Please Help African Wild Dogs

Please help save African wild dogs. These creatures are marvellous – undeniably so. They are intelligent and sociable and wonderfully adventurous. They spend their lives wandering huge areas of Africa’s wilderness.

But they need room – enormous amounts of it – and humanity has been whittling away their wild places to such a degree that these dogs are becoming a relic of a wildlife paradise that no longer exists.

They don’t understand the roads that now crisscross their habitat – using them as trails until they’re battered by a truck. And they’ve been boxed in by human settlements, forcing them into contact with deadly domestic diseases that wipe out entire packs.

There are fewer than 1,500 mature adults left.

But there is still time.

Southern National Park in South Sudan is potentially perfect for wild dogs. That’s why we’re asking for your donations which could help us secure it as a place where these dogs can run free.

New development is ceaselessly pressing on their fragmented habitat – please – make a donation today and help provide them a sanctuary where they can finally be safe.

African wild dogs are struggling to cope with the rapid increase in human settlements and infrastructure development that are encroaching on their traditional range.

Whilst they normally prefer wild prey, wild dogs may attack domestic livestock if the opportunity arises, leading to conflict with farmers that may result in pack members being shot. In addition they often cross high-speed roads, which leads to numerous accidents – especially where roads cut through dense wildlife areas.

They’re also susceptible to most of the same diseases as domestic dogs, and contact with human settlements exposes them to infectious diseases such as canine distemper and parvovirus. This has recently led to major population crashes in several locations. Rabies in particular has been a major factor in recent local extinctions and infection from domestic dogs remains a huge risk.

Conservation efforts are focused on coexistence, conflict resolution, and accident and disease prevention. For example, domestic livestock killed by dogs is purchased at a fair price to deter farmers from shooting dogs, warning signs are being put up on roadsides, and rabies vaccines are being distributed to nearby communities.

FFI is supporting wild dog conservation in a host of locations, and Southern National Park is one such area. Until recently its hidden depths have remained largely unexplored – we had been relying on research dating back to the 1980s, an understandable hiatus given the country’s recent turbulent history.

This vast wilderness covers an area the size of Wales – but that sheer enormity is a double-edged sword, and goes a long way to explaining the near complete absence of conservation management and wildlife protection in the park.

In partnership with Bucknell University’s Dr DeeAnn Reeder and South Sudan’s Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is aiming to rectify that situation by restoring effective management to Southern National Park.

FFI’s long-term vision for conservation in South Sudan is to ensure there is a network of functioning protected areas that will safeguard crucial habitat and the biodiversity it harbours, including key populations of some of Africa’s most iconic species. Southern National Park is the cornerstone of that ambition, and we look forward to resurrecting our vital work in full in this neglected wildlife haven once Covid-19 is behind us.

Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is the world’s oldest conservation charity. Over the last 100 years, we have literally saved species from extinction and even – with the help of our vice-president, Sir David Attenborough – helped bring mountain gorillas back from the brink. We work to protect plants and animals around the globe, and spend 94% of our income on charitable activities.

Thank you.