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WHERE THE WILD DOGS
ROAM - by Heather Dugmore
The movement of South Africa’s most endangered large carnivore
outside of the game parks remains a mystery and a threat to its
survival.
To solve this mystery The Green Trust, in partnership with the
Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, has
launched a new three-year Wild Dog Project in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Our goal is to track the movement patterns of wild dogs moving
from Hluhluwe- iMfolozi
Park to uMkhuze – some 80 kilometres away,” explains Yolan
Friedmann, EWT’s Conservation Manager and one of the driving
forces behind this project.
Wild dogs have an enormous range – from 400 – 900 sq-kilometres.
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi – which currently has about five packs
comprising a total of about 60 dogs - has simply run out of
space for the resident packs. This seems to account for why the
wild dogs are breaking out in search of new territory.
"Very few wild dogs survive outside the parks unless the farmers
and communities tolerate or protect them,” Yolan explains. “A
key part of this project is to educate people about wild dogs
and to dissipate their fears. We have employed community
extension officer, Sbuniso Zwane (who is from the area) to
undertake this challenging task.”
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