PORTLAND, OR -- Once a half million strong, the African painted dog is now struggling to maintain a population of 3,000, having been wiped out in 25 of the 39 countries in which it once resided.
British wildlife biologist Greg Rasmussen, founder of Zimbabwe's Painted Dog Conservation Project, discusses strategies for saving this species Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. at the Oregon Zoo, as part of the 2009 Wildlife Conservation Lecture Series.
In his lecture, "Lasting Conservation Solutions to Conserve the Painted Dog in Zimbabwe and Beyond," Rasmussen discusses the major threats to painted dogs: snares, shootings, poisonings and road kills. African painted dogs have also been hurt by diseases introduced through contact with domestic dogs.
"Underlying all of the threats to this species are attitudes based on misinformation," said Tony Vecchio, Oregon Zoo director. "African painted dogs have a reputation as vicious killers, but the risk they present to livestock has been overstated. Hopefully, this lecture will help the public see the true nature of these remarkable animals and their value to the larger ecosystem."
Rasmussen has spent over 16 years raising awareness about the African painted dog and working to bring it back from the brink of extinction. In Zimbabwe, his Painted Dog Conservation Project has successfully reduced the mortality rate, increasing the number of African painted dogs there from 400 to 700 since the project's inception.
Using children's camps, outreach programs and an interpretive center, the project educates local people about the dogs, their history and the ecosystem they all share.
To further educate people about the destruction of African painted dogs and the harmful use of wire snares, the project has contracted local artists to create sculpture made from the wires. The project employs villagers to collect snares and provides opportunities for the artists to turn them into works of art. The creations are shipped to Europe with proceeds from their sales used to raise awareness and further support anti-poaching efforts.
Rasmussen was featured on the Discovery Channel's documentary series "I Shouldn't Be Alive" in an episode describing his ordeal following a light-plane crash while tracking painted-dog poachers in the African savanna. With his legs broken in six different places, Rasmussen spent several days fighting off predators and intense pain before being rescued.
The Wildlife Conservation Lecture Series continues through April with the following additional lectures:
Tuesday, March 31
Kay E. Holekamp, Professor, Michigan State University: "The Spotted Hyena: Fact and Fiction."
Tuesday, April 28
TBA: lecture to discuss a predator native to the Northwest.
The lecture series is presented by Pro Photo Supply and Shiels Obletz Johnsen. Lectures are held in the Oregon Zoo's Cascade Crest Banquet Center and begin at 7 p.m. Cost for each lecture is $10 ($8 for members of host organizations, students or seniors).
Hosts for the lecture series are the Oregon Zoo, the Audubon Society of Portland and the World Forestry Center.
The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington's pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, Oregon spotted frogs and Kincaid's lupine. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.
The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63. Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.
General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.
