, ecology, and
conservation. Princeton University Press, Princeton. Fanshawe,
J.H., Frame, L.H. & Ginsberg, J.R. (1991) The wild dog - Africa's
vanishing carnivore. Oryx 25: 137-146. Mills, M.G.L.,
Ellis, S., Woodroffe, R., Maddock, A., Stander, P., Rasmussen, G., Pole,
A., Fletcher, P., Bruford, M., Wildt, D., Macdonald, D. & Seal, U.
(eds) (1998) Population and Habitat Viability Assessment for the African
wild dog (Lycaon pictus) in southern Africa. Final workshop report.
IUCN/SSC Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Apple Valley. Woodroffe,
R. & Ginsberg, J.R. (1997a) Past and future causes of wild dogs' population
decline. In: The African wild dog: Status survey and conservation action
plan (eds R. Woodroffe, J. Ginsberg & D. Macdonald), pp. 58-74.
IUCN, Gland. Woodroffe,
R. & Ginsberg, J.R. (1997b) Measures for the conservation management
of free-ranging wild dog populations. In: The African wild dog: Status
survey and conservation action plan (eds R. Woodroffe, J. Ginsberg
& D. Macdonald), pp. 88-99. IUCN, Gland. Woodroffe,
R. & Ginsberg, J.R. (1999) Conserving the African wild dog, Lycaon
pictus. I. Diagnosing and treating causes of decline. Oryx
33: 132-142. Woodroffe,
R., McNutt, J.W. & Mills, M.G.L. (2004) African wild dog (Lycaon pictus).
In: Canids: Foxes, wolves, jackals and dogs: Status survey and conservation
action plan (eds C. Sillero-Zubiri, M. Hoffmann & D.W. Macdonald),
pp. 174-183. IUCN, Gland. |
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