THE STATE OF WILD DOGS (LYCAON PICTUS) IN SIERRA LEONE
Foundation for Environmental Safety (FES) has followed with keen interest the conservation of endangered species in Sierra Leone. Our interest grew and became intense to the point of proffering possible solutions that will preserve endangered species and provide a comfortable habitat for them. Endangered species are those species that are of great risk of extinction and from our research, we have discovered that Africa Wild Dog is one of the most endangered species since 1980s.
The Lycaon Pictus has long leg, with massive jaws and very large, rounded ears. It resembles some domestic dogs, but it differs in that it has four toes on each foot instead of five. The colourful coat of dark brown, black and yellow patches describes the Latin name for the African wild dog which means ‘painted wolf.’ They have bushy tails with white tips.
The Lycaon Pictus has long leg, with massive jaws and very large, rounded ears. It resembles some domestic dogs, but it differs in that it has four toes on each foot instead of five. The colourful coat of dark brown, black and yellow patches describes the Latin name for the African wild dog which means ‘painted wolf.’ They have bushy tails with white tips.
The Lycaon Pictus has long leg, with massive jaws and very large, rounded ears. It resembles some domestic dogs, but it differs in that it has four toes on each foot instead of five. The colourful coat of dark brown, black and yellow patches describes the Latin name for the African wild dog which means ‘painted wolf.’ They have bushy tails with white tips.
Conservation of wild dogs can be actions taken to preserve cultural heritage but in the real sense, this idea is not put in practice by the community people. The local people of Otamba Kilimi National Park (OKNP) are unaware of the need to preserve the natural heritage God has blessed them with. This is partly because it seems the people have not been involved and they do not see the park as their own. This shows there is no partnership between the local people and the government.
Preserving endangered species is important but it comes with thorny challenges. There were about twenty to twenty- five (20-25) wild dogs but only about fifteen (15) is presently existing at the Otamba Kilimi National Park in Karene District. It was evidence from the research that, there are several challenges that has led to the drastic reduction and almost extinction of wild dogs in Sierra Leone. These challenges include habitat fragmentation, depletion of prey, competition with other animals to survive, setting up of snares (death traps) and involving road accident among others. Notwithstanding, the challenges there are other animals like African Elephant, Leopard, Jackal and Hippo existing in the above named park.
As an organisation, we were shocked at the state of the Otamba Kilimi national Park and the conditions under which the staffs are operating. The park is not properly cared for, poor sanitation and housing, lack of vehicle and motorcycle, poor working conditions of staffs and negligence of community people are all challenges affecting the advancement of the park. We are of the view that, if positive actions are taken in addressing these shortcomings, the park will be one of the attractive touristic sites in Sierra Leone and will generate income for government and provide sustainable livelihood for the locals.
Several document have been put together to ensure the protection of endangered species. International treaties have raised concerns for their conservation. A Red List Assessments by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) shows that leopards inhabit 51% of their historic range, lions 17%, cheetahs 9% and African wild dog inhabit only 6% of their historic range.
According to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, Wild dogs are native to Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe and may be extinct species in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Nigeria, Togo and Uganda. African wild dogs are regionally extinct in Burundi, Cameroon, Egypt, Eritrea, Gabon, the Gambia, Ghana, Mauritania, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Swaziland.
