Wild dogs have been successfully translocated to Matusadona National Park, the first of their species in the area after decades of local extinction, in Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) and African Parks translocated two established packs, made up of 20 individuals, from February 15-17 this year.
The wild dogs were kept in specialised holding facilities to ensure ample time to acclimatise to their new environment, maintain social bonds and begin to form a territorial attachment to the area before being released into the wider park. Monitoring will continue while they adjust to the park.
Intensive conservation work since 2020 aimed to safely include the wild dogs. After the partnership between ZimParks and African Parks was formalised, anti-poaching efforts, community development and translocation of other animals, such as zebra, sable and eland, were also conducted.