Anti-snare Collars Project

The protective collar project is focused on reducing the threats of the human-induced fatalities and injuries facing painted dogs in two landscapes of Zimbabwe. With the Houston Zoo and other partners, we are currently investigating the efficacy of a cost-effective collar design. After initial testing with working dog groups, we will deploy 10 fully functional protective VHF collars within at-risk painted dog packs in Zimbabwe. Our two conservation partners in Zimbabwe, Painted Dog Conservation and Painted Dog Research Trust, will track individuals from their respective dog populations to determine survival rates and identify any design refinement needs. Once a collar design proves to increase survival, we hope to produce and ship 100 protective collars to PDC and PDRT that will directly protect 20% of the painted dog population in that area. We plan to make collars available for use within populations of painted dogs in other regions, as well as other species which face snare and road related mortality.