INTERVIEW with GREG RASMUSSEN - Painted Dog Conservation (PDC)

"It's all about conservation, not preservation!"

It was too big a contrast to walk into a Dutch zoo again right after we returned home from a great trip to Kenya, but it was for a very good cause. Greg Rasmussen, the great man behind Painted Dog Conservation (PDC), was in Holland with his "colleague" Peter Blinston to give a lecture about his great passion, the African Wild Dog, in Safari Park Beekse Bergen. Afterwards we had a very nice conversation with this passionate man.

Greg Rasmussen looks small and robust but his appearance is powerful and passionate. Passionate about "his dogs". He spent the biggest part of his life in "the bush" and experienced a lot through these years. In 2003, his plane crashed in the middle of the wilderness and all alone and slightly wounded, surrounded by many predators, he managed to survive until he was found.

Born in London the 11-year-old Greg moved to Zimbabwe with his parents, where he still lives and works. The only reason why he's still going to England occasionnally is to see his elderly father. After his studies at Falcon College, Greg was offered a job in Hwang National Park in 1988, where his love for the African Wild Dog grew. In 2002 he founded the Painted Dog Conservation, and he worked together with Peter Blinston successfully trying to maintain one of the most misunderstood species on earth.

"You must make sure that people start loving the animals. That is the most important part of conservation!" Greg Rasmussen said. This is also as the biggest problem, because only the name "wild dog" causes a lot of misunderstandings. Wild dogs are seen as (domestic) street dogs that are causing nuisance and spread disease. The domestic dog is more related to the wolf and the jackal than to the African Wild Dog, who are excellent group hunters. The way of hunting was always considered as very cruel, because they tear the prey animals apart before they are killed. However, further studies have shown that prey animals are long in shock and less affected by predators than people first thought and what caused a lot of disgust and misunderstanding, which didn't help the situation of the dogs.

Time to clear up the misunderstandings that made the African Wild Dog not popular with people. PDC is trying to change this way of looking at the dogs by educating the local population; schoolchildren, etc. A very important job is also to make clear to the farmers that the dogs are not always to blame for the loss of their livestock. They have to learn to recognise the prints of the teeth and the pugmarks of the predators in order to understand and think differently and to stop shooting all predators that happen to be around.

In addition to the above problems, there are more threats to the "wild dogs". While the African Wild Dogs are absolutely of no threat to humans, this certainly is the case vice versa. People always point the finger to, for example, lions and hyenas, but, as always, men's the biggest threat to the wild dogs. Countless dogs are killed because they get caught in traps, they are shot and poisoned. Their habitat is decreasing rapidly and lots of dogs die because they're infected by the non-vaccinated domestic dogs, so they become infected with rabies. Poaching continues and is a big threat to many, endangered, species.

Enough work to do yet, but Greg and Peter Blinston, who "translates" Greg's ideas and knowledge into a workable plan, have had many successes since the foundation of PDC. Using advanced technology, and using the help and knowledge offered by the local community, the population of feral dogs increased from 400 to 700. This project will also provide additional employment, which makes the locals think more positively too. This is all very important to maintain a very endangered species like the African Wild Dog.

"It's all about conservation and not about preservation!", Greg answered with a powerful voice when we asked him what he thinks the difference is between the conservation work of wild dogs in Zimbabwe, or for example in South Africa. In South Africa, many areas are fenced and there are too many small groups of wild dogs. If a group consists of less than five animals, it has no chance.

Trying to keep what you have and focusing on the individual animal, or preservation, is in many small areas the case but also in zoos. If you really want to protect species and try to save them from extinction, you need to work very differently. You must first start to try and change the vision of the local people. You must deal with the whole eco system, before focusing on a specific animal. "Only then can you help an animal!" Greg told us while finishing the interview.

After the lecture and the interview the large group "friends of the African wild dog", accompanied by Greg, Peter and the representative of PDC in the Netherlands, Ron van der A, went to the enclosure of the African wild dogs in the safaripark ( Beekse Bergen)for a special feeding session. Thanks to a successful breeding program a lot of pups are being born regularly in this safaripark. At this moment they have six pups, which are growing very fast and they share the enclosure with their mum and dad and other adult dogs.

Greg and Peter also received a check for the magnificent sum of 15,000 euros; handed over by "friends of Safaripark Beekse Bergen". All financial assistance is urgently needed and very welcome. Are you also passionate about the wild dogs and would you like to support them by becoming a "friend of the African Dog"? Take a look at www.painteddogconservation.nl. This foundation is working hard to protect the dogs and to support the work of Greg and Peter in Zimbabwe.

At present, the population of wild dogs is estimated at around 2500 to 3000 wild dogs, spread over four countries: Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. A long time ago there were even numbers of 500 000 animals spread over 39 countries in Africa. Sadly, the numbers are still declining!

We want the African wild dog to survive in the wild and not only in zoos; are you ready to help?

Text/interview Copyright: Babette de Jonge

Website: www.wildcatsmagazine.nl