Key facts
- Three male African wild dogs completed a 2,485-mile journey across Zambia.
- The journey is the furthest recorded distance for any African land mammal searching for a mate.
- Wild dogs cannot breed within their birth pack and seek mates elsewhere.
- Two of three tracked female wild dogs died, one in an illegal snare.
- The study suggests wild dog populations may remain more connected than previously thought.
- Researchers advocate for connected natural land strips to link wildlife areas.
A pack of three male African wild dogs has completed an extraordinary 2,485-mile (4000km) journey across Zambia, marking the longest recorded distance for any African land mammal searching for a mate. Scientists suggest this remarkable feat offers hope that wildlife can still traverse vast distances across the continent, despite increasing human pressures and fragmented landscapes.
The three brothers navigated a landscape increasingly shaped by human activity, including major cities like Lusaka, and managed to avoid obstacles such as illegal snares. However, the journey also highlighted the perils faced by these animals; two of three tracked female wild dogs died during similar dispersal attempts, with one succumbing to an illegal snare. Researchers noted that surviving pack members repeatedly returned to the same location, a behavior often associated with the death of a companion.
African wild dogs, numbering only about 6,000 in the wild, are highly social predators known for their extensive roaming in search of new territories and breeding opportunities. As they cannot breed within their birth pack, they often embark on these solitary journeys at two or three years old. The males covered approximately 260 miles in a straight line over eight months, but their actual travel distance was nearly ten times that due to the fragmented nature of the terrain.
The research, published in the journal Ecology, indicates that wild dog populations in eastern and southern Africa might be more interconnected than previously understood. Professor Scott Creel, the study's lead author, stated that it's plausible that most major wild dog populations, excluding those in fenced reserves, are potentially connected. However, he also cautioned that poaching snares remain a significant threat.
Conservationists are calling for the creation of natural land corridors outside protected areas to link fragmented wildlife habitats. Bruce Ellender, a co-author, emphasized that species requiring large roaming areas, such as wild dogs and elephants, depend on connected landscapes for their long-term survival.