Hunters in Trouble - African Wild Dogs (23/35)

Hunters in Trouble - African Wild Dogs (23/35)

They are among the most successful hunters in the savannah, and yet they are themselves threatened by extinction - the African wild dogs. The protection of the National Parks is insufficient, and the African wild dogs are frequently to be found on farms. The farmers regard them as cruel and dangerous enemies, and in many regions they have been exterminated. Gregory Rasmussen, biologist, has been able to observe the animals in Zimbabwe over a longer period of time, at close quarters and without protection. He roamed around with the pack and slept beside the animals in the savannah. He got to know and love them. He knows more than anyone else about the behaviour of the wild dogs, and he also knows the other side of the successful hunters. They are socially-minded animals who help each other when one of them is injured or unable to hunt - conditions which would normally mean certain death. Gregory Rasmussen is now trying to convince the farmers that, as he believes, this species is threatened by extinction: without intensive support these intelligent, sensitive animals may not survive.