A novel record of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, Malawi
Abstract Most African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) populations are in decline and, due to habitat fragmentation and conflict rates in areas of higher anthropogenic land‐use, are primarily restricted to protected areas. As a species that occurs at low densities, with a strict reproductive social structur...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10671 |
| _version_ | 1797448620223496192 |
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| author | Olivia Sievert Matthias Hammer Eleanor Comley Benjamin Hintz William O. Mgoola Robert S. Davis |
| author_facet | Olivia Sievert Matthias Hammer Eleanor Comley Benjamin Hintz William O. Mgoola Robert S. Davis |
| author_sort | Olivia Sievert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Most African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) populations are in decline and, due to habitat fragmentation and conflict rates in areas of higher anthropogenic land‐use, are primarily restricted to protected areas. As a species that occurs at low densities, with a strict reproductive social structure, wild dogs rely on long‐range dispersal to facilitate colonization, reproduction, and pack formation. In Malawi, large carnivores have been subject to widespread population decline and several protected areas have a reduced large carnivore guild, including the loss of resident wild dog populations. Here, during a biodiversity monitoring camera trap survey, we captured a novel record of wild dogs in Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve (Vwaza), Malawi. The 11 photographic captures of potentially three individual wild dogs represent the first documented evidence of the species in Vwaza and the first record since an unconfirmed report in 2011. We hypothesize that this group of wild dogs moved into Vwaza through the Malawi‐Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area (MZTFCA), with the MZTFCA linking protected areas in Malawi with the Luangwa Valley, Zambia. The evidence provided here, and similar documentation in Kasungu National Park, Malawi, show that large carnivores can potentially move through the MZTFCA into protected areas in Malawi. We argue that the MZTFCA provides an important dispersal corridor that could help facilitate the recolonization of wild dogs, and other large carnivores, in Malawian protected areas. However, further research is needed to assess the permeability and status of the MZTFCA corridor into Malawi. We show that camera traps can be useful to document novel records of rare species and can be used to inform conservation management planning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:14:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c300180917ee4d95a854cff42e3cd8fd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:14:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-c300180917ee4d95a854cff42e3cd8fd2023-11-29T05:44:08ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-11-011311n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10671A novel record of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, MalawiOlivia Sievert0Matthias Hammer1Eleanor Comley2Benjamin Hintz3William O. Mgoola4Robert S. Davis5Lilongwe Wildlife Trust Lilongwe MalawiBiosphere Expeditions Dublin IrelandLilongwe Wildlife Trust Lilongwe MalawiLilongwe Wildlife Trust Lilongwe MalawiDepartment of National Parks and Wildlife Malawi Lilongwe MalawiDepartment of Conservation Management Nelson Mandela University George Western Cape South AfricaAbstract Most African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) populations are in decline and, due to habitat fragmentation and conflict rates in areas of higher anthropogenic land‐use, are primarily restricted to protected areas. As a species that occurs at low densities, with a strict reproductive social structure, wild dogs rely on long‐range dispersal to facilitate colonization, reproduction, and pack formation. In Malawi, large carnivores have been subject to widespread population decline and several protected areas have a reduced large carnivore guild, including the loss of resident wild dog populations. Here, during a biodiversity monitoring camera trap survey, we captured a novel record of wild dogs in Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve (Vwaza), Malawi. The 11 photographic captures of potentially three individual wild dogs represent the first documented evidence of the species in Vwaza and the first record since an unconfirmed report in 2011. We hypothesize that this group of wild dogs moved into Vwaza through the Malawi‐Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area (MZTFCA), with the MZTFCA linking protected areas in Malawi with the Luangwa Valley, Zambia. The evidence provided here, and similar documentation in Kasungu National Park, Malawi, show that large carnivores can potentially move through the MZTFCA into protected areas in Malawi. We argue that the MZTFCA provides an important dispersal corridor that could help facilitate the recolonization of wild dogs, and other large carnivores, in Malawian protected areas. However, further research is needed to assess the permeability and status of the MZTFCA corridor into Malawi. We show that camera traps can be useful to document novel records of rare species and can be used to inform conservation management planning.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10671camera trapsdispersallarge carnivoresMalawiZambia |
| spellingShingle | Olivia Sievert Matthias Hammer Eleanor Comley Benjamin Hintz William O. Mgoola Robert S. Davis A novel record of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, Malawi Ecology and Evolution camera traps dispersal large carnivores Malawi Zambia |
| title | A novel record of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, Malawi |
| title_full | A novel record of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, Malawi |
| title_fullStr | A novel record of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, Malawi |
| title_full_unstemmed | A novel record of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, Malawi |
| title_short | A novel record of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, Malawi |
| title_sort | novel record of african wild dogs lycaon pictus in vwaza marsh wildlife reserve malawi |
| topic | camera traps dispersal large carnivores Malawi Zambia |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10671 |
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