We hear about endangered species all the time, but we may not really know what is really being done to conserve them. Painted wolves (Lycaon pictus) which are commonly known as the African wild dog are South Africa’s most endangered Canid species. Did you know this? Many individuals do not even know what this species is or that it even existed. It would be a shame for the species to become extinct before people had the chance to find out. These selected images illustrate the daily plight of the wildlife monitors/conservationists in the efforts to keep these patterned beauties in the wild and from facing extinction.
Find out more about the organisations working tirelessly to help keep this animal in the wild and when I first started becoming an advocate for this species HERE
Look Into My Eyes, What Do You See?: This image was captured at the Somkhanda Private Game Reserve at Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. I was volunteering with a Non-for-profit organisation called Wildlife ACT which focuses on conserving this endangered species. The Painted wolf’s warm brown eyes in this photo speak volumes!
The Luxurious Coat: The Painted wolves coat pattern is very unique and no two animals of this species have the same pattern. It is like a unique fingerprint that will be with this species throughout its lifetime. The irregular coat pattern consists of white, yellow, brown and black markings.
Time Out!: Wildlife monitors/conservationists alongside trained and skilled veterinarians successfully sedate endangered species for numerous important reasons. This sometimes includes translocation purposes, fitting a new or adjusting a radio collar, removing a snare wire or checking the overall health of the Painted wolf.
A Lifesaving Necklace: Endangered species of animal such as the Painted wolf are fitted with tracking devices such as GPS/VHF collars which help wildlife monitors and conservationists know of its location. This collar which I have referred to as a necklace for this photo has the capability of saving lives daily and it is an important and groundbreaking tool for conservation.
The Death Sentence: This snaring tool once had good intentions where hunters could hunt game species to consume. Poachers use this hunting device to their advantage and endangered species of animals such as the Painted wolf become entangled. The way how this tool works is it gets tighter as the captured animal tries to escape which eventually leads to the snare cutting into the animal’s tissue. If left untreated then death is inevitable!
The fallen: Painted wolves face a few biological threats such as habitat loss, viral and bacterial diseases i.e., rabies and canine distemper and competition with other carnivores such as Lions, Hyenas and Leopards which will kill them. Along with this burden, the painted wolf is faced with another threat called Human-Wildlife conflict where the species is persecuted for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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