We were excited to receive Wildlife Conservation Network‘s newsletter, especially as it features a visit to the painted wolves of Zimbabwe.
Along with the children from PDC’s Bushcamp, Stephanie Carnow, WCN’s Director of Communications and Marketing, spent a week with Painted Dog Conservation in July.
In Hwange, they came across the Destiny pack comprised of three painted wolves, Lucy, Lily and Browny. Wire snares and lion attacks had got the better of the Destiny Pack over the years, whittling their numbers down to three. While lions are a painted wolf’s natural enemy, snares are unintended killers of painted wolves. Snare-setting poachers are targeting antelope species to feed their families but snares are indiscriminate and often end up killing other species.
It was on a bush camp game drive that Stephanie noticed Browny was injured. Browny was too injured to hunt, so was being fed by his pack mates. Being fiercely loyal and as good as the weakest member of the pack, painted wolves take care of the sick, old and injured.
For a depleted group such as this, Browny’s survival could swing the survival of the Destiny pack. This is why PDC decided to intervene.
Browny, distinguished by his floppy ears and tanned coat, had sustained a painful injury to his right testicle. Fortunately, the hard-working PDC team was able to rectify the situation.
RIP Browny
Browny died from old age a couple of months later. He lived to a ripe old age. Lucy and Lily are getting used to life without him and will hopefully join forces with a male dispersal group.
https://www.facebook.com/PaintedDogsZimbabwe/videos/443037076334485/
Read the full story HERE.
