IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Iucn/Ssc, | |
| Regional conservation strategy for the cheetah and African wild dog in Eastern Africa | |
| 2007 Full Book | |
The African wild dog (_Lycaon pictus_) and the cheetah (_Acinonyx jubatus_) present major challenges for conservationists in the 21st Century. All large carnivores need large areas to survive; yet wild dogs and cheetah range more widely, and hence need larger areas, than almost any other terrestrial carnivore species anywhere in the world. As human populations encroach on Africa's last wild areas, these two threatened species are often the first to disappear. Eastern Africa supports globally important populations of both cheetah and wild dogs. This regional plan is the first step in a programme to develop action plans for the species' conservation across their geographic range, conducted as a collaboration between national wildlife authorities across Africa and the Cat and Canid Specialist Groups of IUCN/SSC. Given wild dogs' and cheetah's similar ecological needs, it makes sense to plan their conservation together. Moreover, management enacted for these two species will also benefit similar species such as lions, leopards, and hyaenas, though the converse is not necessarily the case given wild dogs' and cheetahs' requirement for far more extensive areas of wildlifefriendly habitat. Both wild dogs and cheetah have experienced major contractions in their geographic range with eastern Africa, with resident populations known to remain in just 6% (cheetah) and 7% (wild dogs) of their historical range. Protected areas are very important for the conservation of both cheetah and wild dogs, but the majority of animals reside outside the protected areas which are the focus of most conservation effort. Nearly two-thirds of cheetah resident range, and over half of wild dog resident range, falls on community and private lands. As a result, the populations inside protected areas would not be viable if isolated from unprotected lands, and conservation activity outside protected areas is absolutely critical for the long-term survival of these two species both inside and outside reserves. Several important wild dog and cheetah populations straddle international boundaries. Trans-boundary management is therefore likely to be needed for conserving both species in the long term. Little or no unoccupied habitat was identified where wild dog or cheetah populations could be restored. The strategic plan therefore focuses on securing the remaining populations rather than restoring those that have been lost. The strategic plan for the species' conservation in eastern Africa recognises the need to (i) promote coexistence of cheetah and wild dogs with people and domestic animals; (ii) provide relevant stakeholders and managers with scientific and timely information on the status of and threats to cheetah and wild dog populations; (iii) strengthen human, financial and information resources for conserving cheetah and wild dogs; (iv) ensure that appropriate legislation is in place to allow wild dog and cheetah conservation at the national and international levels; (v) mainstream cheetah and wild dog conservation in land use planning and its implementation; and (vi) promote the development and implementation of national conservation plans for both species. This last point is important because almost all conservation effort is enacted within national policies, under the jurisdiction of national wildlife authorities. For this reason, the regional strategy was deliberately developed in a format that would facilitate translation into national action plans. It is expected that these action plans will be implemented by national wildlife authorities, in partnership with relevant NGOs and other institutions. |
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(c) IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group ( IUCN - The World Conservation Union) |