$1572 worth of equipment purchased for the Madikwe Wildlife Foundation in South Africa
In November 2021 WWA was delighted to receive $1500 kindly donated by Stella Grgic and Peter Neviile of Croatia to support the professional conservation team in Madikwe to dart and radio-collar a male African wild dog named Mars. His recent behaviour indicated that he might break away from his pack and so it was imperative to keep track on him if he did, but equally valuable to facilitate the ongoing study of his pack if he stayed.
We arrived close to where the fading radio signal of his old collar indicated that the pack was lying up in the hills and the conservation team leader gave his iconic whistle to call the dogs down to feed on an impala carcass placed next to the road.
As the dogs fed, the vet darted Mars and he was quickly fitted with a next generation Telemetry and Satellite GPS collar to monitor his movements and so better understand how to manage and conserve this iconic species. The collar was also fitted with an alarm transmitter that will prompt wildlife managers on their mobile phones if Mars crosses a boundary fence in future.
Below: Mars wakes up after being collared
Update: In June 2023 a further $272 was donated to the ongoing needs of Madikwe's African wild dog project. The project continues to provide vital information about the pack, their territory and their behaviour.