Harnas Wild Dog Project

The African Wild Dog is one of the most endangered predators in Africa.  This indigenous animals population have declined at such an alarming rate, in the past 30 years, that there are only small Wild Dog populations left in only 14 countries where they were previously present in 39.  Of these 14 countries, only six have populations of more than 100 dogs.

Currently one of the few captive populations of African Wild Dogs in Namibia is on Harnas.  This population grew from various packs of wild juvenile and adult dogs. All the dogs in the first pack were very badly wounded.

One dog’s front leg was amputated, another was badly cut in the neck and another had a broken foot.  A second pack of four juveniles came to Harnas from the Otjozondjupa region in 1996 and in 2008 two more packs joined, one also from the Otjozondjupa region and another from the Oshikoto region.  Harnas is currently the refuge for some 29 African Wild Dogs.

The Harnas Wildlife Foundation recognizes the fact that the African Wild Dog is one of Namibia’s most valuable assets and, although re-establishing extirpated populations is one of the lower priorities of African Wild Dog conservation.

It is technically possible to re-establish extirpated wild populations by reintroduction. This however provides no substitute for the conservation of existing populations.

In a highly fragmented landscape the African Wild Dogs can be released into a network of small fenced reserves. These fenced sections each would support one or a few packs to establish intensively-managed metapopulations. We intend to release some of the current captive held dogs into the proposed 8 000 ha Life Line reserve. We intend to generate income from these dogs through an already established eco-tourism infrastructure.

The success of the initial phase of the project will serve as an incentive for bordering commercial farmers and the community of Otjinene/Epukiro to contribute in the establishment of a commercial–communal conservancy. With the help of willing farmers in Namibia and possibly Southern Africa as a whole,  the conservation of these magnificent animals would be assured.

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