African Wild Dog Community Project

Boni Forest

Wild dog pack near Ijara

Reticulated giraffe

Herder with cattle

Survey team interviews Pokomo villagers

Bob teaches GPS use

Kim teaches map reading

Community-Based Conservation

African wild dogs are vulnerable to extinction because they exist at low densities, range widely, and come increasingly into contact with people. Even wild dogs in protected areas frequently move in adjacent areas where people live. Grassroots conservation efforts beyond park boundaries are critical to prevent their extinction.

The African Wild Dog Conservancy has a community conservation project in southeastern Kenya, a biodiversity rich mosaic of protected areas and community lands under extreme threat. Due to past civil strife, little is known about the many threatened species there. This region is potentially a significant refuge for wild dogs and an important corridor for the metapopulation of the Horn of Africa, as well as for other threatened wildlife species. Virtually nothing is known about the conservation status and ecology of wild dogs in this region, including their interactions with people and potential impact on one of their prey species, the Critically Endangered hirola, Beatragus hunteri (as shown above). This project has been identified as a wild dog conservation priority by the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group and the AZA/Wild Dog Species Survival Program.

A country in East Africa, Kenya (shown in yellow) straddles the equator and is surrounded on three sides by neighbors. Rich in biodiversity, but economically poor, the nation is challenged with balancing the needs of a growing population for land and conserving wildlife.

Located in the Ijara and Lamu districts of the Northeastern and Coastal Provinces, the study area (shown in yellow), consists of community lands and small national reserves, and lies with- in two Biodiversity Hotspots— the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa and Horn of Africa.

This satellite image of the study area includes the Tana River (the nearly vertical green line). The Tana is the primary perennial water source in the region with swamps fed by flood waters that provide additional water during the dry season.

This pioneering project investigates the conservation status, ecology, and effects of cultural beliefs, traditional practices, and human activities on wild dogs in this region. A key component in sustaining wildlife and promoting a healthy environment is to empower local communities through hands-on training and to help community-based organizations establish education programs. Recently, conservancy staff trained community representatives in survey techniques and then set off with the team to interview villagers about their views of wild dogs, other large carnivores, and the environment. Our travel route took us to thick riverine habitat along the Tana River to just northeast of the remote village of Ijara in the the dry bush/woodland interior, and then south and southeast to villages in the lush coastal Boni Forest as far as Mangai, and the coastal town of Makowe. Plans are underway to expand the survey to help us understand the perspectives and concerns of local people.

Project Objectives:

Collect and analyze data on abundance and distribution, prey preferences with special reference to the hirola and domestic livestock, habitat use, demographics, genetics, and disease
Train local people in applied field techniques
Conduct trend survey of local attitudes and concerns about wild dogs in particular, and carnivores in general
Identify and prioritize threats to wild dogs
Create an internship program and work with community-based organizations to develop wildlife conservation education programs
Establish a sightings database for all large mammals

The project directly contributes to conserving African wild dogs by providing new scientific information on a potentially key population linking wild dogs in the Horn of Africa. Results from the project will be used to develop an African Wild Dog Conservation Action Plan in partnership with local, national, and international stakeholders, and to establish a long-term monitoring program with the Kenya Wildlife Service. As determined by the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group, expanding habitat connectivity and long-term monitoring are top priorities for conserving wild dogs. By training and working with Kenyans, innovative community-based solutions can be fostered and implemented, and local awareness of the importance of the environment and wildlife conservation raised.

Wild Dogs in the Biodiversity Hotspot Convergence Zone

Word about the project is spreading, and that’s something in this remote region. Over 100 wild dog sightings have been reported. The AWD Conservancy is presenting new information on wild dogs in the Biodiversity Hotspot convergence zone, which will be used for conservation planning. We will be participating in a regional workshop sponsored by the IUCN Canid Specialist Group and the Wildlife Conservation Society. This is part of a larger continent-wide planning effort to help save wild dogs.

What Local People Say

The first social survey of attitudes towards wild dogs and other large predators was completed. Over 150 villagers were interviewed in 31 villages. Attitudes towards wild dogs, lions, and spotted hyenas, are largely negative because of concern for livestock and/or personal safety. Despite this, wild dogs co-exist with villagers with almost half of those interviewed stating they would not kill them. Religious injunctions and less livestock losses attributable to wild dogs may explain tempered tolerance.

Paradoxically, the majority of those interviewed did not think predators have value, but did not want them to go extinct, with some villagers saying they should be left alone. Reasons given for why predators have value included being an important part of their natural heritage, having potential economic importance (e.g., ecotourism), and killing animals for villagers, as well as consuming dead livestock. Many villagers qualified their responses, suggesting that predators should be placed in a sanctuary or zoo, or only those animals that prey upon livestock should be eliminated.

Although the role of predators in the ecosystem is not largely understood, with over half of villagers believing that wildlife cannot become extinct, most expressed concern for wildlife and the environment in general. This ambivalence highlighted the importance of working with local people to ultimately address the question “How can wild dogs and people co-exist for future generations?” A preliminary attitude survey provided essential baseline data, and helped identify and prioritize realistic objectives for the next field season. Reports were given to partner organizations, the district commissioner, and project staff. Interviews are ongoing to increase the number of villagers and area surveyed.

www.AWDConservancy.org