Zimbabwe Wild Dogs

Hi folks,

I just got back from the wildlife capture course which I did to enable me to get my license to dart the wild dogs.  It was an incredible week, with a great deal to learn and lots of practical work too.  Between all the teams, we had to immobilise a lion, an elephant, a giraffe and 2 white rhino (for management purposes), got to practice darting out of a helicopter and learnt how to do boma captures of impala and zebra. 

Elephant immobilisation and recovery

There was also a lot of theory; understanding physiology, all the different wildlife drugs, how the drugs work in the body, the doses to use, the antidotes to use, what to do if something goes wrong, safety and first aid etc.  We also got to practice with several of the different dart guns available on the market and learnt which types are best to use for which animals. 

Giraffe immobilisation and Rhino Immobilisation

Fortunately I passed the exams at the end of the course and am now able to apply for my license.  Not only will this allow me to immobilise wild dogs for de-snaring, treating injuries and collaring purposes, but also to help rescue animals caught in snares etc. 

It was also nice to meet so many people working in Zimbabwe (and surrounding countries) who are doing their best to conserve wildlife, despite the difficulties in the country.

Back soon,

Rosemary