PDR Annual Report

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, Police, and Parks has gained us greater community and stakeholder support. The PDR team looks forward to Bush Camp weeks as the whole 20 acres of the PDR site resounds with laughter and happy children, not to mention the singing, dancing, and drumming that happens at the campfire evening.

Excitingly and vital for us is that our decade of relentless work mitigating wildlife vehicle collisions is finally paying off. We ended 2025 with 5 functional packs containing adults, yearlings, and surviving pups. Working in favor of the dogs was the fact that we had amazing rainfall, almost too much in some places, but still the habitat benefited after years of drought. Whilst many believe painted dogs need open plains, the truth is completely the opposite! Typically, they require thick bush, and unless forced, there is little option; they avoid open areas. Essentially, they are ambush hunters that rely on cover to get close to their prey, but in open areas, prey see them coming.

With over a decade of habitat restoration at PDR, we now have up to 28 grass species on-site. Many of these are well-established and serve as a seed source for other areas. This highlights the concept of islands of endemism, where one small section services the rest of the area. From a grazing point of view, our neighbors are seeing the benefit of having an untouched area where good-quality grass survives.

2025 was a year of growth at PDR in which the team

expanded in size and capacity and continues to go from strength to strength in 2026. We expanded our sustainable construction team and increased the number of Conservation Education Guides from 3 to 12 by the end of the year. We are excited to employ over 30 Zimbabweans in our truly community-based conservation organization.

To learn more about all that occurred in 2025, which has led to a strong 2026 at PDR, go to https://www.painteddogresearch.org/annual-reports