Our Investments
We invest in projects and initiatives that are designed to bring about transformational change either for a local population or across the entire species.
Kick-starting a painted wolf project in Tsavo East National Park
| Implementation Partner | Tsavo Trust |
| Strategy | Collaboration / Spreading best practice |
| Location | Tsavo East National Park |
| Allocation | US$70,000 |
| Duration | 1 Year |
| Challenge | Tsavo East National Park, part of the wider Tsavo Conservation Area, is Kenya’s largest national park. Tsavo has space to hold Kenya’s largest painted wolf population, however, the population has experienced significant fluctuations over the past few decades and is currently in decline. Currently there is no dedicated painted wolf conservation programme in Tsavo East. |
| Opportunity | This Painted Dog Fund grant unlocks a unique opportunity to protect one of Africa’s key painted wolf populations through a strong trusted partner, Tsavo Trust. With PWF’s strategic guidance and Tsavo Trust’s strong local partnerships and expertise, Tsavo Trust will build conservation capacity for painted wolves, monitor threats, and deliver rabies vaccinations, ensuring a brighter future for painted wolves in Tsavo East’s vast, iconic landscape. |
Expanding painted wolf protection in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia
| Implementation Partner | Zambian Carnivore Programme |
| Strategy | Collaboration / Spreading best practice |
| Location | Northern Luangwa Valley Ecosystem, Zambia |
| Allocation | US$50,000 |
| Duration | 1 Year |
| Challenge | The 17,000 km² Northern Luangwa Valley in Zambia, part of the larger Luangwa Valley ecosystem, is home to a vital but unprotected population of painted wolves. There are no current intensive monitoring efforts in these areas due to lack of capacity and funding. There is a critical need to gain an understanding of these packs to identify the key threats and work out the correct mitigation strategies. |
| Opportunity | There is a great opportunity to protect these painted wolves by partnering with the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP). With almost 20 years of experience in painted wolf conservation, ZCP’s successful conservation program in South Luangwa provides a proven model to expand efforts into North Luangwa. Supported by a significant grant from the Painted Dog Fund, ZCP can now enhance conservation initiatives to protect painted wolves and ensure their long-term survival across the entire Luangwa Valley. |
Kick-starting a painted wolf project in the Lower Zambezi National Park
| Implementation Partners | Conservation Lower Zambezi Zambian Carnivore Project |
| Strategy | Collaboration / Spreading best practice |
| Location | Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia |
| Allocation | US$50,000 (pre-approval) |
| Duration | 1 Year |
| Challenge | The Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia currently has a strong population of painted wolves, but over the years their presence has been one of brief booms and long busts. Communities’ tolerance towards them has not been measured although we have clear evidence of snaring and road kills impacting on the packs.Very little is known about these packs and why they disappear and, importantly, there are no measures in place to protect them. |
| Opportunity | Conservation Lower Zambezi (CLZ) has established a strong and respected presence in the Zambezi Valley with a focus on anti-poaching and community engagement but has no program to protect the painted wolves. The opportunity is to develop a painted wolf conservation program managed by CLZ, to provide monitoring and protection of the painted wolves and extend community outreach through its extensive programs. This program aims to increase the carrying capacity of the landscape to the sustainable level experienced across the Zambezi in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe. |
Creating a ‘Model for Reintroduction Success‘
| Implementation Partner | Painted Wolf Foundation initiative and collaboration |
| Strategy | Collaboration / Spreading best practice / Reintroduction |
| Location | Africa-wide |
| Allocation | US$25,000 (pre-approval) |
| Duration | 1 Year |
| Challenge | The Painted Wolf Foundation believes that in order to realistically increase painted wolf numbers they need more space. Reintroducing them to former rangelands that are well managed is therefore core to our aim of doubling the population. Reintroductions are not currently a core conservation strategy among conservationists and many ranging opinions exist on how, when and if they should be carried out. |
| Opportunity | In order to make reintroductions an accepted core conservation strategy, we need to define best practice across the whole of Africa. By defining agreed parameters and specific criteria around reintroductions, PWF will be able to make informed funding decisions. The opportunity exists to bring together those with real reintroduction experience to share learning and develop an accepted model for reintroduction success. |
Investing in reliable GPS collars with cutting edge technology.
