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From January through March, Dr. Greg traveled across the US for the annual PDR fundraising and awareness tour. This tour directly provides the necessary funding to operate the field conservation work in Zimbabwe each year. It also educates dozens of communities about the plight of endangered painted dogs and their habitat. During his visit, Greg delivered over 24 presentations at locations including: Raleigh, NC Knoxville, TN Fort Collins and Pueblo, CO Boise, ID Tacoma, WA S

Aside from the crippling vehicle repairs to our old field Land Rovers in need of a complete overhaul, 2025 was actually a banner year. There were so many positives! ‘Mashambo’ Bush Camps ran smoothly throughout the year, with a total of over 300 children attending the three-day camp every two weeks. In the interim weeks, PDR Conservation Club ran for the local village children. Also, extending the Bush Camp program to include children of staff at the Ministries of Roads, Poli

As you may suspect, field research in the African bush is rugged and quite demanding on a vehicle. Tires, shocks, and suspension systems are always being pushed to their limits when driving on trails that sometimes appear barely there. The field team relies on the classic (mid 1980s – 1990s) Land Rover Defender due to being fully mechanical, durable, and relatively easy to fix in remote areas. Modern computerized vehicles are very challenging to maintain in Zimbabwe’s rugged

Due to previous signs becoming faded, cracked, and peeled in the hot African sun, PDR was in dire need of new graphics. Research vehicles must be properly identified as well as the facility sign that labeled the driveway entrance to PDR from the main road and the perimeter entrance gate. Thanks to Joel’s design skills, he developed each new sign, and PDR USA had them printed. The graphics were rolled up into transport tubes, and our friend Mike Malden from Zoo Miami packed th

As part of our plan for Mitigation of Wildlife Vehicle Collisions (WVC), PDR has worked to design and install billboards to encourage drivers to slow down in wildlife areas. While “slow down” road signs had been installed in the past, this proved unsuccessful because elephants knocked them down, preventing them from serving their purpose. In conjunction with National Parks, police, and KAZA (Kavango Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area), Dr. Greg and the team designed an

For nearly four decades, Painted Dog Research has combined field-based science, conservation, education, and community engagement to give endangered African painted dogs a better chance of survival. Today, that work continues through our conservation programs in Zimbabwe and through the support of Painted Dog Research USA in the United States. As some of our valued board members complete their terms, Painted Dog Research USA is beginning the process of identifying new leaders

This year Dr. Greg Rasmussen celebrated his 70th birthday and marked 39 years dedicated to researching and protecting Africa’s endangered painted dogs. Since beginning his pioneering fieldwork in Zimbabwe in 1987, Greg has devoted so much of his life to creating understanding of one of the world’s most endangered carnivores. His accomplishments are remarkable. Through decades of patient research, Greg has produced 47 scientific publications, documenting painted-dog ecology, b

Painted Dog Research suffered a huge loss on April 7 with the passing of Bongo the camp dog. While not a painted dog, he was just as rare. As a full-fledged member of the PDR team, he had many jobs. First and foremost, he was a protector, defending his flock of chickens from the likes of hawks, snakes and his mortal enemy, baboons. Bongo had a distinctive bark for each predator that his two humans, Greg and Mary, could both recognize. When conservationist and PDR Board Chair,

A new exhibit called Conservation in Action at Niabi Zoo in the Quad Cities of Illinois features the long-standing conservation partnership between the zoo and PDR. Designed to inspire curiosity, understanding, and action, Conservation in Action explores how people, wildlife, and ecosystems are connected—and how every person can take action to help to protect the natural world. Through interactive displays, engaging graphics, and real-world local and global conservation stori

While we at PDR celebrate World Painted Dog Day every day, many places around the world have celebrated between August 22 - August 29, with the actual recognized day being August 26. Zoologist and PDR Chair, Joel Vanderbush, was the featured Conservation Speaker at Niabi Zoo’s Painted Dog Day where he helped to raise $820 through donations, sale of snare wire art, and a drawing for a prize bag filled with Painted Dog merchandise, including Dr. Greg’s book, A Dog Called Circus