Fourteen endangered African wild dogs were recently translocated to Malawi in an attempt to reestablish populations in Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve.
There are currently only about 6,600 African wild dogs, including 700 breeding pairs, left on the African continent.
These animals are just a few of the 14 African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), also known as painted wolves, recently released in Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve in southern Malawi, where the endangered species hasn’t been seen in about 20 years.
In Malawi, these wild canines have fallen victim to zoonotic diseases, bushmeat hunting, as well as deliberate shootings and poisoning by livestock farmers. The animals are also commonly run over by vehicles as residential and commercial developments take over their habitat.
There’s also new research showing that African wild dogs are struggling to cope with the rising heat due to human-induced climate change.
The reintroduction of these African wild dogs was a team effort between African Parks and another South African conservation group, Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT).
African Parks help manage the Liwonde and Majete protected areas in collaboration with Malawi’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW).
The whole process took “months of hard work,” said Derek van der Merwe from EWT. This was also the third attempt to get the dogs to Malawi, after earlier plans had to be postponed due to COVID-19 disruptions and even local road closures in South Africa following the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma.
The dogs, which originated from Mozambique and South Africa, were eventually flown in a small aircraft from Mozambique to Malawi on July 27.
Then they were released into specially designed bomas in Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve, where they will stay until they’re used to their surroundings.
“The wild dogs seem to be settling in well,” Van der Merwe said. “They will be held in a holding boma to acclimatize until they are fully released. Both alpha females are pregnant so the wild dogs will most likely be released before the pups are born.”
The reintroduction of the 14 African wild dogs is part of a larger project to rewild Malawi. Over the past 18 years, African Parks has worked with the Malawian government to translocate thousands of animals representing a range of threatened species, including elephants, giraffes and black rhinos, into Majete, Liwonde, and Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve.
Source: Mongabay
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