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!

Our Facebook Page is Back

Painted Dog Conservation verified Facebook page is back

We are glad to announce that we have finally got our verified Facebook page back and we are now in control. It had been 5 months since we lost access and control to our page with over 40,000 painted dog supporters and friends.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of you who helped and supported us during a hard time. All those who reported the page as hacked and reported the inappropriate content that was being posted by the hackers.

We would like to also apologise for the disturbing and/or irrelevant content that was being posted in our name while the page was being controlled by the actors of the digital dark world.

Special thanks to the Tusk team for your tremendous help getting us to finally talk to a person at Facebook. And thanks to Facebook for trusting us and helping us regain access and control of our page.

So what has happened to our new Facebook Page?

We have merged the new page and old page together. All new followers of the new page are now followers of the old page. Thank you for your support throughout the difficult time.

Kids Back at the Iganyana Children’s Bush Camp

Songwa Primary School kids at Painted Dog Conservation

The Iganyana Children’s Bush Camp closed its first quarter and first school term on a high note after starting up late in Mid-February. We had to ensure that all necessary recommended health protocols were put in place, to make sure the children and our staff were as safe as possible.

The delay in opening schools didn’t dent the hard-working spirit of the staff at camp. St Francis A and B classes that missed camps in 2021 were the first this year although they were already in grade 7. This excited the students quite a lot as they thought they had been left out, “it’s nice to be here”  they kept saying throughout their stay with us at the Bush Camp.

Kids learning at Iganyana Children’s Bush Camp

Songwa and Chezhou were the first grade 6 class of the year. Affected by lockdowns and delayed school openings we noticed the kids had an even greater challenge in reading and writing which slowed down the pace of teaching and learning at the camp. These are kids from rural areas, with no access to the internet or ways of smart learning. When everyone else was doing online lessons they were not, they were home ploughing fields and helping look after livestock. We hope, with the necessary support, we will be able to do more in-school programs and build teacher capacity programs to help bridge the gap.

Chezhou Primary School kids

Completing the generation circle?

Nelson Mandela said, “education is the most important tool we can use to change the world.” But it takes time, it’s an unending process. As if to underline this, we are now seeing students coming to the camp who are children of parents who came to camp while they were grade 6, some 16-17 years ago in what we have termed ‘completing the generation circle. We have had children shout and say, “My mother stayed in room 3 and this is the room,” this is usually met with smiles all over the face. This is an indicator that our goal of having a conservation-conscious generation in the locality is becoming a reality.

The faces of excited children are always a delight to observe and this keeps us going and wanting to do more.

Kids at Iganyana Children’s Bush Camp on a game drive

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.

Field update: Rabies scare

Following an alarming report of a wounded painted dog yesterday, our Executive Director, Peter Blinston and Senior Tracker Jealous Mpofu headed out to the location. They assessed the situation and identified the painted dog as Francie, the alpha female of the Ngweshla pack. Acting out of sense of purpose to help save a dog in need, Peter darted the painted dog, approximately 40m from the waterhole.

As often with being on the frontline of conservation and dealing with wildlife, every situation is unpredictable, Francie walked into the waterhole leaving Peter with no choice but to follow her. He went into the water to be near her and watched her until she showed signs the drugs were working and then grabbed her. Thus making sure her mouth and nose didn’t go underwater at any time.

The late Francie, alpha female of the Ngweshla pack ID file.

She was full of bite marks, a trait consistent with rabies. They took her to our Rehabilitation Facility where she was quarantined and later died. We have so far sent samples to a veterinary lab to confirm the disease.

While the biggest threats to painted dogs come from humans in form of poaching and expanding human settlement that reduces suitable habitat for them and their prey, they are also susceptible to diseases such as rabies and distemper from domestic dogs.

Given their social nature, a disease such as rabies can permeate an entire group through just one dog, and wipe out a whole pack. Mindful of this, identifying and containing the disease is an integral part of our work.

Peter’s Landrover overheated while was searching for the rest of members of Ngweshla pack.

This morning, Peter headed out into Hwange National Park in search of the rest of the Ngweshla pack to see if they need to be brought in as well. Unfortunately, his Landrover engine overheated. Jealous and the other team are still on the job.

Your support makes it possible for us to act when it matters to save the endangered painted dog.

#conservationonthefrontline #savethepainteddog #rabiesisakiller #francie #ngweshla #pdc