See Teaser video above.

Resulting from our exploratory research proposal (‘Dog conflict management Santo Antão’) Wim Tegels and me went to visit the Cape Verde island of Santo Antão for a period of three weeks, commissioned by the ‘Projeto Um Cao um Amigo’ (Project ‘A Dog, a Friend’). We did not request salary for this visit. We only requested full travel and accommodation expenses coverage, a local guide/translator and transportation to perform our work on the island. All this turned out to be arranged just fine. Below a headline list of what we aimed to do in this period: 

1. Meet relevant stakeholders (governmental and non-governmental); 

2. Tour showing us as many relevant dog/project related sites and content as possible; 

3. Visit and investigate the reported predation hotspots; 

4. Install cameras at hotspots or any other location which is found useful by us on the spot; 

5. Visit and investigate the area(s) where so called ‘wild’ dog packs are reported; 

6. Meet as many livestock farmers as possible and observing the ways of livestock farming, husbandry and practices; 

7. Find and target (a) willing and responsible farmer(s) to become an example/pilot location with conflict prevention measures; 

8. Attempt to assemble local work groups for structural data collection and monitoring. 

We were present on location to perform exploratory research from May 25th until June 12th 2021. 

We managed to do the first 6 points completely. For point 7 we have people in mind, but this is not permanently decided yet. For point 8 we learned that this is an important point of attention for any future work and/or research on the island; the creation of a structural, smoothly operating work group which operates responsibly and independently. On location and depending on what we found and observed we amended our planning to perform the most necessary work. Whenever possible, we operated in joint work groups with local people, also keeping in mind the goals for future tasks and collaboration; the aim is to eventually have all activities addressed and performed by local people. 

In this report we wrote down our findings, data and conclusions of the three-week period and recommendations for follow-up research and pilots. Separately we will write a grand proposal and identify possible organizations who could provide funding for the proposed future activities. To perform the recommended activities official agreement, and full participation from the government stakeholders is required, as are sufficient grants. Without either one, the recommended activities cannot be performed by us. 

This exploratory research could only happen thanks to, in the first place, Iris van Maarschalkerwaart, secretary of the ‘Projeto Um Cao um Amigo’ (Project ‘A dog, a Friend’). She was the powerful planning motor for the whole three-week program and arranged everything which was needed for us to go there, be there and to return from there. 

On location we were fortunate to spend time with a fantastic group of people: our personal guide, organizer and translator in the person of Claudio Fernandes and later on also his friend and colleague Nany West. Dr. Viviene Lopes and Dr. Cesar Fortes, both veterinarians in respectively Porto Novo and Ribeira Grande. Antonnieta Ramalho, vet technician and extensionist in Pául. The extensionist teams from Porto Novo and Ribeira Grande. The local volunteers of ‘Projeto Um Cao um Amigo’. The city halls of Porto Novo, Pául and Ribeira Grande and the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment of Porto Novo and Ribeira Grande.

Read the whole report here.