Snap wild dogs, cheetahs, EWT asks public

[Toko]

Snap wild dogs, cheetahs, EWT asks public

2014-09-25 13:03
Dane McDonald, News24

Cape Town – The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and SA National Parks (SANParks) are calling on the public to help rangers count cheetahs and wild dogs in the Kruger Park.

“Wild dogs and cheetahs are the two most endangered carnivores in South Africa…and the public is always very keen to help, we usually receive several hundred entries,” EWT carnivore conservation programme manager, Kelly Marnewick, told News24.

According to a EWT media release it is important to monitor and understand the populations of both species to ensure that their conservation status is maintained or improved.

To best assist the project the SANParks Honorary Rangers have asked the public to submit pictures of the animals’ unique coat patterns.

When asked what kind of pictures would be most useful Marnewick said: “we ideally want side-on pictures showing the whole side of the animal as each cheetah and wild dog can be identified by their coat patterns – it is as unique as a human face”.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the African Wild Dog as endangered and notes that the population is decreasing. The Cheetah is vulnerable, also with a decreasing population trend.

There are 450 wild dogs left in the country with 151 protected within the boundaries of the Kruger National Park. Less than 1 000 cheetahs remain in the country with 412 being identified in Kruger in the last survey.

According to an earlier News24 report wild dogs face ongoing threats which include habitat loss, intolerant landowners and the public who kill them, bush meat snares, and road kills.

Photographs obtained from the survey will be used to identify individual cheetahs and wild dogs and thus provide a population estimate.

To participate in the survey, interested people need to submit photographs or videos of any Cheetahs or African Wild Dogs spotted in the Kruger National Park during 24 September 2014 to 24 June 2015 to one of the following:
Email: census@ewt.org.za
Twitter: @EWTcensus
Facebook:@EWTcensus

One entry method per entry is permitted e.g. either email or Facebook for a particular sighting.

See the EWT website for more info https://www.ewt.org.za/CCP/census.html

[Flutterby]

Thanks Toko...hopefully we will find both next month!

[Richprins]

This is a very good ongoing project! The first one last century was Wild Dog only, and revealed a huge amount of info, some very surprising!

[Vincent]

Thank you kindly for making this facility available to us .... great for advertising the project. Please do submit any photographs that you manage to capture of Cheetah and Wild Dog to census@ewt.org.za. The census runs from 24th Sept 2014 to 24th June 2015.

[Richprins]

Hello, Vincent!

[Flutterby]

I've got some...will send them in.

[Toko]

Flutty

We want them here, too

[KNPWildDogs]

I am hoping to contribute to the forum with updates on the Cheetah & Wild Dog Photographic Census. There are some amazing prizes up for grabs and some fantastic sightings have been submitted so far. please do continue to submit your sightings to census@ewt.org.za

[Toko]

Welcome KNPWD

Maybe you know ...

When was the last census done in Kruger and what was the outcome?

[Richprins]

Hello, KNPWD!