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The Painted Dog is an endangered species. Currently, the greatest threat to its
survival in Zimbabwe is poaching activity by people from the communities that
border the dog populations.
Intervention,
rehabilitation and anti-poaching patrols are crucial to saving the lives of
individuals in an endangered species where every individual is precious.
However, the long-term solution to the problems threatening the survival of
Hwange National Park’s painted dog population involves these efforts plus
conservation education and sustainable development in local communities.
In the
long-term, community attitudes must be modified to encourage sustainable use
of natural resources, including wildlife. Educational programmes teach local
people how unsustainable use of resources will adversely affect the future
of everyone in the communities. The economic value of healthy wildlife
populations and ecosystems is also emphasized. Educational activities also
encourage children to form emotional attachments to nature.
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But education
alone is not enough. Desperation associated with poverty and unemployment
leads local people to abuse their natural resources, even if they know
better, in order to merely survive. Since the tourism crash that began in
2000, unemployment in local communities has soared to over 80%. Before this
time, when Hwange National park was a world-class safari destination, the
tourist industry was the greatest employer of local people. Therefore, the
Painted Dog Conservation project links its education programmes to community
development, by providing employment opportunities and promoting
environmentally sustainable income generation projects for local people.
Presently,
the Painted Dog Conservation project conducts three main conservation
education programmes. All of these activities are based at the project’s
Community Conservation Education Complex (CCEC):
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the Children’s Bush Camp Programme |
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the Community Outreach Programme in local schools and
communities |
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the Visitor Centre’s Interpretive Hall and Trail
System, which will be open to the public upon completion in the near
future. |
For more
information about each of these exciting programmes, press the appropriate
button on this page. |
