UWA has introduced another animal species to the current ones at Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (UWEC) in Entebbe.

This afternoon, two African Wild Dogs, male and female were welcomed at UWEC, bringing the total number of animal species to 69. The wild dogs, donated by Conservation Through Commercialization (CTC), were received by Assistant Commissioner Geoffrey Mwedde on behalf of the Commissioner for Community Conservation and Ex-situ Wildlife Services, David Musingo.

Upon the release of the wild dogs into their new habitat, Thomas Price, the Founder of CTC, stated that this collaboration aims to enhance national capacity for these endangered species.

"African wild dogs are officially extinct in Uganda. There are only a few individuals that occasionally migrate through the country from Kenya to Sudan. However, there is a saying: do not put all your eggs in one basket. At CTC, we have been fortunate and quite successful with the wild dogs. But we also understand that it's much more useful to have two different populations in two different places," Price elaborated.

He emphasized that a disease outbreak could occur at either CTC or UWEC, and it is prudent not to concentrate all efforts in one location.

Mr. Mwedde expressed gratitude to CTC for the collaboration, highlighting that this initiative represents a positive advancement for UWA and the Ugandan government in terms of conservation efforts. He remarked, "It is crucial for the government of Uganda to collaborate with the private sector to enhance wildlife conservation in this country."

Dr. Recheal, Assistant Commissioner Ex-situ Wildlife Management at UWA, explained that the inclusion of the wild dogs in UWA’s ex-situ services will boost research, conservation education, and tourism.

"These dogs are extinct in Uganda and are classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, which signifies that this development is a significant step towards raising awareness about the conservation of such endangered species -  Many schools visit here, allowing us to educate them about the conservation of different endangered, in order to prevent further losses," she stated.

About the African Wild Dogs

Scientifically referred to as Lycaon pictus, the African wild dog is indigenous to the sub-Saharan savannas and open plains of Africa. This species is currently classified as endangered, with an estimated population of approximately 6,600 individuals.

The primary threats they face include habitat fragmentation due to human land use, which disrupts their packs, conflicts with humans arising from livestock protection, and viral diseases such as rabies transmitted from domestic dogs.