Lloyd Mbiba in Hwange
PAINTED dogs face extinction as poachers have upped their illegal hunting in a development that is affecting the wild dogs.
Wilton Nsimanga, education and community development manager at Painted Dog Conservation (PDC), a rehabilitation centre located in Hwange, said people have intensified poaching and are affecting the population of painted dogs.
“Poaching is a big issue and humans are the greatest cause of the depletion of painted dogs,”said Nsimanga.
“If we are not careful the dogs will be extinct.”
Nsimango further revealed that the dogs are unfortunate as poachers will be seeking antelopes and Impalas.
“Poachers want kudus and impala and the painted dogs are caught in the cross fire,” he said.
The poachers use wire snares to trap animals like antelope, kudu and impala.
Since painted dogs feed on the same they are caught in the traps.
He further said PDC has an anti poaching unit.
“On poaching we have tried to do a lot of activities to raise awareness. We have also have an anti poaching unit on the ground to remove snares,” he said.
“People set snares for other animals like antelopes. They set snares to to get meat to sell and eat. But wild dogs end up being the victims.”
The PDC boss also said traffic accidents have caused deaths of painted dogs.
Painted dogs, also known as wild dogs, are actually not dogs at all, but represent an evolutionary line of their own that is unique to the African Continent.
At the turn of the century Africa had a population of 500 000 painted dogs in 39 countries.
But, systematic bounty hunting, poachers snares, road kills and poor land management has decimated the dog population.
Today, they are 7000 dogs and Zimbabwe has 1% of them, that is around 200 painted dogs
