| "Painting the Painted Dogs", my traveling exhibition & talk series is now underway. Please click here for dates & venues. ************* In February 2007 I was selected by Artists For Conservation (AFC) to undertake their 5th Flag Expedition - "Painting the Painted Dogs - Artistic Study of an Endangered Hunter". I spent 6 weeks, from late August to mid- October 2007, at the Painted Dog Conservation project (PDC) in Zimbabwe sketching highly endangered African Wild Dogs (known as Painted Dogs in Zimbabwe) and learning about the educational and community aspects of the conservation project. My trip was a great success and over the coming weeks I will be adding sketches and stories to the website as well as information about the Dogs, the Childrens Bushcamp, the Anti- Poaching Unit, the Dog Rehabilitation Facility and the Schools and Community projects. Click here to see the latest photographs and here to see video clips from my trip. Although my trip is over, "Painting the Painted Dogs" is far from finished. Starting in March 2008 I will be exhibiting work from my trip and giving lectures, with 100% of fees donated to PDC. I continue to donate 25% of the sale price of every Painted Dog painting directly to PDC and hope to use my journal, sketches and photographs to raise awareness of the dogs' plight and raise funds for the PDC project. To receive further details of events as they happen please join my Mailing List. |
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Why Painted Dogs?
I chose Painted Dogs as the subjects for my Flag Expedition because whenever I see them they are the highlight of my trip. Many people who go to Africa for the first time don't know much about the dogs before their trip (often confusing them with hyaenas or jackals) but once they have seen them they are always intrigued by this highly endangered, highly nomadic and highly social species.
The dogs are built for endurance running, they are light in build, slim and have extremely long slender legs. They are beautifully and individually marked in black, tan and white with white-tipped tails, a dark muzzle, almond eyes and huge round ears. They rarely fight amongst themselves, allow their pups to feed first at a kill and share their food equitably, unlike most other social predators. The whole pack cares for pups once they have left the den and they also care for any sick or injured pack-mates, regurgitating food for those who cannot hunt.
Hwange National Park is where I saw my first wild pack of dogs in Africa. One of the males had an injured back leg and was being followed by a spotted hyaena who had seen his injury and thought he was an easy meal. However the rest of the pack saw the hyaena and turned to chase it off into the bush, squealing as it went. Several years later, when I met Greg Rasmussen from PDC I found that this pack are known as the "Mlesilonda" (the wounded ones). The dog with the paralyzed leg was injured in a snare and PDC staff removed the snare and treated the leg. I am looking forward to returning to Hwange and perhaps seeing some descendants of the Mlesilonda pack.
Why are they called Painted Dogs?
In Zimbabwe African Wild Dogs (Lycaon Pictus) are often called Painted Dogs, with the term 'painted' being taken from their Latin name 'pictus'. As a child I knew them as Cape Hunting Dogs. Like many other southern African animals their name was prefixed with 'Cape' as the South African Cape was the first place in which they were seen and named by naturalists. The 'African Wild Dog' name came about during a time when most large predators were being purposefully exterminated. It gives the impression of a feral species, a vicious killer and an animal which does not need to be conserved. In truth these dogs are one of the most ancient and unique dog species, not closely related to wolves, domestic dogs, jackals or even hyaenas (which are related to civets and mongooses). The dogs are in serious need of protection and the use of the 'Painted Dog' name helps to break down barriers and also gave me a wonderful expedition title!
What is the Artists For Conservation (AFC) Flag Expeditions Program?
The Artists for Conservation Foundation (Formerly the Worldwide Nature Artists Group) is a non-profit juried association of artists dedicated to celebrating and protecting our natural heritage. The group limits its membership to 500 artists. AFC has a website featuring the work of its artists, many of whom donate a percentage of their sales to conservation groups, and has many other exciting programs underway, including the Conservation Artist Award, an annual members art exhibit and the Flag Expeditions Program. I am a signature member of AFC and have found it to be a great organization with a wonderful mission - to support wildlife and habitat conservation, biodiversity, sustainability and environmental education through art that celebrates our natural heritage. The Flag Expeditions program is a unique program offered by AFC. Signature members may submit proposals for the field study and artistic rendering of endangered species or habitats, often in remote parts of the world. The chosen artist has the privilege of carrying the AFC flag on their journey and creates a journal of their expedition. Painting the Painted Dogs is the AFC's 5th Flag Expedition. For more information about the AFC Flag Expeditions program please click www.natureartists.com/flagexpeditions.
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What is the Painted Dog Conservation Project?
PDC, started by Greg Rasmussen, is based on the edge of Hwange National Park in north-western Zimbabwe. Their aim is to conserve and increase the range and numbers of the Painted Dog both in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa. Community involvement and education are very important aspects of this project and PDC run a community outreach program, bring local children into their Bushcamp and are creating an interpretative center so that visitors can learn more about the dogs and the best ways to ensure their continued existence. They also conduct anti-poaching patrols and have a rehabilitation center for injured or orphaned dogs. For more information about PDC please visit www.painteddog.org.
How endangered are Painted Dogs?
