The Wild Dog Range Expansion Project in Mozambique

The Wild Dog Range Expansion Project, coordinated by the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), goal is to expand safe space suitable for these predators. African wild dogs have become extinct in 25 of the 39 countries they once roamed, making them the second most endangered carnivore on the continent. Reserves of suitable size and prey densities are often limiting factors in the success of wild dog conservation. In 2019, Karingani was identified as a suitable site for an endangered wild dog population reinforcement. A pack of 13 genetically valuable wild dogs was introduced into the Karingani landscape.

African wild dogs have disappeared from much of their former range, threatened by shrinking habitat, persecution, disease, and human activity. While these premier hunters used to roam much of the African continent in numbers of 500,000 or more, the species has suffered a decline in most regions, with shrinking numbers now mostly confined to Southern Africa. The population is currently estimated at less than 6,600 individuals. These limited numbers result in a lowered genetic pool which further threatens their existence in the wild.

Finding Success

The success of this reintroduction is evident as the wild dog population at Karingani has grown to 33 individuals. This success gives Karingani the opportunity to further support wild dog conservation by supplying wild dogs in another historical re-introduction into new safe spaces that have become available. Currently, we have two separate packs of wild dogs, the Mbilu Pack and the Chifavani Pack, but only the Mbilu Pack contains satellite tracking collars. In order to accurately monitor these highly endangered animals, having satellite collars on both packs is critical. Annually members of a pack reach dispersal age where they separate from their parental pack seeking to form packs of their own. It is important to maintain tracking on all of the subsequent packs formed after dispersals to ensure their protection and conservation. We are seeking three satellite tracking collars for wild dogs – one to place on the dispersal-aged members, and an additional two to place in the Chifavani Pack to enable the Karingani team to continue to gather critical data on the packs movements and habitat usage for the EWT Carnivore Conservation Program.