THE NORTHERN TULI WILD DOG PROJECT

Wild Dog project reports 2010

Jan

Feb

Sep

Oct

Nov

Wild Dog project reports 2009

Jan

Feb

April

Aug

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Wild Dog project reports 2008

Principal Researcher: Mr Craig Jackson

After the relocation of 18 wild dogs to the reserve, the start of 2008 saw the planning of the Northern Tuli Game Reserve wild dog project. The project has several partners including the Predator Conservation Trust, Botswana, the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Botswana, EWT and the Mammal Research Institute at the University of Pretoria, South Africa.


AFRICA GEOGRAPHIC, 01 Feb 2008 - Page 18. Article - "Crossing borders"


Rex Masupe has been employed as the Community Liaison Officer (CLO), while I will be responsible for monitoring the dogs progress and movements as part of a larger research project. Since 60% of adult wild dog mortality is related to some form of contact with humans, the community education project is of great importance to the project. While every effort will be made to ensure that the pack remains within the confines of the NTGR, the wide-ranging behaviour of wild dogs may result in contact with adjacent communities at one time or another. To further reduce the potential of conflict with humans, a 'biofence' will be tested for the first time in collaboration of Dr Tico McNutt. Since wild dogs are territorial and actively mark the boundaries of their territories, we will attempt to simulate the presence of three additional wild dog packs along the perimeter of the reserve.

This novel concept will make use of wild dogs scats collected from two of Dr McNutts study packs in the north of the country, and another from a pack situated in the Venetia Limpopo Reserve in South Africa. Three to four radio collars will be fitted on the dogs in order to locate them. During February, Rex and I surveyed roads that would provide suitable tracks on which to place the scats. The distance to the reserve boundary and the vegetation density affects this suitability of this route. We have identified where the biofence will be located and can now distribute the scats when they arrive closer to the release time.

Two meetings were held at the reserve in January in order to manage the project. It was emphasised that this is a NTGR project. Partners to the project are the Endangered Wildlife Trust, Predator Conservation Program Botswana and the Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Botswana. Project 'benefactors' are recognised as individuals or entities donating a minimum of P25 000. The current 'benefactors' in the project are the Northern Tuli Game Reserve landowners, Mashatu Game Reserve and Tuli Lodge.

Pamphlets and posters have been designed for the community work, with pamphlets to be printed in both English and Setswana. A selected group of village leaders will be hosted at Tuli Lodge for one night. In addition to information on the animals, the wild dog project will be explained to the “VIPs”. Community education will commence soon within the villages soon after this introductory session has been conducted early in March. We will also be gathering information from the communities by conducting questionnaires. This will be helpful in that the results will provide us with an understanding of attitudes towards predators and conservation in general, as well as issues pertaining to human wildlife conflict. These findings could also be important to ensure that the community education programme adequately addresses all issues pertinent to villages. We are still hoping to secure a quad bike to facilitate Rex’s work.

The wild dog release was initially scheduled for mid-February 2008, but due to several factors beyond our control, including the availability of scats for the biofence, has now been postponed to 5 April.

During the first week of February Rex and I went to the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, to spend a few days with Zama and Brendan at the Park’s wild dogs project. Brendan is involved with monitoring the dogs while Zama is very involved in a community outreach program. Consequently, both Rex and I had much to learn from these guys. The trip was definitely worthwhile and we both learnt a lot that would be very applicable to our new project in the NTGR.

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