Painted Dog Conservation partners Wild and Free Foundation

Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) and Wild and Free Foundation (WFF) have partnered to support conservation through sport, sponsoring the Iganyana Football League. Wild and Free Foundation (WFF) is a non-profit organization based in the United States and South Africa with a mission to empower youth and communities living around the national parks and wildlife reserves in Africa through sport and economic opportunities to reduce their dependence on poaching.

For over 15 years now, PDC has been sponsoring the local football league - Iganyana Football League – to reach out to the youth about conservation, keeping them engaged and away from illegal activities in the wilderness, e.g. poaching. Over the years, the league yielded significant results in reporting poaching activities, reporting painted dog sightings and supporting community-based initiatives such as clean-up campaigns and borehole repairs.

The PDC WFF partnership couldn't have come at any better time than now. To reflect this partnership, the league will now assume a new name, 'Rhino Cup Champions League Zimbabwe – Iganyana Division' to reflect this partnership.

Rhino Cup Champions League (RCCL) is the brainchild of WFF. WFF successfully implemented the Rhino Cup Champions League in Mozambique in 2017 with positive results such as reduced rhino poaching. Boredom, idleness, and poverty are some of the contributing factors to becoming a poacher. RCCL Zimbabwe addresses these factors by supporting and sponsoring the sports communities love - football - helping save wildlife and people.

Soccer Kit and Equipment Handover Ceremony

Under this new partnership, we distributed WFF Germany-sourced soccer kits and equipment on the 2nd of July 2022 to all 20 community-based teams in the league. The local chief, Chief Dingani-Nelukoba, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the PDC Board of Trustees, Col K Mhlophe from the national football governing board Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA), Zimbabwe women's national team coach Sithetheliwe' Kwinji 15' Sibanda, WFF's Kathrin Ehrke, community leaders and team representatives among others graced the event.

Each team received at least two soccer kits, including boots, socks, balls, cooler boxes, nets, cones, and bibs.

PDC and WFF's common goal is to empower and uplift young people and to help them get on a positive life path instead of the destructive path of poaching or any other types of illegal activities while engaging with people, uplifting communities and protecting wildlife. We are creating an environment where endangered species like painted dogs and other wildlife can thrive.

The RCCL Zimbabwe - Iganyana Division supports 20 male and four female community-based teams from communities adjacent to Hwange National Park, directly impacting wildlife and people welfare in the area.

To support conservation through sport, kindly send us a direct email or donate to the button below.

Giving poaching the red card!

Conservation through Action and Education!

Keeping Up with the Dogs

A happy pack of painted dogs by Nicholas Dyer Photography

The dog stories for the period are a mix of both good and bad news. Most of you would know about the Mpindothela pack, a merger of the four males from the Mathathela pack which used to roam near our headquarters in Dete and the four remaining females of the notorious Mpindo pack. The pack was formed when we released the Mpindo females to join the waiting males outside our Rehabilitation facility last year.  

Tragedy struck when Chenai, the seeming alpha female, was run over and Peace, one of the males, disappeared. This was quickly followed by the death of the male Khule and suddenly the pack was only five in number.

The Mpindothela pack

The pack separated soon after Khule’s death. The females Madube and Clara spent a lot of time near our Rehab facility, making frequent ‘visits’ to villages nearby to predate on goats. Despite the losses we are very delighted to report that the community responded positively. They did not kill or harm the dogs. We worked closely with the communities involved, Mabale, Dopota, Lupote and Magoli, as well as the community anti-poaching volunteers to safeguard livestock as well as keep the dogs safe.

A fellow stakeholder, Soft Foot Alliance has been piloting an earth regeneration project in a small area of Mabale and has been promoting group herding and bomas for livestock. It is interesting to note that none of the households partaking in this Soft Foot Alliance’s program lost goats to painted dogs or any livestock to any wildlife. 

Community Ant-poaching Volunteers helping our Research and Anti-poaching team

In light of this and with some insights from the Tusk Symposium that we recently took part in, which emphasized working together to build resilience in conservation, we are exploring opportunities and possibilities of collaborating with Soft Foot Alliance. The aim is to expand their programs outside of Mabale village into all the villages in our core operating area. Their programs are proving to be effective in reducing human-wildlife conflict and we believe we can do more for both painted dogs and the community by working together with Soft Foot Alliance.

The Batsha pack

In Sinamatela, our base tracker Washington Moyo reported a new pack composed of two females and two males which, he named the Batsha pack, meaning ‘the new pack’. He sighted the pack for the first time in the Kashawe concession in Sinamatela. Upon investigation, he discovered that the two males are Lifa and Dela, once with the Lukodet pack and they had dispersed in 2021. The two females, Zizi and Rocco, are also dispersals from one of the well-known packs, the Bumbusi pack. A family has been formed and we are happy with this new possible breeding unit that will add to the Hwange National Park painted dog population.

The Batsha pack

Thank You Dominic, Farewell

Dominic ‘DJ’ Nyathi has left Painted Dog Conservation. He has been chosen by Wilderness Safaris to head up their Children In The Wilderness (CITW) programme, which is actually modelled on our Conservation Clubs that DJ established.

