Zimbabwe Wild Dogs

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Mar 09 2009 | By: zimbabwewilddogs

Hi guys,

The last couple of days have been rather sad ones for the wild dog project.  On 6th March we were called down to a ranch in the centre of the conservancy where the scouts had found a wild dog carcass caught in a snare.  Unfortunately, the carcass was too decomposed to identify but it appeared to be a subadult, and we suspect it was a member of the Bedford pack; probably one of last years pups. 

We took samples for genetic analysis (which will tell us for sure which pack it was from), and the skull for measurements to estimate the age.  We then went and found the Bedford pack who were not all that far from the area, but they were in very thick bush and we were unable to count how many individuals there were in total.  We could however rule out several indivduals by getting a positive ID on them - it was such a relief to see each one alive and well!  Rueben, one our scouts, is currently down in the area looking for the pack.

Then yesterday we got a report from further south about another dead dog… At first I was hoping it was just crossed wires and they were reporting the same carcass but it soon became clear that this was not the case; in fact we were getting mixed radio messages ranging from one dead dog to one dying dog to five dogs caught etc.  We rushed straight down to the area to pick up the scouts who had reported the incident and then went with them to the scene.  We found one very fresh dead dog caught in a snare, and evidence from broken snares in the same area that at least several others had been caught and managed to break free, but will now be carrying snares and may well die later from their wounds.

Sadly, we identified this dog as one of last year’s male pups from the Nyarushanga pack.  He was a fit, healthy young male, with stunning coat patterns and its such a shame!

Unfortunately the Nyarushanga Pack is not collared, so it will be extremely difficult to find the pack in order to assess the other injuries and try to remove some of the snares, but I do have Rueben, our best scout down in that area following the tracks and trying to find the pack.  I’m on standby to rush down there again if he finds them, but its frustrating feeling so helpless…

Rueben with the dead dog and the scouts who found and reported the incident.

This particular snare line was found close to some of the resettled farmers, and is evidence of the ongoing battle with snaring.  Just from that one tiny area, we removed about 10 snares and to get back to the car, we walked through fields of crops. Unfortunately, this is a prime example of the result of the land invasions which resultsed in subsitence settlements within wildlife areas…

I’ll be back soon with more thoughts on this,

Rosemary