The international experts, Dr Gianetta Purchase, Dr Harriet Davies-Mostert and Dr Weldon McNutt critically assessed and discussed the Namibian wild dog context and provided valuable comparison on wild dog management in other southern African countries which helped Namibia's stakeholders focusing their plans and efforts in a collaborative manner.
Photograph above shows Wild Dog Workshop participants: Left to Right, Back row: Florian Wiese (N/a' an ku se), Nils Odendaal (Namib Rand Nature Reserv e), Dr. Weldon McNutt (Predator Conservation Trust Botswana), Dr. Conrad Brain (Wilderness Safaris), GP Britz (Erindi); Left to Right, Front Row: Dr. Gianetta Purchase (Coordinator - Regional conservation for cheetah in Southern Africa), Tammy Hoth (AfriCat), Katherine Echement (N/a'an ku se), Dr. Rudi van Vuuren (N/a'an ku se), Dr. Ortwin Aschenborn (Ministry of Environment & Tourism), Dr. Harriet Davies-Mostert (Wild Dog Advisory Group, SA) , Natasha de Woronin-Britz (Erindi)
 
 
|
One of the important decisions taken during the event was that in order to successfully secure the future of wild dogs in the country, the focus and efforts of everybody dedicated to this cause should be placed predominantly on the free ranging animals (studying their numbers and movements as well as potential and actual conflict with landowners) and manage the few wild dogs currently cared for by humans for best chance of reintroduction. The workshop showed that efforts between the public and private conservation sectors need to be coordinated for the most fruitful outcomes, especially with regard to conflict mitigation.
