Protecting Painted Dogs

Thank you for supporting David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation through GlobalGiving.

Over the past six-months, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) have continued to work alongside our ground-based conservation partners in Zimbabwe to protect a vital stronghold of painted dogs.

By supporting anti-poaching patrols and operations in and around the Hwange National Park, DSWF are helping to remove snares and to disincentivize ‘would be poachers’ from entering the park which ultimately creates a blanket of protection for painted dogs.

Over the past six-months, DSWF have supported 532 ranger patrols recovering 479 snares across 5000km² of prime painted dog habitat. DSWF have also supported the training and employment of 17 anti-poaching unit scouts who have been strategically deployed in poaching hot spots leading to the apprehension, conviction, and persecution of 12 poachers.

Due to Covid-19 and school vacations, DSWF funding has not contributed towards youth education over the past six months. However, over the next few months we will continue our long-standing support of a kid’s bush camp in the Hwange National Park which teaches local children conservation concepts, an understanding of ecological relationships, the value of biodiversity, an appreciation of painted dogs and the role they play in ecosystems. The purpose of these bush camps is to inspire an emotional attachment to the beauty and complexity of nature and inspire children to become the environmental leaders of tomorrow.

The Bigger Picture

Over the past 12 months, DSWF have continued our 37-year legacy of providing unwavering support to protect some of the world’s most endangered species. Over the course of 2022 we will continue to support our long-term conservation partners to protect wildlife, tackle wildlife crime and reduce poaching threats alongside engaging and supporting more community groups working to protect wildlife.

Thanks to your help, we have granted over £11 million in direct conservation support to turn the tide on extinction.

On behalf of everyone at DSWF and the wildlife we fight to protect, Thank You.

Links:

• Read our 2020-2021 Impact Report
• Read our latest Wildlife Matters Magazine.

Thank you for supporting David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) through GlobalGiving. As well as providing you with your bi-annual Painted dog project report, we would also like to inform you about an exciting campaign.

DSWF works closely with our ground-based conservation partner in Zimbabwe who seek to increase the range and numbers of painted dogs in and around the Hwange National Park. We work to achieve this target through a series of initiatives including anti-poaching, education and community outreach programmes.

Over the past 25 years, DSWF have been funding initiatives to combat human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe and were thrilled to hear that our ground-based conservation partners received multiple alerts this year from communities that painted dogs were denning near their homes. This offered opportunities for these packs to be relocated, mitigating any potential conflict and retaliatory killings. With only 6,500 painted dogs left in Africa, initiatives such as this are essential to help populations recover. We were also thrilled to hear that one of the alpha females in the Lukodet pack has given birth to 52 pups in just five years!

In the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe one of Africa’s last painted dog strongholds remain. However, poaching in Hwange remains a serious threat to painted dog populations who are often the unintentional victims of wire snares. This year, DSWF continued our long-term support of anti-poaching patrols in the Hwange National Park contributing towards 16,144km of ranger patrols, the apprehension and prosecution of 28 poachers and the removal of c.3000 snares. After many years of supporting lobbying efforts, we were also thrilled to see Zimbabwe government granting Special Protection to painted dogs meaning that anyone convicted of unlawful killing of a painted dog will face a mandatory 9-year jail term.

How can you help this work continue?

This week GlobalGiving are hosting their annual Little by Little campaign, this means that all donations donated through GlobalGiving to David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation between Monday 13^th and Friday 17^th September will receive 50% match funding from GlobalGiving. So, if you donate £20 today, we receive £30 towards Painted Dog conservation making your contribution work that little bit harder!

We are hugely grateful that you have chosen to support us to help turn the tide on extinction. Thank you.

Little by Little Campaign T’s and C’s

• Campaign runs from Monday 13^th to Friday 17^th September.
• Donations up to the amount of $50 / £36 will be match funded by 50%.
• One donation per unique donor will be match funded.
• New monthly donations set up this week will be 50% match funded and your 4th donation will be 100% matched!
• All DSWF GlobalGiving projects are eligable for match funding.