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IMAGE: An African wild dog crosses a small channel in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Swamps, rivers and lakes, on the other hand, are usually hardly surmountable obstacles. (Image: Dominik Behr) view more
Credit: (Image: Dominik Behr)
Dispersal is an important process governing the persistence of wild animal populations. Upon reaching sexual maturity, individuals usually disperse from their natal home range to search for suitable habitat and mates for reproduction. As such, dispersal promotes gene flow among populations, allows rescuing small and isolated populations, and enables the colonization of unoccupied habitats. In human-dominated landscapes, however, dispersing animals find it increasingly difficult to cross densely populated areas that separate suitable habitats. For this reason, the identification and preservation of wildlife corridors has become of utmost importance for conservation authorities worldwide.
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African Wild Dog: An Ambassador for World’s Largest Nature Reserve
The world’s largest nature conservation area lies in southern Africa, comprising 520,000 square kilometers that span five countries. A study from the University of Zurich has now shown that the critically endangered African wild dog mostly remains within the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) during its long periods of migration. This confirms that the wildlife corridors most important for the conservation of the African wild dog and other threatened species fall within the boundaries of KAZA’s protected zone.
African wild dogs in the Moremi Game Reserve in northern Botswana. The animal in front has a GPS collar that records the distance travelled during migration. (Image: Arpat Ozgul/UZH)