Wild Dogs Spotted in Malawi's Kasungu National Park for First Time in a Decade
Four African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) have been photographed in Malawi's Kasungu National Park for the first time in more than ten years, marking a significant moment for conservation efforts in the region. IFAW Field Operations Manager Gervaz Thamala captured the sighting during a dawn patrol, with scientists from the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) subsequently identifying the four females as the same dogs photographed near Mfuwe in Zambia's South Luangwa Valley in May - more than 100 kilometres away.
The sighting is seen as tangible evidence of the value of transboundary conservation initiatives, particularly IFAW's Room to Roam programme, which works to secure wildlife migration corridors across the 5,366 km² Malawi-Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA). ZCP CEO Matt Becker noted that the distance travelled underscores the critical importance of landscape connectivity for the species, while IFAW Country Director Bruce Sosola cautioned that the dogs - a dispersing group of females still seeking males to form a pack - have not necessarily returned to Kasungu permanently. Both organisations have called for intensified monitoring and strengthened connectivity between the two countries.
