The Painted Dog Research Trust was founded to conserve the endangered Painted Dog by Dr. Gregory Rasmussen in 2014. Dr. Rasmussen is the leading world authority on this African wild dog and has been studying them since 1988. PDRT focuses on field work, research and training. PDRT mentor students, helping them to prepare for further studies and field work. They are currently constructing a Conservation Ecology Centre (CEC) for Zimbabwe’s graduate and undergraduate field studies and will one day accept applications from international students too. The CEC will have a state of the art laboratory and facilities to host visiting lecturers. They want to invite experts to talk and instruct.

PDRT reinvest costs and attention back into the local communities as well. They began a new project this year in conjunction with Zimbabwe Parks and the Wildlife Ministry, training park rangers to build their capacity and understanding through EcoRanger workshops and a seminar series. They work within local schools to run conservation clubs and are currently engaged with the community in designing and building a new primary school. Through this and their conservation work they always aim to provide local employment in a wide spectrum of jobs.

PDRT is a small organisation with 4-5 core staff and a varying number of students, interns and volunteers.

For more information, visit their website.