|
Field News and Accomplishments
|
|
Wild dogs face the threat of extinction largely due to people.
With your support, 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 co-exist. |
|
| |
|
|
Biodiversity
Hotspots |
|
Study Area |
|
|
| Working
to Conserve Africa’s Wild Dogs |
| |
|
With your help,
we have completed the first baseline wild dog and
social attitudes surveys ever done in Kenya’s
Biodiversity Hotspot
convergence zone and are now writing up the final reports.
Over 200 sightings of wild dogs
have been recorded and they keep coming, including a recent
sighting of a pack of about 30 wild dogs (shown above)—a
very large pack indeed! A pack of this size, with only adults
and juveniles (no pups were seen), is really unusual. Prior
to our work in this remote region, scientists were unaware
that this potentially key population linking wild dogs in
the Horn of Africa even existed. More survey details and discoveries
to come as the study continues! |
|
|
|
|
| Meet
Our New Community Partner |
| |
| We
are very pleased to report that our community-based
partner, the Qalesa Environmental
Conservation Organization (QEC), is up and running.
Started by local people, QEC is now an officially registered
charity under the umbrella of Womankind
Kenya (Wokike), the most respected and effective NGO in
the region. QEC is dedicated to conserving wildlife and finding
ways to minimize human/wildlife conflict, and empowering local
people to develop sustainable uses of natural resources. Protecting
endangered species like wild dogs is high on its agenda. In
an incredibly short time, this organization already has 30
members including men and women living in Garissa, Masalani,
Ijara, Hulugho, and Bodhei. In our meetings with QEC members,
they identified two top priorities: educating villagers about
the importance of wildlife and protecting their natural heritage
from poachers. The African Wild Dog Conservancy
is organizing a regional conservation education training workshop
and providing educational materials on wild dogs, as well
as other endangered species. We look forward to working together
to conserve wildlife and promote biocultural tourism.
Learn more about QEC. |
|
|
|
|
WomanKind Kenya Update |
Our
partner, Womankind Kenya (Wokike),
is the most respected and effective NGO in the region. Co-founded
by Sophi Abdi Noor and Hubbie Hussein, Wokike's mission is
to empower women and girls, and to alleviate poverty in local
com- munities. Improving livelihoods by stopping environmental
degradation and promoting sustainable use of natural resources
is a cornerstone of their philosophy. In keeping with their
commitment to involve local communities in the conservation
of resources, Wokike oversees QEC and closely works with the
AWD Conservancy to help build local capacity. This hard-working
NGO has been at it for 18 years, and we know we are very fortunate
to be working with them!
With general elections coming in December, Wokike is intensely
involved in voter education to help ensure that all voices
be heard. Wokike’s school for destitute and
orphaned girls is growing at a fast pace and more
teachers are needed. Please help Wokike save and
educate these children. Learn
more about Wokike and how you can help this remarkably
effective organization.
|
 |
| Hubbie
and Sophia |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Field assistant and QEC member, Hussein
Dahir, will become the new field coordinator
for the community wild dog project. He continues building
local project support and participation while collecting
field data. Shortly, Hussein will be taking on more responsibilities
as the project moves into a new phase. Congratulations to
Hussein!
|
| |
|
Bob Teaches Use of GPS |
| |
|
Kim Teaches
Map Reading |
|
Abdi Noor, also born and raised in the
area, was hired and trained by the AWD
Conservancy to conduct wildlife tran-sects
in the Ishaqbini Conservancy and the adjacent Tana
River National Primate Reserve, Ishqbini is the first
community-run wildlife sanctuary in the Biodiversity
Hotspots. Abdi is walking transects, recording wildlife
he sees, including wild dog prey species. This baseline
information will help Ishaqbin and the AWD Conservancy
monitor trends over time to monitor animal diversity and
numbers.
|
| |
Monitoring
wild dog prey species is important because packs are more
likely to prey on livestock where their natural prey has been
depleted. This can lead to greater conflict with people. Plans
are underway to expand the area covered in 2008 to use both
road (from a vehicle) and walking transects. We would also
like to congratulate Abdi who was recently sworn in as an
Ishaqbini scout! |
|
| |
|
| |
Typical
for the onset of the dry season, the wind blew steadily as
we dropped south to Masalani. Dik diks, tiny antelopes, darted
across the dirt track in front of us, and reticulated giraffes
browsing on acacia leaves glanced our way. The camel caravans
we frequently encountered near the town of Garissa all but
disappeared. The bush was quite lush and waterholes that would
dry up as the season wore on still held enough for thirsty
wildlife and livestock.
|
| |
|
|
|
Dik Dik |
Reticulated Giraffe |
Dromedary Camels |
|
|
When
we arrived at Balah—modest one-room lodgings built
by Wokike and now run by local women—the
sun was setting as bats roosting in the open eaves of
our hut began taking flight. |
|
Balah |
|
| |
|
Special Thanks to Aden Shaiye
|
|
Aden has been working for the
wild dog project as a volunteer community liaison, while working
for the Red Cross food distribution program. After completing
his college degree in India, Aden returned home to help his
community. Concerned about women’s health and environmental
degradation, Aden is currently trying to find alternative
fuel sources. Women cooking with
firewood often suffer from eye problems thought
be related to wood burning, and harvesting firewood is depleting
resources. The conservancy provided contacts and
information on solar cooking. If you can help in any
way, either by providing information, contacts, or if this
is your specialty (!), please contact us. |
|
|
|
|
| Your
Help Is Needed |
| |
Photo
by Endangered Wildlife Trust |
|
|
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 protect 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 really can make a difference!
|
|
|
|
|
Put Your Online-Buying Power to Use without any
Additional Cost to You! |
|
Music, videos, movies, books, electronics,
home & garden, whatever you buy on Giveline.com
is a unique opportunity to help move forward the work of the
African Wild Dog Conservancy. It works like
this: select the Conservancy as your charity of choice, and
7 to 33% of the selling price of items purchased wiill be
donated to the AWD Conservancy without any
additional cost to you. Just click on Giveline
to find out more.
| |
|
|
| |
|
| The
African Wild Dog Conservancy, started in
2001, is a fully 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. |
| African
Wild Dog Conservancy
P.O. Box 30692
Tucson, AZ 85751 USA |
|
|
|
|
