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| Wild dogs face the threat of extinction due
largely to people. The AWD
Conservancy is working with communities in one of
the most bioculturally rich regions on earth to find ways for
wild dogs and people to live together and mutually benefit. |
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Biodiversity
Hotspots |
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Study Area |
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| Conserving
Africa's Wild Dogs |
| Word
about the project is spreading, and that’s something
in this remote region! Over 100 sightings of wild
dogs have been reported, including dogs running on
the beach, swimming to islands, and curiously chasing crabs!
Our thanks to Kiwayu Safari Village for sharing this remarkable
picture with us. With the threat of increasing development,
concerns loom large for this unique coastal ecosystem and
its wildlife.
The AWD Conservancy
is presenting new information on wild dogs in the Biodiversity
Hotspot convergence zone that will be used for wild dog
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. |
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| Photo
courtesy of Kiwayu Safari Village |
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The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)
and community leaders were visiting the proposed Ishaq Bini
Community Conservancy along the Tana River when 11 wild dogs
bolted and took off. KWS Surveyor General, Mr. Sipul, quickly
grabbed his digital camera and began snapping away. Needless
to say, our first study pack has now been christened the Ishaq
Bini Pack, and soon we will have more pictures for our family
photo album. Because we can identify individuals by their unique
coat patterns, photos help us get a better idea of how many
wild dogs live in the Biodiversity
Hotspot convergence zone. |
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| Community
Attitudes and Support |
| Interviews
continue so we can learn more about what villagers think about
wild dogs, other large carnivores, and the environment. Many
thanks to over 150 villagers that have participated in the survey
so far. A report was given to the Kenya Wildlife Service, WomanKind
Kenya, and community representatives. Learn
more about what villagers had to say. |
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We are pleased to report that the AWD
Conservancy community project has the support of the Ijara
District Commissioner and Head of the Community Development
Fund, key leaders in the area. |
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| WomanKind
Kenya
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| Our
partner, Womankind Kenya
(Wokike),
is the most respected and effective NGO in the region.
In meetings with Executive Director Sophia Abdi and Program
Director Hubbie Hussein, we provided contacts and information
on ecologically sustainable development and information technology.
Wokike believes that having access to the world can
motivate people to help improve their own lives by stimulating
new ideas and action. To help facilitate this, we gave them
an exciting nonprofit contact that sets up affordable wireless
Internet in remote villages, resources about an innovative rural
community called "Gaviotas" in Columbia, developing
affordable ecologically-minded technology, and doable rain-harvesting
technology with contacts in Kenya and abroad. We
toured Wokike’s home offices in Garissa and Masalani,
and met staff members and community elders. We visited their
school for destitute and orphaned girls that also provides a
safe haven for children escaping female genital mutilation.
Learn more about Wokike and how
you can help. |
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| Floods
in the Region |
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Villagers watched the clouds build in the sky, but this time they warned it
would be a deluge. The short rains had come early. It was
already green and pans were full. Nomads were seen setting
up makeshift camps near small waterholes, even near large
potholes in the dirt track. As we interviewed Pokomo villagers
along the Tana River, rain began to fall again; we jumped
into the vehicle and made our way out. It was clearly time
to leave the study site or risk being stranded for months.
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| Not to be deterred,
project field assistant, Hussein Dahir, returned
to his home area to see family and friends, and continue interviewing
villagers. A week later, the deluge began for real and a dam
burst on the Tana River. Tragically, lives, livestock, and homes
were lost. Tracks on the east bank were impassable. Hussein
took two and a half hours to cross the river, a trip that would
normally have taken 15 minutes. From there, he found transport
to his second home in the town of Garissa. We are relieved to
hear that he is safely back, but very concerned for plight of
the villagers. Wokike is now delivering relief food
and helping villagers wherever they can. |
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Meet
Staff Member, Hussein Dahir |
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Hussein was hired as the
project field assistant and collaborator in the social sciences.
Born and raised in the region, he speaks three languages,
Somali, Swahili, and English, and has a fantastic sense of
humor, something much needed when doing wild dog work in an
area with little infrastructure! With a two-year degree in
sociology, Hussein is continuing the attitude survey work.
He is also helping villagers understand the importance of
the project, while building a network of people to report
wild dog sightings, wildlife poaching, and livestock losses
attributed to predators. Meanwhile the Conservancy is continuing
its search for a second local staff member, this time in the
natural sciences, to collect biological information on wild
dogs. |
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| In
Memory of Yasin Duale |
We
are deeply saddened to report that Yasin Duale, the founder
of our fledging partner community-based organization (CBO),
unexpectedly died. A visionary who deeply cared about his
community, and its flora and fauna, he will be greatly missed.
His efforts to conserve endangered species and to help communities
benefit from their natural heritage, however, will not be
lost. Wokike is keeping the momentum going. With
their mandated commitment to halting environmental degradation
to help improve the livelihoods of women and communities,
Wokike is forming a local environmental
conservation CBO under their umbrella. Wokike,
with its 18 years of experience and recognition of the importance
of wildlife conservation, wants to ensure long-term sustainability
and oversight. They dedicate their efforts to the memory of
Yasin. |
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| Your
Help Is Needed |
| Please consider supporting the African
Wild Dog Conservancy in its efforts to save one of the world’s
most endangered carnivores. Whether a gift in the name of someone
you care about or for yourself, your support really can make
a difference. Thank you. Find
out how you can help. |
Help
Save African Wild Dogs without Spending a Penny! |
| How many times a day
do you search on the Internet? Well, if you use the search engine,
GoodSearch.com (powered by Yahoo), you can help the African
Wild Dog Conservancy conserve this endangered species. Just
go to www.GoodSearch.com
and type "African Wild Dog Conservancy" under "Who
do you GoodSearch for?" After that, you can use the search
box above or just download the GoodSearch toolbar
here. For every Internet search you make, one penny will
go to the conservancy. Please help us spread the word. Too few
people know about the plight of the African wild dog. Your cyber
pennies can make a difference! |
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| The African
Wild Dog Conservancy, started in 2001, is a registered 501(c)(3)
nonprofit dedicated to working with local communities, and
national and international stakeholders, to conserve wild
dogs through scientific research and education. |
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African
Wild Dog Conservancy
P.O. Box 30692
Tucson, AZ 85751 USA |
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