SafariLands.org: Wildlife: African wild dog: A vanishing species

African Wild Dogs, also known as Cape Hunting Dogs, were once numerous and widespread in Africa, they are classified in the family Canidae, scientific name 'Lycaon pictus', means ornate or painted wolf!...

THE African wild dog is a vanishing species. Mysterious, elusive, and enigmatic, they are the restless corsairs of the African plains. They possess no territories. Only when the alpha female whelps does the pack settle down for a few months, until the pups are old enough to accompany them on their marathon journeys.

Unfortunately, they rarely settle down. How could they, when they have long been regarded as stock raider and dangerous pack killers by farmers and hunters?
For years, they were despised as vermin, shot and poisoned by farmers, hunters, pastoralists and game departments. Condemned as stock raiders, they have become fugitives; a vanishing breed once memorably described by conservationist-photographer the late Hugo van Lawick as "innocent killers".
All over Africa, their history has been one of unremitting persecution.

Sadly, they have become fugitive and are a vanishing species. The wild dogs have been systematically poisoned to die or simply shot. The result is that, today, the African wild dog, like other endangered species, are on the verge of extinction!

Estimates put their numbers in Africa at around 3000 and, according to Tony Fitzjohn, an Englishman spearheading the dog's breeding programme at the Mkomazi Game Reserve, these numbers are still dropping as disease - canine distemper, picked up from domestic cats and dogs - ravages the remaining wild dogs.

They are rarely seen at Serengeti plains. Dr Simon Mduma, acting Director General of the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) said they are on the verge of extinction.
The same story is reported at western parts of Serengeti.

Mr Rian Labuschagne, the Managing Director of the Grumeti Reserves Limited, which is owned by Mr Paul Tudor Jones, a US citizen and a prominent Wall Street trader, was recently quoted as wondering where he could source the wild dogs that could be trans located in Western Serengeti.

Luckily, Tanzania might be able to see the increase of the endangered dogs if an ambitious breeding programme at Mkomazi succeeds.

"If all goes as planned, some of the wild dogs now in captivity at Mkomazi, will also be released to other national parks and reserves in East Africa", says Mr Fitzjohn.

This is Tony's immediate ambition and it might be good news to Serengeti and other areas of the country where the' African wild dog is a vanishing species.

In 1995, Fitzjohn launched East Africa's first captive breeding programme for the critically endangered African wild dog. This project started with the arrival of 25 pups from three different families on the Maasai Steppe, an area where the local Maasai pastoralists poison the dogs in retaliation for killing livestock.

He says the work to reintroduce endangered species at Mkomazi is in full swing, and 'we started with the wild dogs', which are notable for their oversize ears and prinked with curiosity.

The dogs now caged at Mkomazi were caught from Kiteto, an open Maasai Steppe in Arusha which is neither a national park nor a game reserve. The dogs were captured while still young.

As dangerous as they are, capturing wild dogs is not as easy as many would think. After all, they are wild animals who cannot be petted.

The operation to bring them to captivity did not, naturally, involve grown up wild dogs. The young ones were targeted and the actual catching was done when the grown ups, especially their mothers, were "away", hunting.

"We caught 25 young dogs in one operation. It was a challenging task, but we managed to catch them without causing harm and disturbance. We also managed to bring all of them safely here and since then they have been doing well," says another wildlife official, who works at Mkomazi.

A veterinary programme was carried out. All of the dogs had been inoculated against rabies, canine distemper, leptosprirosis and parvo-virus. Blood sampling has taken place, and the effectiveness of a series of vaccinations is being studied.

DNA printouts have been carried out, indicating a promising bio-diversity between the three families for genetic viability.

Microchips have been painlessly inserted beneath their skin so that the individuals from the different family groups can be identified. The breeding program is showing signs of success.

Luckily, too, so far the wild dogs have not been attacked by any serious disease, with the exception of slight (but controllable) eye infections and minor irritability due to change of environment. "We make sure they receive proper and constant attention," says one of their handler at their temporary fenced""home".

When they were first brought to Mkomazi, the dogs used to feast on freshly-killed cows. â€œWe used to buy one cow per week to feed the young dogs, but as they grew up we slaughtered two cows per week for them," he says.

But that became too expensive. We now feed them with small amount of special Vitamin food imported from Europe, in addition to small amount of meat. They are fed once a day at between 4 and 5.30pm.

They are now at reproduction age and they will soon be separated into different groups and released into the reserve to start a life of their own, safely.

If all goes as planned, some of the wild dogs now in captivity at Mkomazi will also be released to other national parks and reserves in East Africa. His next challenge is to re-introduce the black rhino into the reserve.

Mkomazi had been a game reserve since the 1950s (not many Tanzanians know about this), but poachers and lack of proper game management and government and international support, has made this huge 3,500 square kilometre area degraded since then.

Fitzjohn came to Kenya several years ago to "work with animals". He met Joy and George Adamson of the 'Born Free' fame, and for 18 years worked as an assistant to Adamson, returning lions and leopards to the wild. In 1988 he was invited to Tanzania to help rehabilitate Mkomazi.

African wild dogs are the wolves of Africa. Their heads are broad, their muzzles short. There is strength in the muscular neck, stamina in the deep chest, tenacity in their long, slim legs.

They seldom raise their hunting pace above 30 miles per hour, but can maintain a steady speed for miles, wearing down their prey in a remorseless and single-minded chase to the death.

Unless Africa's wild dogs are given the help needed for their recovery, the future of these fascinating animals will remain uncertain. We must act now to ensure their survival.

Sunday News - Tanzania