An entire breeding pack of 20 endangered African Wild Dogs has been decimated in a suspected poisoning incident in the NG30 area, about 10km away from Nxaraga. The Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP), in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, subsequently arrested four middle-aged male suspects over the transgression.
Confirming the incident, North West Acting Regional Wildlife Coordinator Thebeyakgosi Horatius stated that the lost pack consisted of 10 adults and 10 puppies. According to Horatius, DWNP officers discovered the carcasses this past Tuesday during a patrol, while the suspects were arrested on Wednesday and handed over to the Maun Police Station.
He said the wild dogs died after consuming meat laced with poison, which is suspected to have been embedded in the wild dogs’ burrows by the suspects. Horatius explained that preliminary investigations indicate the incident was a deliberate act of malice. He cited that the animals had neither damaged property nor targeted the suspects’ livestock, effectively ruling out typical human-wildlife conflict.
In an interview, Botswana Predator Conservation (BPC) Director Tico McNutt strongly condemned the devastating incident. He stated that the deliberate use of toxins not only decimates these rare predators but also ravages the local ecosystem through secondary poisoning.
McNutt said that African wild dogs are classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to a range of challenges. He stated some of the threats facing wild dogs include loss of habitat and persecution by people. According to McNutt, there is currently an estimated 700 to 800 African Wild Dogs in the northern part of Botswana.
Through its BioBoundary Project, BPC uses artificial scent marks to deter wild dogs from crossing the borders of wildlife areas into human-dominated landscapes. This crossing often leads to lethal conflicts with humans over livestock attacks. The BioBoundary Project represents a pioneering effort in wildlife conservation. By harnessing the power of scent communication, the project intends to protect African wild dogs and reduce human-wildlife conflict, using innovative strategies in conservation efforts.
According to the African Wildlife Conservation Fund, there are an estimated 6,600 adult and yearling wild dogs left in the wild around the world. Since wild dogs are a pack species averaging 10 individuals, this translates to only 660 packs or breeding females.
The organization indicates that the wild dog population size is continuing to decline as a result of ongoing habitat loss and fragmentation, conflict with humans, and infectious disease. African wild dogs are reportedly the second most endangered large carnivore on the continent, occurring in only 14 African countries, with viable populations left in only eight nations: Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, Tanzania, Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, and Kenya.