In a word - very. Their numbers have dropped dramatically from over 300,000 (possibly 500 000) in 1900 to approximately 3,000 today. They have vanished from 25 of the 39 countries forming their historical range and are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources (IUCN) list of endangered species. Zimbabwe contains one of the last viable dog populations and the main threats to their survival today are snares intended for other species, disease, and road traffic accidents. They do have natural enemies (lions will kill dogs and their pups) but these are insignificant compared to the threat posed by humans and habitat destruction.
PDC, started by Greg Rasmussen, is based on the edge of Hwange National Park in north-western Zimbabwe. Their aim is to conserve and increase the range and numbers of the Painted Dog both in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa. Community involvement and education are very important aspects of this project and PDC run a community outreach program, bring local children into their Bushcamp and are creating an interpretative center so that visitors can learn more about the dogs and the best ways to ensure their continued existence. They also conduct anti-poaching patrols and have a rehabilitation center for injured or orphaned dogs. For more information about PDC please visit www.painteddog.org.
How endangered are Painted Dogs?
In a word - very. Their numbers have dropped dramatically from over 300,000 (possibly 500 000) in 1900 to approximately 3,000 today. They have vanished from 25 of the 39 countries forming their historical range and are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature & Natural Resources (IUCN) list of endangered species. Zimbabwe contains one of the last viable dog populations and the main threats to their survival today are snares intended for other species, disease, and road traffic accidents. They do have natural enemies (lions will kill dogs and their pups) but these are insignificant compared to the threat posed by humans and habitat destruction.
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What will I be doing during my expedition?
I will be based at PDC and will be traveling with PDC staff or volunteers as they track dogs in the area. I will also spend time learning about the educational and community involvement aspects of the project. I aim to gain a thorough knowledge of the whole project as this will help me on my return to the US when I start a series of talks about the expedition, the project and the dogs. During the expedition most of my time will be spent sketching and painting the dogs (once we find them!). I will be creating an expedition journal for AFC which will contain sketches, paintings and notes from my trip. Each page of the sketchbook will be scanned by AFC so that it can be viewed in its entirety on the AFC website once the expedition is complete. During the trip I will also spend a brief period of time at Victoria Falls, a World Heritage Site and will hopefully also visit an anti-poaching project in this area.
How will my AFC Flag Expedition help Painted Dogs?
My aims are two-fold. Firstly I aim to use my artwork, photographs & video footage from the trip to raise awareness of the dogs. Many people do not realize that the dogs are an ancient and endangered species. Or perhaps they think that the dogs are dangerous and vicious when in fact there has never been an authenticated account of Painted Dogs attacking or killing a human. So my first aim is to conduct a series of talks and a traveling exhibition which will illustrate the true nature of the dogs and make people more interested in the survival of the species. If you know of an organization which would be interested in a talk or exhibit of my work please feel free to email me at alison@nichollswildlifeart.com . My second aim is to directly raise funds for the PDC project. I am already donating 25% of proceeds from the sale of all Painted Dog artwork to PDC. This includes commissions, sketches and original watercolors. I will also donate 100% of my post-expedition talk fees to the project.
How can you help?
You can donate directly to PDC by visiting their website at www.painteddog.org or you can buy a painting from me and I will donate 25% to PDC. You can also tell people about the dogs (if you live in the NY area there are now dogs at the Bronx Zoo) and sign on to my Mailing List to hear more about this exciting project.
I will be based at PDC and will be traveling with PDC staff or volunteers as they track dogs in the area. I will also spend time learning about the educational and community involvement aspects of the project. I aim to gain a thorough knowledge of the whole project as this will help me on my return to the US when I start a series of talks about the expedition, the project and the dogs. During the expedition most of my time will be spent sketching and painting the dogs (once we find them!). I will be creating an expedition journal for AFC which will contain sketches, paintings and notes from my trip. Each page of the sketchbook will be scanned by AFC so that it can be viewed in its entirety on the AFC website once the expedition is complete. During the trip I will also spend a brief period of time at Victoria Falls, a World Heritage Site and will hopefully also visit an anti-poaching project in this area.
How will my AFC Flag Expedition help Painted Dogs?
My aims are two-fold. Firstly I aim to use my artwork, photographs & video footage from the trip to raise awareness of the dogs. Many people do not realize that the dogs are an ancient and endangered species. Or perhaps they think that the dogs are dangerous and vicious when in fact there has never been an authenticated account of Painted Dogs attacking or killing a human. So my first aim is to conduct a series of talks and a traveling exhibition which will illustrate the true nature of the dogs and make people more interested in the survival of the species. If you know of an organization which would be interested in a talk or exhibit of my work please feel free to email me at alison@nichollswildlifeart.com . My second aim is to directly raise funds for the PDC project. I am already donating 25% of proceeds from the sale of all Painted Dog artwork to PDC. This includes commissions, sketches and original watercolors. I will also donate 100% of my post-expedition talk fees to the project.
How can you help?
You can donate directly to PDC by visiting their website at www.painteddog.org or you can buy a painting from me and I will donate 25% to PDC. You can also tell people about the dogs (if you live in the NY area there are now dogs at the Bronx Zoo) and sign on to my Mailing List to hear more about this exciting project.