scholarly journals The wild dog—Africa's vanishing carnivore

Oryx ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
John H. Fanshawe ◽  
Lory H. Frame ◽  
Joshua R. Ginsberg

This paper presents a synopsis of the current status and distribution of the African wild dog Lycaon pictus, outlines reasons for its decline and discusses recommendations to halt or reverse this decline. A recent review of the status of the species provides evidence that it has disappeared or is in decline throughout its range (sub-Saharan Africa). Relict populations with little or no chance of long-term survival are found in several countries including Algeria and Senegal. Countries believed to contain potentially viable populations are, from north to south, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa (only the Kruger National Park).

Oryx ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 851-853
Author(s):  
Pedro Monterroso ◽  
Filipe Rocha ◽  
Stefan van Wyk ◽  
Telmo António ◽  
Milcíades Chicomo ◽  
...  

AbstractThe civil unrest that ravaged Angola for nearly 30 years took a heavy toll on the country's wildlife, and led to a lengthy absence of reliable information for many threatened species, including the cheetah Acinonyx jubatus and African wild dog Lycaon pictus. Using camera trapping we assessed the status of these two species in two areas of southern Angola, and complemented our findings by reviewing recent survey reports and observations to provide an update on the species' status. We found unequivocal evidence that African wild dogs are resident and reproducing in Bicuar National Park, where cheetahs appear to be absent. Conversely, cheetahs may be resident in western Cuando Cubango province, where African wild dogs may only be transient. Based on these and other recent records in Angola, we recommend a revision of these species' distribution ranges and note the need for monitoring of these remnant populations and for appropriate attention to any threats.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 122-129
Author(s):  
Hosiana Masenga Emmanuel ◽  
Daniel Lyamuya Richard ◽  
Eblate Mjingo Ernest ◽  
Dominikus Fyumagwa Robert ◽  
Røskaft Eivin

PLoS ONE ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e0146263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Ndaimani ◽  
Paradzayi Tagwireyi ◽  
Lovelater Sebele ◽  
Hillary Madzikanda

Oryx ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosie Woodroffe ◽  
Joshua R. Ginsberg

AbstractThe African wild dog Lycaon pictus has declined dramatically over the past 30 years. Formerly distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, today c. 5000 wild dogs remain in total, mostly in southern and eastern Africa. Wild dogs' decline reflects the expansion of human populations and the associated fragmentation of habitat available to wildlife. Because wild dogs live at very low densities, even ‘fragments’ covering thousands of square kilometres may not support viable populations. Furthermore, packs often range beyond the borders of reserves, so even nominally protected populations are often subject to persecution, road accidents, snaring and disease contracted from domestic dogs. Such edge effects mean that reserves smaller than c. 10,000 sq km will provide only incomplete protection. The highest priority for wild dog conservation, therefore, is to maintain and promote the contiguity of areas available to wildlife. Establishing cross-border parks and buffer zones, and encouraging game ranching on reserve borders, will all be beneficial. In smaller areas, protecting wild dogs requires that edge effects be mitigated by: (i) working with local farmers to limit persecution; (ii) controlling snaring; (iii) routing roads carrying high-speed traffic away from wildlife areas; and (iv) minimizing contact between wildlife and domestic dogs. Most of these measures will also benefit other wildlife.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard D Lyamuya ◽  
Emmanuel H Masenga ◽  
Robert D Fyumagwa ◽  
Machoke N Mwita ◽  
Craig R Jackson ◽  
...  

<p class="1Body">This study discusses the conflict between Maasai pastoralists and African wild dogs (<em>Lycaon pictus) </em>over livestock before and after the Maasai were evicted from the Serengeti National Park (SNP) in 1959. We surveyed 181 randomly selected households from six villages in the eastern Serengeti ecosystem. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to acquire the required information from the respondents. We found that males had a greater awareness of local wild dog presence and livestock-derived conflict than females, and reported more frequently to have chased and killed wild dogs that attacked their livestock. Moreover, the conflict existed before 1959, decreased during the 1990s, but increased from 2000 onwards. This increase is attributed to the growth in human, livestock and wild dog populations in the area. This study recommends that to foster their coexistence, the continued escalation in livestock numbers needs to cease while simultaneously protecting the region’s wild prey populations.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. e0008823
Author(s):  
Jonathan Kitonsa ◽  
Rebecca Nsubuga ◽  
Yunia Mayanja ◽  
Julius Kiwanuka ◽  
Yofesi Nikweri ◽  
...  

