POPULATION-DYNAMICS, INTERVENTION AND SURVIVAL IN AFRICAN WILD DOGS (LYCAON-PICTUS)

The demography of Serengeti wild dog study packs and their extinction in 1991 was documented by Burrows et al. (1994). One explanation for p ack loss compatible with demographic evidence was viral disease induce d by stress caused by intervention (vaccination, immobilization and ra dio-collaring). Several studies claim to reject this hypothesis. Howev er, cortisol levels measured in immobilized Lycaon, whose pathogen exp osure is unknown, do not demonstrate that interventions in the Serenge ti were benign. The analysis of survivorship in Lycaon in other ecosys tems minimized the chance of demonstrating any effect of intervention and failed to consider vaccinations as intervention. There is now evid ence that intervention significantly decreased survivorship of Masai M ara Lycaon. Further simulations of the likelihood of population extinc tion in Serengeti Lycaon, evidence of limited population variability a nd a small scaling factor in Serengeti Lycaon strengthen Burrows ef al .'s conclusion that the extinction was unlikely to be due to chance al one. Although some studies claim that Lycaon conservation is doomed wi thout intervention, to date vaccinations, blood sampling and radio-tel emetry have contributed little to Lycaon conservation. All studies fai l to disprove the Burrows hypothesis or provide convincing alternative s.