Recently, I worked with members of the Tanzanian Wildlife Research Institute, Tanzanian National Parks Authority and Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority to “radio collar” endangered African wild dogs.

The work was done in the Loliondo and Sonjo areas of Tanzania’s Ngorongoro district. The aim of the exercise was to fit five dogs from different packs with special collars that can be tracked by radio transmitter. These collars will let researchers see how far the dogs are ranging and whether they are entering Serengeti National Park from current denning locations outside the park.

Read more »

Graduate researcher Anna Czupryna takes us to vaccination day near Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. By vaccinating domestic dogs against rabies and canine distemper, Lincoln Park Zoo prevents these diseases from impacting local people and wildlife.

Graduate researcher Anna Czupryna shares some of the cool critters she saw during her trip to the Serengeti. Some of these animals, such as the lions, are being protected by Lincoln Park Zoo’s domestic-dog vaccination program.

By vaccinating domestic dogs against diseases such as rabies and canine distemper, Lincoln Park Zoo and its partners benefit the entire Serengeti ecosystem—including people, wildlife and domestic animals. See how with our Safeguarding an Ecosystem slideshow.

The Serengeti is a fantastic place to work. While we hash out project logistics on the porch of our house, herds of buffalo frequently wander through the yard or dwarf mongoose run from rock pile to rock pile.

From being here, I’ve learned so much about the resident wildlife and what it means to work in the field setting. The little things I hadn’t even considered have suddenly been brought to my attention. Things like how does the field team power their laptops when the house is not hooked up to the power grid? I found that the guys get power from solar energy during the day and run off a generator after nightfall. This requires advance planning for fuel (for the generator) and maintenance of solar panels.

Read more »