The painted dog, or African wild dog, was once found widely across Africa but relentless persecution by humans, coupled with habitat loss and spread of disease from domestic dogs, has driven the population down from 500,000 to less than 5,000 over the past century. The species is now listed as endangered by the IUCN. While the outlook is not good in many countries, there are emerging signs of hope, particularly in Zimbabwe where the efforts of a community-based conservation project has nearly doubled the population of the dog to 700 individuals.

The effort, led by Painted Dog Conservation (PDC), relies on advanced technology and community involvement to reduce threats to the species while simultaneously creating rural livelihoods and educational opportunities in a country where political turmoil has made life difficult for many people. PDC's strategy includes education programs, research to better understand threats to the species, and anti-poaching patrols to clear snares which are then turned into artwork by local artisans and sold to generate income for communities. PDC also offers HIV-AIDS testing and treatment to conservation workers and is helping establish HIV programs in some of the country's most desperate communities.

In an interview ahead of an upcoming appearance in the U.S., Peter Blinston, PDC's manager, spoke about his organization's work and its efforts to combine conservation with community development. PDC is partially supported by the Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN), an innovative group that uses a venture capital model to protect some of the world's most endangered species. WCN will be hosting Blinston at its upcoming Wildlife Conservation Expo in San Francisco, California on October 4th. Expo attendees will be able to meet Blinston and learn more about PDC firsthand. The event, which is open to the public and costs $25-50 per person, also features 16 other conservationists working to protect wildlife around the world.

Read the full interview with Peter Blinston of Painted Dog Conservation:
http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0928-wcn_interview_blinston.html