I am extremely excited to tell you that yesterday we opened the doors to our Painted Wolf Conservation Leadership Programme. This is a major collaboration between PWF, the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) and Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) in Zimbabwe. Funding from the Painted Dog Fund has made this programme possible.
Painted wolves require specialist skills and knowledge in order to protect them, which is severely lacking in most areas where they exist. This Programme pulls on the experience of two of the most significant and successful painted wolf conservation projects in Africa, and is professionally managed by the Painted Wolf Foundation.
I am grateful to Ruth Kabwe and Will Donald who have worked tirelessly over the last six months to get the curriculum prepared, working closely with, and drawing on, the extensive training experience of ZCP’s Dr Matt Becker and his wider team.
I am also delighted to welcome Christine Mwewa and Stephen Ngoma from Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ) who are our first participants, and recently began a programme of conserving the packs in the Zambezi Valley, with support from the Painted Dog Fund.
They will stay at our purposely built Painted Wolf BaseCamp that has been developed on ZCP’s original field site. It is situated just outside South Luangwa National Park – an area now rich with painted wolves.
All our participants will be faced with a simple challenge which asks:
“You are in a landscape with painted wolves; we know very little about them. What do we need to do to learn more about the local population and set-up an effective conservation program to protect them?”
They will then be expertly guided for the next three weeks to answer this question and be able to take back the skills they learn and apply them in their own landscape.Â
We believe that this Programme will make a huge contribution to the future of painted wolf conservation across Africa, building a new generation of African conservation leaders to protect the species.
And not unimportantly, it will make a significant impact on the return on investment we can expect from the Painted Dog Fund. The Fund will confidently be able to invest in unprotected packs across Africa, knowing that there are experts on the ground to deliver the outcomes that are so desperately needed.
My heartfelt thanks to all of you who have joined us on this journey and supported us. Together, with your continued support, we will secure the future of the painted wolf.
Below are a few snap-shots of our first day!
With best wishes
Nicholas Dyer
Chief Executive – Painted Wolf Foundation
Director – Painted Dog Fund
None of this would be possible without the support of Robin Pope Safaris
Robin Pope Safaris who provided the land to build the Painted Wolf BaseCamp. They are South Luangwa’s most experienced safari operator and have been an invaluable partner to have in the Luangwa Valley.
