2008-03-12 : WILD DOGS

South Africa and Botswana collaborate on translocation

A pack of 18 African wild dogs, donated by South African National Parks, was last week translocated from Marakele National Park in Limpopo Province to the Northern Tuli Game Reserve in Botswana.

Their reintroduction into the area is meant to facilitate the establishment of a viable population of these endangered animals on both sides of the Limpopo River.

The area forms part of the recently proclaimed Limpopo- Shashe Transfrontier Conservation Area, and incorporates Mapungubwe National Park in South Africa and the Tuli Block in Botswana.

Fences are already going down in the area.

'There were nine adults and nine pups in the pack. The puppies were all put into a custom-built puppy container. We put down a bed of lucerne and they slept the whole journey" said Harriet Davies- Mostert, manager of the Endangered Wildlife Trust's Carnivore Conservation Group.

"Each adult had its own box, and we used three trailers to transport them. It was a long day, but the move went off perfectly."

At sunset the convoy arrived at its destination. Each box had someone on top of it, and all the doors were opened at the same time.

"The dogs darted out and disappeared into the foliage. We could hear them yipping and squealing as they were reunited," she said, "but one stayed curled up in his box and we almost had to tip him out."