| Implementation Partner | SpoorTrack |
| Strategy | Collaboration / Spreading best practice |
| Location | Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
| Allocation | US$3,000 (initial testing) |
| Duration | 1 Year |
| Challenge | There is a distinct lack of investment in technology to improve painted wolf conservation outcomes. This is because no individual organization has the funds or capacity to commit to investing and managing large-scale projects. PWF develops initiatives and provides funding and management time to create solutions that are a benefit to the species as a whole. One such example is our investment in R&D and testing in the field a potentially ground breaking solar-powered GPS collar for painted wolves. |
| Opportunity | GPS collars are a critical conservation tool, but are notoriously unreliable, undermining the ability to protect individuals and packs properly. An investment in R&D to develop collars could provide many more conservation solutions, saving painted wolves’ lives and helping communities to coexist with less conflict. |
Maasai conservation exchange between
Kenya and Zimbabwe
| Grantee | Painted Dog Conservation |
| Strategy | Collaboration / Spreading best practice |
| Location | Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe |
| Allocation | US$2,000 (Subsistance – travel etc paid out of Maasai Grant) |
| Duration | 2 Weeks |
| Challenge | PWF wanted to kick-start a painted wolf conservation project in the Maasailands of Southern Kenya with SORALO and the Kenya Wildlife Trust. Owing to the scarcity of painted wolves in Southern Kenya, there was very little opportunity for their leading conservationists to learn about the species on the ground and gain practical, hands-on experience. |
| Opportunity | PWF approached Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) in Zimbabwe and asked them if they would be willing to host Maasai conservationists and share their experiences of conserving the painted wolves. The objective would be to immerse the Maasai in all aspects of painted wolf conservation, including tracking, anti-poaching, rehabilitation, scat analysis, community education and community outreach. And, of course, offer them the opportunity to get up close to packs and observe their behavior. |
Kick-starting a painted wolf project in the Kalahari
| Implementation Partner | Kalahari Conservation and Research |
| Strategy | Collaboration / Spreading best practice |
| Location | Buffer zone above Kgalagadi, Botswana |
| Allocation | US$50,000 (pre-approval) |
| Duration | 1 Year |
| Challenge | The area of the Kalahari known as KD1 and KD2 represents 20,000 km² of pristine wilderness situated above the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. It is a critical corridor and buffer area and contains significant unstudied packs of painted wolves that are not on any range map. The small San communities that live there have traditionally lived comfortably alongside the painted wolves, but an increase in livestock herding has led to a rise in wildlife conflict including painted wolf mortalities. This trend is starting to erode the traditional tolerant coexistence the San have with wildlife and urgent interventions are necessary if the painted wolf population is to be preserved. |
| Opportunity | To monitor the packs and understand their populations and rangelands so as to better protect them and the communities they live among. To understand the challenges the San face living alongside the species and implement proven techniques to increase acceptance and incentives to protect the painted wolves. To work with the San to help them improve animal husbandry and mitigate against painted wolf livestock predations. |
Understanding West Africa’s
last remaining painted wolves
| Implementation Partner | Zoological Society of London |
| Strategy | Collaboration / Spreading best practice |
| Location | Niokolo-Koba National Park, Senegal |
| Allocation | US$25,000 |
| Duration | 1 Year |
| Description | This project will initiate the “emergency programme for the lycaon” demanded by UNESCO. The project’s overall goal is to avoid the extinction of West Africa’s last painted wolf population, by identifying and mitigating threats. To meet this goal, it has four objectives: (i) Assess the status and distribution of painted wolves in South-East Senegal (ii) Identify the key threats to Senegal’s painted wolf population (iii) Raise awareness and encourage coexistence of people with painted wolves and other wildlife (iv) Develop an evidence-based National Action Plan for painted wolves in Senegal. |
| Why Transformational | The estimated three/four packs represent the last remaining free ranging painted wolves in Western Africa. This project will identify their conservation needs and lays the foundations to establish the necessary mitigating conservation measures required to avoid their extinction. Collaborating with University College London, the project will seek to establish the genetic uniqueness of this population relative to other parts in Africa. This could have significant implications for relocation strategies. |
Building conservation capacity
in the Maasai landscapes
| Implementation Partners | South Rift Association of Landowners (SORALO) Kenya Wildlife Trust (Mara Predator Conservation Programme) |
| Strategy | Collaboration / Spreading best practice |
| Location | Southern Kenya |
| Allocation | US$45,000 |
| Duration | 1 Year |
| Description | The project’s overarching goal is to catalyse painted wolf conservation efforts across Kenya’s Southern rangelands. Our project aims to improve community perceptions and tolerance of painted wolves and enhance community-based painted wolf monitoring and conflict prevention. To ensure project activities are designed using a blend of expert and local knowledge, the project will take a three-phased approach consisting of (i) development phase including capacity building, (ii) implementation, and (iii) scaling painted wolf conservation efforts across the landscape. |
| Why Transformational | Tolerance for painted wolves in the South Maasailands of Kenya is very low. While populations exist, their survival rates are poor and packs migrating from the Serengeti have limited life expectancies. By working with the Maasai to improve tolerance and understanding of the species, this area of 20,000 KM2 has the capacity to increase the population significantly over time. This is the inaugural step to creating a significant area where painted wolves might thrive. |
Evaluating former painted wolf rangelands in Central and Southern Africa for potential reintroductions.
| Implementation Partner | Endangered Wildlife Trust |
| Strategy | Reintroductions |
| Location | Central and Southern Africa |
| Allocation | US$10,000 |
| Duration | 1 Year |
| Description | The Painted Wolf Foundation provided the Endangered Wildlife Trust with a grant to fund the investigation of potential reintroduction sites across Eastern and Southern Africa to determine what would make them suitable painted wolf habitats in the future |
| Why Transformational | For Painted Wolf numbers to double, they need more land. However, there are many factors that determine whether that land is suitable, including prey base, competing predator densities and crucially community acceptance. There are several organisation rehabilitating potential sites which could be potential areas for relocation and it is important to evaluate these and determine what additional measures are needed to make these suitable. |
