This week, we set off into the depths of Mozambique’sLimpopo National Park on a Sunday stroll or, perhaps, a surprising safari… seeking a pack of wild dogs, which are a rarity to spot. The search party consists of Bruce Missing, Peace Parks Foundation’s Counter Poaching Coordinator, and Delport Botma, Helicopter Pilot. Both are based in the park, and extremely passionate about the wildlife on their doorstep – to the extent that they’ve opted to devote their day off to the wild dogs. With the help of conservation technology, it is important to track and observe them in their natural habitat.
“Thanks to EarthRanger, which is the software we use to capture and visualise spatial data across the park, we’ve seen that the dogs’ collars were sending signals from a location about 4.5 km from our forward operating base,” says Bruce, as they set off. “Ambitiously, we’re heading out to see if we can find them.”
African wild dogs are the second most endangered carnivore in Africa, and one of the world’s most endangered mammals. Today it is believed that between 3,000 and 5,500 dogs remain in no more than just 1,000 packs, and most of these are to be found in eastern and southern Africa. Despite these odds, they are a recent, natural predator addition as the park’s ecosystems and prey numbers have gone from strength to strength.
Peace Parks and Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas are partnering to protect, develop and restore Limpopo National Park; at 10,000km², this is no small feat. Implementing EarthRanger’s conservation technology is helping to monitor both staff and wildlife whereabouts, which heightens the effectiveness of managing and protecting this vast area. Last year, we shared news of the arrival in the park of two separate packs of wild dog, fitted with satellite tracking collars by the Endangered Wildlife Trust and Contemplate Wild, with funds from the Boucher Legacy Foundation. Data from their collars has been enabling the team to spot and track them over time via ‘heat maps’ which highlight their position by translating location data into markers on a map.
This ongoing information feed is showing that they have slowly been moving deeper into Limpopo from Kruger National Park, a freedom enabled by transboundary landscapes where borders aren’t barriers to wildlife. Their arrival represents a shift from what was once a high-risk habitat to a new safe space for these animals that are choosing to move to the park.
Finding these scarce creatures cannot be counted on, and this time Bruce and Delport end the day with no glimpse of them. But thanks to the dedicated efforts of the Limpopo team, and with valuable insight through the EarthRanger software, there will be plenty more thrilling opportunities to track them down and see them for real in the future. This happens and sooner than they might have expected… Stay tuned to Peace Parks TV for the second instalment, as the wild dogs show up on the park’s runway with an impala!