Globally, early initiation of antiretroviral therapy for HIV led to a reduction in the estimated mortality from cryptococcal meningitis (CCM) from 624,700 in 2009 to 181,100 in 2014. However, CCM remains one of the leading causes of mortality among HIV infected patients especially in sub-Saharan Africa where 75% of the deaths occur. Most of the studies evaluating mortality have reported short-term mortality (at or before 10 weeks of therapy). We determined mortality and associated factors among patients treated for CCM in the CryptoDex trial (ISRCTN59144167) in Uganda, and the effect of dexamethasone adjunctive therapy on mortality at two years. We conducted a retrospective cohort study between May 2017 and July 2017 to determine the long term survival (up to 2 years post-randomization) of all patients who had been enrolled into the CryptoDex trial in Uganda. The CryptoDex trial recruited between April 2013 and February 2015. We estimated mortality rates and determined factors affecting mortality at two years using Cox regression. The study followed up 211 participants, 127 (60.2%) of whom were male. Sixteen participants (7.58%) were diagnosed with HIV at the same admission when CCM was diagnosed. By two years following randomization 127 (60%) participants had died, a mortality rate of 67 deaths per 100 person-years. Mortality was associated with Glasgow coma score (GCS) below 15 (adjusted Hazard ratio (aHR) 1.77, 95% CI: 1.02–2.44), p = 0.040; weight (aHR 0.97, per 1 Kg increase; 95% CI: 0.94–0.99), p = 0.003; and presence of convulsions (aHR 2.31, 95% CI: 1.32–4.04), p = 0.004, while dexamethasone use and fungal burden had no effect. Long-term mortality in CCM patients remains high even among patients receiving recommended therapy. Strategies to improve long-term survival in CCM patients are urgently needed, especially targeting those with reduced GCS, low weight, and convulsions.


Behaviour ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 156 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-58
Author(s):  
Esther van der Meer ◽  
Nick Lyon ◽  
Thomas Mutonhori ◽  
Roseline Mandisodza-Chikerema ◽  
Peter Blinston

Abstract When selecting prey, carnivores optimise energy gained when consuming prey against energy spent when pursuing and subduing prey. Additionally, predators seem to preferentially predate on prey which presents a low risk of injury. When defending itself against predators, baboons (Papio spp.) can inflict serious injury and cause mortality. Although part of Africa’s large carnivores’ diet, predation on baboons is usually avoided. We investigated prey selection patterns of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. Based on direct and indirect observations and analyses of faecal samples, we show that baboons form a substantial part of the African wild dog diet and were more frequently predated on than would be expected based on availability. Predation on baboons did not vary over baboon sex or age classes but was affected by seasonality. This is the first study to describe a preference for predation on this unusual prey species.


Author(s):  
Boubacar Diallo ◽  
Fulbert Tchana Tchana ◽  
Albert G. Zeufack

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sándor Szabó ◽  
Irene Pinedo Pascua ◽  
Daniel Puig ◽  
Magda Moner-Girona ◽  
Mario Negre ◽  
...  

AbstractLack of access to modern forms of energy hampers efforts to reduce poverty. The provision of electricity to off-grid communities is therefore a long-standing developmental goal. Yet, many off-grid electrification projects neglect mid- and long-term operation and maintenance costs. When this is the case, electricity services are unlikely to be affordable to the communities that are the project’s primary target. Here we show that, compared with diesel-powered electricity generation systems, solar photovoltaic systems are more affordable to no less than 36% of the unelectrified populations in East Asia, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. We do so by developing geo-referenced estimates of affordability at a high level of resolution (1 km2). The analysis illustrates the differences in affordability that may be found at the subnational level, which underscores that electrification investments should be informed by subnational data.


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