The ‘really endangered species’ . . . painted dogs, black and white rhino

14 Dec, 2018 - 00:12 0 Views
The ‘really endangered species’ . . . painted dogs, black and white rhino

eBusiness Weekly

The Painted dog is the rarest large carnivore in Africa. Like the black rhino, it is also red-listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); as few as around 5 700 remain in the wild.

Tawanda Musarurwa

If my hair had been any longer I certainly would have pulled out a few strands.

I couldn’t quite fathom why we had by-passed a chance to shoot — with our cameras, of course — a massive herd of blue wildebeest that were congregated under the shade of an Acacia tree planning their next move since we had disturbed their peace.

(Wildebeest are known for their “swarm intelligence”, whereby the animals systematically explore and overcome an obstacle as one).

We were the obstacle and they had called a meeting to find the best way around us, or through us.

It was a perfect “Kodak Moment”!

The photographer had lined up his camera, but the vehicle kept rumbling on, prompting him to knock on the roof of Dusty’s 4×4.

“We wanted pictures of that herd of wildebeest,” he said, half complaining.

“We’ll be back for the wildebeest; one of our rangers has just tracked down a pack of Painted dogs,” responded Dusty.

Painted dogs over wildebeest? Am I missing something?

I guess I was.

Painted dogs, also known as African wild dogs or painted wolf are amongst the most endangered species in the country, and the Savé Valley Conservancy has a special focus on the preservation of the Painted dog.

The Painted Dog is the rarest large carnivore in Africa. Like the black rhino, it is also Red-listed as critically endangered by the IUCN; as few as 5 700 remain in the wild.

Their main threat is poaching by snare.  Savé Valley Conservancy works in the community to encourage alternative sustainable practices.

With dramatic multi-coloured coats and large round ears, painted dogs are fascinating canids.

Three to five million years of evolution separates them from the other members of the dog family such as wolves or domestic breeds.

Among the fastest and most efficient African predators, they are highly social and live a rich co-operative pack existence.

Amazing opportunities exist in Savé Valley Conservancy to watch these dogs on a special den-viewing safari. Dens may sometimes be abandoned aardvark holes.

Usually it is the dominant female that breeds and litters of up to 11 pups are born black with white spots. For the first 12 weeks the puppies are nursed in and around the den.

When we got to the place where the dogs had been spotted, they were resting in the shade of a tree, hardly intent on being bothered.

I’m calmer now (and likewise the photographer); Painted dogs are indeed beautiful creatures.

White rhino

The other ‘very endangered species’: Black and White Rhino

Of the five rhinoceros species remaining worldwide, both African species are found in Savé Valley Conservancy.

The black rhino is also listed by the ICUN as critically endangered and the white rhino is near threatened.

A century ago, around 400 000 wild black rhinos ranged over sub-Saharan Africa. From the 1970s to 1990s, they declined by 96 percent.  Today it is estimated there are less than 2 500 due to trophy hunting, habitat loss and poaching for horn.

Establishing a sanctuary for the intensive protection of rhino was the guiding purpose in setting up Savé Valley Conservancy.  In the early 1990s pioneers of the conservancy secured a large area for a herd of sufficient size to ensure genetic viability.

The conservancy is today Africa’s most successful black rhino breeding programme.

However, the ICUN determine that current poaching levels in Zimbabwe are unsustainable and threaten to erase the population gains that have been achieved.

Note: Some of the information provided here on Painted dogs and Black & White rhino is courtesy of the Savé Valley Conservancy.

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