Last week on PeaceParks.TV, we took you behind the scenes of a tense and thrilling wild dog relocation from Maputo National Park. The proactive decision to relocate the wild dogs was taken to protect both the animals and the ecosystems they rely on.
Peace Parks has been assisting Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC) to restore and rewild Maputo National Park for more than a decade. This remarkable park is considered one of the most biologically diverse and endangered ecoregions on Earth. A successful rewilding programme means the park now boasts a 12,300 animal population, a testament to impactful ecological management and protection of wildlife and their habitats. The presence of apex predators, in the right place and at the right time, is an indicator of a healthy landscape and a signal of the success of many years of conservation efforts to revive the park. However, the wild dogs’ prolific hunting abilities pose a threat, at present, to a healthy ecosystem balance in the park.
In part one of this two-part series, we followed the gripping action of the dedicated relocation team, made up of technical advisors, field rangers, wildlife vets, and helicopter pilots. The team was able to successfully track down and dart the pack of wild dogs as the first stage in their relocation. The operation required coordination on the ground and in the air, phenomenal flying skills, and meticulous darting capabilities.
After successfully darting the pack, the next phase of the operation kicked into gear, and the team worked against the clock to track them down in the dense bushveld forests. Once the wild dogs were found, they were safely secured and professionally airlifted to a nearby boma – or holding pen – from which they will later be taken safely back across the border and into South Africa’s Tembe Elephant Park.
This operation is another incredible effort in Peace Parks’ mission to reconnect, revive, and rewild southern Africa. The strong and enabling collaborations between Peace Parks and its partners, built on years of conservation experience and technical ability and a drive to protect the healthy ecosystems that sustain us, are part of our journey to secure conservation at scale.
Stay tuned to PeaceParks.TV for an update in the coming months on this exciting chapter in the rewilding story of Maputo National Park. Join us on our journey and find out more at peaceparks.org/rewilding-africa.
