Saving Africa's athletes: conserving cheetahs and wild dogs

ZSL/WCS Conservation Challenges for the 21st Century - Saving Africa's athletes: conserving cheetahs and wild dogs

Africa has produced some of the world's most outstanding sports men and women, but the athletic achievements of two of its wildlife species deserve just as much acclaim. The cheetah is the fastest animal on land, while the African wild dog excels at endurance running and teamwork.

Despite these achievements, both species are highly threatened, and they present a major challenge for conservationists in the 21st century. Running fast and ranging widely, cheetah and wild dog populations need larger areas than almost any other terrestrial carnivore species anywhere in the world. As human populations encroach on Africa's last wild areas, cheetah and wild dogs are among the first species to disappear.

Few of Africa's parks are large enough to conserve them, and the species' survival depends on linking parks with community and private lands, across international borders and on geographic scales rarely seen before in terrestrial conservation.

The evening will explore how cheetah and wild dogs can be conserved in modern Africa.

The speakers:
Rosie Woodroffe will talk about her long term conservation work with wild dogs in Kenya, and will introduce plans for conserving both wild dogs and cheetah across Africa;
Maurus Msuha will draw on many years of experience in carnivore conservation in Tanzania, and will outline problems faced by African countries in meeting conservation objectives and ways to establish a new generation of conservation leaders in Africa; and
Sarah Durant will discuss her long term work on cheetah conservation in Tanzania and show how conservation plans for the two species can be implemented.

Organised by Jon Bielby, Conservation Programmes, ZSL.

Saving Africa's Athletes flyer (299 KB)

Please note that timings are to be confirmed

The talks are free to attend and open to the public (no advance booking or registration required). Seats will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.

Further Information: please contact Joy Hayward, Scientific Meetings Coordinator, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY.
Tel:+44 (0)20 7449 6227. Fax: +44 (0)20 7449 6411. E-mail: joy.hayward@zsl.org.

Related links
ZSL Scientific Meetings
Map showing ZSL Meeting Rooms
ZSL Field conservation
Wildlife Conservation Society