African Wild Dog Conservancy
Encyclopedia
The African Wild Dog Conservancy (AWD Conservancy) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3), non-governmental organization
, working with local communities, and national and international stakeholders, to conserve the African wild dog
through scientific research and education.
project in the North Eastern
and Coast
provinces of Kenya
in two biodiversity hotspots. This region is rich mosaic of protected areas and community lands under extreme threat, with at least 70% of the original habitat
degraded. Due to past civil strife little is known about the many threatened species
there. This area is a potentially significant refuge for wild dogs and an important corridor for the metapopulation
of the Horn of Africa
, as well as for other threatened wildlife species. Virtually nothing is known about the conservation status
and ecology
of wild dogs in this region, including their interactions with people. This project has been identified as a wild dog conservation priority by the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA)/Wild Dog Species Survival Program.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
, working with local communities, and national and international stakeholders, to conserve the African wild dog
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus is a large canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. It is variously called the African wild dog, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, painted dog, painted wolf, painted hunting dog, spotted dog, or ornate wolf...
through scientific research and education.
Community Project
The AWD Conservancy has a community-based conservationCommunity-based conservation
Community-based conservation is a res conservation movements that emerged in the 1980s through escalating protests and subsequent dialogue with local communities affected by international attempts to protect the biodiversity of the earth. Older conservation movements disregarded the interests of...
project in the North Eastern
North Eastern Province (Kenya)
North Eastern Province is the third largest province in Kenya and has thirteen constituencies represented in the Kenya National Assembly.The region is home to a rare type of antelope called the Hirola, which is classified as an endangered species. The NFD's pastoralists also possess livestock in...
and Coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
provinces of Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
in two biodiversity hotspots. This region is rich mosaic of protected areas and community lands under extreme threat, with at least 70% of the original habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
degraded. Due to past civil strife little is known about the many threatened species
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
there. This area is a potentially significant refuge for wild dogs and an important corridor for the metapopulation
Metapopulation
A metapopulation consists of a group of spatially separated populations of the same species which interact at some level. The term metapopulation was coined by Richard Levins in 1970 to describe a model of population dynamics of insect pests in agricultural fields, but the idea has been most...
of the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
, as well as for other threatened wildlife species. Virtually nothing is known about the conservation status
Conservation status
The conservation status of a group of organisms indicates whether the group is still extant and how likely the group is to become extinct in the near future...
and ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
of wild dogs in this region, including their interactions with people. This project has been identified as a wild dog conservation priority by the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group and the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA)/Wild Dog Species Survival Program.
Partners
- Kenya Wildlife ServiceKenya Wildlife ServiceThe Kenya Wildlife Service, otherwise known by the initialism KWS, is a Kenyan state corporation that was established in 1990 to conserve and manage Kenya’s wildlife...
(KWS): an affiliate organization, the KWS opened local offices in the region in 2011. KWS is providing logistical support and coordinating field operations.
- WomanKind Kenya (Wokike): Wokike is a non-governmental organization founded in 1989 by local Kenyan Somali pastoral women in the North Eastern Province. It exists to empower the most vulnerable members of the community, specifically women, destitute girls, and poor households in the IjaraIjaraIjara is a town in the North Eastern Province of Kenya. It is capital of the Ijara District. Ijara is a very remote town; it is located 100 km north of Lamu and 180 km south of Garissa....
, GarissaGarissaGarissa is a city in the North Eastern Province of Kenya. It is the capital of both the province and Garissa District.-Overview:Garissa is located at and has a population of 65,881 inhabitants . The Tana River flows through the city....
, and WajirWajirWajir is a town in the North Eastern Province of Kenya. It is the capital of Wajir County.-History:A cluster of cairns near Wajir are generally ascribed by the local inhabitants to the Madanle, a semi-legendary people of high stature, who are associated with the Somali Ajuuraan. A. T...
districts, by improving the standard of living through capacity building, thus enabling these members to take control of their lives. The organization seeks to bring together the local community, and to confront ignorance, disease, poor livestock husbandry, environmental degradation, and poverty.
- Ishaqbini Hirola ConservancyIshaqbini Hirola ConservancyThe Ishaqbini Hirola Conservancy is a community-based conservation area located in the Ijara District in the North Eastern Province of Kenya. The conservancy covers approximately 72 km2...
: Located in the MasalaniMasalaniMasalani is a settlement in Kenya's North-Eastern Province. It is the headquarters of Ijara District. It is located on the Eastern shores of Tana River, 30 kilometres south of Hola and 60 kilometres north of Garsen...
Division of the Ijara District, the conservancy surrounds the eastern sector of the Tana River Primate ReserveTana River Primate ReserveTana River Primate Reserve, totaling eleven square miles of scattered forest patches, was set aside in 1976 in order to protect the swampy forests of the Lower Tana River and two endangered primates, the Tana River Mangabey and the Tana River Red Colobus, that are found there.The reserve,...
and is managed by and represents local Somali pastoralist communities from Hara, Korissa, and Kotile. The conservancy is a core refuge for the endemic and Critically EndangeredCritically EndangeredCritically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically Endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations....
hirola antelope.