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African wild dogs have been endangered for more than 20 years, and only about 6,000 remain in the wild. Two primary threats to their survival are land-use change with associated habitat loss, and disease and parasitism. Tick-borne diseases are one threat to the health of wild dog populations. Researchers will determine whether pastorally managed landscapes reduce levels of tick-borne disease and direct tick parasitism in wild dogs. Few areas can support healthy populations of wild dogs; this work will help determine whether pastorally managed lands can be a viable component of conservation strategies for these animals. Results should help in designing management plans, informing population viability analyses and guiding disease-control and surveillance activities among packs. While this study focuses on wild dog pathogens, the results may be relevant to a wide range of wildlife species that use managed landscapes.

Study ID
D14ZO-308
Study Status
Complete
Start Date
06/01/2014
Grant amount awarded
$107,102
Grant recipient
University of California/Santa Barbara
Study country
United States
Investigator
Hillary S. Young, PhD
Study category
General Health