allAfrica.com: Namibia: African Wild Dog Faces Extinction (Page 1 of 1)

Namibia's African wild dog population is threatened to the extent that it would require the establishment of a second viable population to ensure its survival.

With sightings only occurring regularly in Tsumkwe East and West Caprivi, the species is Namibia's most endangered large mammal, outnumbered 3:1 by lion, 5:1 by black rhino, 15:1 by cheetah and perhaps 100:1 by elephant.

According to the 2008 Wild Dog Project Report, the population trend is downwards and declining at a rate of around 10 percent per year.

The report says Namibia represents an important, yet declining refuge for African wild dogs, containing between four and nine percent of the total free ranging population of 3000-5000 individuals remaining in the whole of Africa.

Latest population estimates indicate Namibia has between 160 and 259 adults and yearlings in less than 32 breeding packs, 95 percent of which exist outside of protected areas. This means that the vast majority of packs is threatened by human activities for some or all of the time in their annual life cycle.

The report said African wild dogs have gone extinct from nearly every isolated protected area and even where well managed, because of persecution on park boundaries. Yet African wild dogs play an important role in balancing the ecosystem and represent an important tourist attraction - a rare and valuable species that should be nurtured and conserved.

Changes in land use across much of north-east Namibia have resulted in increased livestock farming, a reduction of wild prey numbers and increased conflict with predators, negatively effecting the viability of the African wild dog population.

African wild dogs are extinct from 24 of the 39 countries in former range, with only nine countries having connected populations of more than 100 individuals.

Due to the fact that they have received very little research and conservation attention compared to other species, the report said critical conservation decisions are needed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to protect Namibia's population of African wild dogs from pressures relating to changing land uses, insufficient protected area coverage and management.

The single most important conservation intervention initiative, according to the report, is developing a second viable population.

The report said, "Etosha National Park represents the largest National Park in all of Africa, within former African wild dog range, to be considered recoverable range. With linkages to the vast growing wildlife areas in north-west Namibia and bordering private nature reserves, conservative estimates suggest that a doubling of the current population is achievable within five to seven years utilising a technique of staggered soft release of multiple packs composing captive bred and free-ranging individuals bonded into stable groups."

In addition, a paradigm shift in the attitude of commercial and communal farmers has to be promoted for the country to secure and maintain the existing free-ranging population at a viable level of 500 African wild dogs. To achieve this would require supporting people living in areas adjacent to the core population with extensive environmental education to mitigate the causes of conflict that result in devastating persecution levels.

"Farming communities must be informed about the need to preserve prey populations and drastically improve livestock husbandry," the report said, adding that where prey population were maintained and animal husbandry measures were implemented, very little livestock was lost to African wild dogs - certainly within acceptable levels compared to such livestock losses as stock theft, disease, ingestion of poisonous plants and drought.

A breakdown of the human wildlife conflict data recorded in Tsumkwe from 2000 until 2008 indicates that of the 131 incidents that happened, only one involved African wild dogs and represented two percent of the financial impact due to wildlife conflict. Preliminary research in the Gam area recorded 23 incidents whose total cost was N$36,250. The financial impact was 21 percent of losses due to wildlife conflict only with 59 percent being attributed to elephants. In Okakarara district, for every cattle that was killed by African wild dogs, 30 were stolen between 2001 and 2003.

As part of the report, communities in Tsumkwe were interviewed on their attitudes and perceptions towards African wild dogs.

The report said the communities felt unthreatened and unconcerned by the African wild dogs in their area and that African wild dogs were widely seen as beneficial, bringing in tourists and providing a steady supply of meat from kills appropriated by local community members.

In Nyae Nyae Conservancy, where African wild dogs are not harassed or persecuted according to the report, the community has accrued benefits of over N$30000 between 2004 and 2007. Since 2004, the Wild Dog Project hosted environmental education groups, tested various experimental tourism packages with a focus on hunting and gathering walks with the San, and also conducted photographic trips combined with tracking of the African wild dogs, with all the financial benefits going to local communities and the Conservancy.

"Other benefits that flowed to the community from African wild dog presence in their areas included employment, community bonuses, camping fees, dance fees, educational supplies and craft purchase.

The Wild Dog Project is an initiative of the Namibia Nature Foundation.

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