He served with us for 11 years and immensely contributed to our education and community programs over the years. For that, we are really grateful. While his leaving us is a loss, it’s a great opportunity for him and well deserved.

We know he will continue to represent PDC in the best possible way and we wish him all the best of luck in his new role.

Thank you Dominic!

Resolute in Protecting Painted Dogs and Wildlife

Snare wire piles at Painted Dog Conservation anti-poaching base

Anti-poaching is a complementary and essential effort in the holistic approach we have employed to try and save painted dogs from extinction. Our team of highly trained scouts have been in the field since 2001, removing the indiscriminate and deadly snares and arresting poachers.

During the first quarter of 2022, our scouts conducted 262 patrols covering an area of 1422km2. They recovered 319 snares and made 2 arrests. 

The community anti-poaching teams that were formed to complement PDC’s effort continue to grow as more and more people in the nearby villages display positive attitudes towards wildlife. All three Community teams comprising Mabale, Dopota and Nabushome carried out their voluntary patrols without any adverse reports. The Sianyanga community has now also indicated their intention by formalising their team and work. Sianyanga has four forest land areas around their village which need monitoring due to the frequent presence of wildlife therein and the threats by poachers to both wildlife and livestock.

This brings the total of Community APU members to 187.

A pack of painted dogs

Enock Zulu demonstrates how to use the Trimble gadget and SMART software

We trained the Mabale, Nabushome and Dopota teams to use the Trimble device and the SMART data collection software to better record their patrols and findings. The teams were issued with one device each for use during their patrols and we will undertake the same training with the Sianyanga team.

Dopota Community Anti-poaching Volunteers SMART training

25 Years and Counting...

Peter Blinston - Executive Director, Painted Dog Conservation

It seems incredible to think that I’ve been committed to creating an environment where painted dogs can thrive for 25 years now….and counting. 

I first came out to Zimbabwe in 1997 to see what Greg Rasmussen and his then Painted (Hunting) Dog Research Project were doing. It was the proverbial one-man-band or put another way one man and his dog(s).

I had actually met Greg in Falmouth in January 1997, but the beginning of the journey goes back to June 1996 when I read an article in the Royal Geographical Magazine. The article gave me David Shepherd Foundation as a contact and Mel Shepherd gave me a fax number in Zimbabwe. I guess the rest is history!

Since then I have maintained a single focus to build a robust organisation that is equipped to tackle the multiple challenges of front line conservation.

Chief Nelukoba-Dingani

Key to that has been developing a strong working relationship with our local Chief, Chief Nelukoba, who I first met in 1998. And he has been a resolute spokesperson ever since.

At this stage, I was already talking of the need to create structure and met with lawyer Kevin Arnott in Harare to discuss the options. Soon after that I met Jerry Gotora at a Wildlife Society AGM in Kwekwe and told Greg that Jerry needs to be our Chairman.  Happily, Jerry agreed and like Chief Nelukoba he has been a combination of rock and guiding hand on our Board ever since, A Board that has necessarily evolved to also comprise Everisto Marowanyanga as Secretary, Moyra Thain as Treasurer and Chief Nekatambe.

Jealous has been another ever-present and he is also closing in on 25 years and counting…. I remember meeting him for the first time in May 1998, he was cutting the grass at the house we rented. I went into the field with Greg, where we cut or rather attempted to cut a pathway to the den of a painted dog pack. In the evening I was nursing my tattered, blistered, thorn torn hands. In the morning I told Jealous to join us because I knew for sure that he would be better at wielding an axe than me.

Peter Blinston and Senior Tracker Jealous Mpofu in Mana Pools

It was the start of a friendship and trust that has also stood the test of time and a day in the field with him, tracking dogs is a privilege.

The threats to the painted dogs are many. Loss of quality habitat sums it up but it is way more complex than that.

Talk of elephant populations and poaching dominates the landscape. Hwange National Park, where I live, is home to an estimated 40,000 elephants and 200 painted wolves. It is obvious to me which species will win the race to extinction. A race no species wants to be in let alone win.

Peter Blinston darting a painted dog

Immediate action is required as well as a long term strategic approach. I believe that the individual is the key. Changing an individual’s life, be it an individual painted dog or a person can and does make a difference. A life-changing difference. And it’s done, one day at a time, one life at a time. There is no quick fix. There is no simple answer or remedy to saving an endangered species.

I have been challenged physically and emotionally, so many times in the past years. On more occasions than I care to remember I have found myself asking just how much I have to give. Knowing that the answer is always more, more, more.

Peter Blinston, Tracker Washington Moyo and Sam Blinston collaring a painted dog

Even after all the literal, sweat blood and tears that have flown in the past 25 years, I know that the future is still no more certain or secure than it was twenty years ago.  

I remain as committed as ever, to building a team, equipped physically and mentally to take on the challenges that lie ahead. The team are all local people, literally, the majority of the 66 staff are from the local villages that surround us. Their development is key to creating the capacity and robustness needed so that Painted Dog Conservation endures as an organisation beyond any one individual

Peter Blinston and Painted Dog Conservation Operations Manager David Kuvawoga

The hill is steep, some say it’s too steep to climb, but I say climb it in your own way. Above all, be determined to reach the top.

Such is life on the front line of conservation, where the future is so uncertain.