Impalas donated in support of African wild dog conservation
The Waterberg Wild Dog Initiative (WWDI), a non-profit organization aiming to conserve the free-roaming African wild dogs in the Waterberg, has recently facilitated a donation of 75 impalas to three privately owned game farms near Lephalale.
The impalas were donated by the Limpopo department of economic development, environment, and tourism (LEDET) from the Schuinsdraai Nature Reserve, a provincial reserve near Marble Hall. The animals were translocated at the beginning of October as a way of recognizing the conservation efforts of the relevant private game farms and to offset their stock losses.
These game farms hosted the pack of wild dogs during their extended stay between May-August 2021 in order to raise a litter of pups. Wild dogs are nomadic but during denning season packs remain stationary which means they are hunting in the same area. This behavior has the potential for a high impact on local predation that can put a financial strain on the hosting farms.
“Coordinating this donation of impala shows the private farms that they do not have to single-handedly bear the cost of protecting South Africa’s most endangered carnivore,” says Reilly Mooney, WWDI project coordinator.
“We are grateful to LEDET for recognizing the importance of the free-roaming packs in the Waterberg. This public-private partnership is an important step forward in working together to achieve conservation goals,” she said.
Mooney continued to explain that this was the third year in a row the pack chose to raise their pups in the same area near Lephalale.
“Maintaining this area as a safe and suitable space for the pack is crucial to their survival and prosperity in the area. Therefor this translocation project contributes greatly to achieving that.”
The African wild dog has been listed as endangered (Red list) since 1990 with a worldwide population of fewer than 6000 dogs. The TOOG-area breeding pack is the largest free-roaming pack in South Africa and consists of 19 dogs which include 5 adults, 7 sub-adults (born in May 2021), and 7 pups born this year. The pack roams across 65,000 Ha on more than 55 different private game farms, between Lephalale and Vaalwater in Limpopo.
The only other free-roaming pack in the Waterberg consists of 13 wild dogs.
Feel free to visit the WWDI website – www.waterbergwilddogs.org.za or contact Reilly Mooney on tel. 073 791 6249 or email: coordinator@waterbergwilddogs.org.za for more information.
