About a month ago the staff at N/a'an ku sê Wildlife Sanctuary and Lodge, lives changed drastically. A call came and one and a half days later, 14 wild dog pups were on their doorstep.
Wild dogs having a high mortality rate, these pups are beating the odds. All of them have survived the last couple of weeks at the lodge and it is going well. “It blows all our minds,” said Florian Weise, head researcher at the lodge, who took me on a tour to see them. The pups are almost 8 weeks old. Although they are prepared for cases like this, 14 pups are a lot and there rests a lot of responsibility on them.
Taking on such a huge responsibility requires a lot of dedication. Marlice van Vuuren, one of Namibia's well-known conservationist and one of the founders of the lodge, grew up with wild dogs and has a lot of expertise on the subject. They didn’t think twice about taking in the pup. “In the wrong hands, not having the knowledge to handle these pups, they all could have died within the first day,” Weise said.
“This is a huge logistical operation because the pups are vulnerable,” Weise said. There was a lot to be done. On such short notice, a den had to be improvised. And it being winter, heaters were also placed in the room. Because they are prone to attract diseases, their new home is isolated from the rest. Even now, the risk of handling them for too long is huge. Only one infected pup can cause them all to get sick.
Feeding was just as great an obstacle. Because wild dogs chew their food and regurgitate to feed the pups, all the food had to be minced very finely. The pups have gained about 1.2 kg since they got there, roughly 400 grams a week and Weise is happy with the progress. They are monitored on a weekly basis to keep track of their growth and weight.
Another challenge is vaccination. The lodge has been receiving a number of different opinions from a lot of sources. “We are very happy that they are willing to share their knowledge and experience with us,” he said. On receiving these pups, “a lot of background research had to be done,” Weise said.
In Namibia the population of free-roaming wild dogs are about 200 to 250. N/a'an ku sê now have 14, which is 3.5% of the population. These pups will be set out in the wild. Within the next two months, they will be moved to a larger camp of about 15 hectares. This camp has to replicate the wild as close as possible.
There are nine females and five males and once they are set out in the wild, they will be divided into three packs. Other wild dogs will be brought in to complete the pack and to avoid inbreeding. Packs usually consist of ten to 12 dogs.
These pups are curious animals and very playful, which is a good sign. They did have collars but this gets chewed off. One can already distinguish what pups will be dominant and this is also very important when they are dividend into the different packs.
The spots on their back differ from one another and this makes identifying a specific pup much easier. Out in the wild, there is a natural hierarchy where the dominant pups will bully the others, especially during feeding time. Because they are all so vulnerable at the moment, the staff makes sure that all 14 pups eat enough.
Once set free, which will take place in a couple of years, one can assume that not all of them will survive, but that is natural. For now, it is important to keep them all healthy.
N/a'an ku sê has an open day this Saturday with the Radio Wave waking crew to raise money for Lucky, the disabled Cheetah. The money raised will be used for a large camp of about three to five hectares. Although the minimum requirements by law, per animal, is one hectare, because of Lucky’s handicap, she will never be able to be released in the wild. All the activities have been booked out fully for Saturday but everyone is still invited to come and enjoy the day with them. - Yolanda Nel
