Wild dog demography in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, South Africa

Wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are highly threatened carnivores, and conservatio n of their dwindling number is needed. Isolated populations contribute litt le to these conservation efforts, so linking populations of dogs is a neces sary goal to prevent extinction. I gathered demographic information from a small population of wild dogs in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, KwaZulu-Natal, Sou th Africa. Photographs and archive records from 1981 to 1996 were used to c ompile information on this population. Demographic parameters from the rele ased population were compared with information on wild dogs elsewhere. Most demographic parameters of the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park population were simil ar to published information from other populations. The main difference was the effect of a single pack on population performance: pack formation was unlikely, unrelated animals were rare, and major losses (emigration and mor talities) occurred. Increasing the number of packs by introducing more dogs would be useful but would be only a short-term solution. Increasing the lo cal population size and artificially linking populations in southern Africa appears to be the only longer-term solution to ensure the viability of wil d dogs on the subcontinent.