Decisions 12.61 to 12.66 - Conservation and Management of Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)

The Secretariat shall:

a) Subject to external funding and in collaboration with Range States, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and other relevant partners:

1. Support the implementation, and regular revision of existing joint Cheetah and African Wild Dog conservation plans and strategies, both regional and national;

2. Develop and implement strategies to reinforce international cooperation on the management of Cheetahs and African Wild Dogs, including effective information exchange between Range States;

3. Support capacity building and skill transfer as relevant to Cheetah and African Wild Dog conservation and management, with an emphasis on developing the capacity of the local wildlife authorities in this regard;

4. Support the development of relevant databases, which include information on populations across their range, sightings, livestock depredation, killing and illegal trade, within Cheetah and African Wild Dog Range States, taking due consideration of existing inventories collated by the relevant IUCN/Specialist Groups and the Zoological Society of London/Wildlife Conservation Society, and other organizations;

5. Assist Parties to share information with Burkina Faso on the following, in support of the implementation of CITES Decisions 17.235 to 17.238:

a. Measures implemented by Range States to prevent illegal trade in African wild Dog; 

b. Trade in African Wild Dog, including levels and sources of specimens in trade; 

c. Collaboration amongst Range States of African Wild Dog and exchange of best conservation practices for the preservation and restoration of the species; and collaboration with CMS, International Union for the Conservation of Nature and other interested organisations in taking actions at the national and regional level, in particular with regard to: habitat conservation, the establishment of ecological corridors, the management of infectious diseases, the restoration of prey-basis and human-wildlife conflict;

6. Assist Burkina Faso to report to the Scientific Council, and to the CITES Animals Committee in compliance with CITES Decision 17.238, as appropriate;         

7. Promote fundraising to support the effective implementation of conservation and management plans and strategies for cheetah and African Wild Dogs;

b) Encourage those Cheetah and African Wild Dog Range States that are not yet Parties to the Convention to become a Party to the Convention;

c) Report to the Standing Committee at its 48th and 49th meetings on the implementation of the above Decisions.

Parties are requested to:

a) Collaborate in implementing the Decisions contained in Decision 12.61, paragraphs a) 1-7.´;

b) Develop and implement within communities, evidence-based strategies that reduce livestock depredation by Cheetah and African Wild Dog;

c) Develop and implement within communities, evidence-based strategies that reduce disease transmission to African Wild Dogs;

d) Promote wildlife-based income generation mechanisms that benefit both people and wildlife;

e) Provide policy environments that better support sustainable wildlife-based enterprises;

f) Ensure that legislation that protects Cheetahs and African Wild Dogs is in place and that penalties for transgression are sufficiently high to act as a deterrent;

g) Enforce protection within protected areas and maintain buffer zones and connectivity outside, in order to secure the large landscapes necessary for Cheetah and African Wild Dog conservation;

h) Ensure that all large-scale infrastructure development, including fencing and roadbuilding, allows Cheetahs and African Wild Dogs to pass through safely;

i) Consider land zoning options to maintain and restore important areas for Cheetah and African Wild Dog conservation outside protected areas;

j) Investigate opportunities to ensure that Cheetah and African Wild Dog conservation are integrated into relevant educational curricula at national and subnational levels, including schools, universities and professional training colleges; 

k) Collaborate and exchange best conservation practices regarding the preservation and restoration of African Wild Dog and Cheetah populations, and cooperate with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and other interested organizations in taking actions at the national and regional level, in particular with regard to: habitat conservation; the establishment of ecological corridors to address habitat fragmentation; the management of infectious diseases; the restoration of prey-basis; human-wildlife conflicts; and trade, including trade in captive bred specimens;

l) Assist the Secretariat, to present a summary report to the Standing Committee at its 48th and 49th meetings on the progress in implementing the Decisions.  

In support of CITES Decisions 17.235 to 17.238, Range and Consumer States of African Wild Dog are encouraged to share with Burkina Faso information about:

a) Measures implemented by range States to prevent illegal trade in African Wild Dog;

b) Trade in African Wild Dog, including levels and sources of specimens in trade;

c) Collaboration amongst Range States of African Wild Dog and exchange of best conservation practices for the preservation and restoration of the species; and collaboration with CMS, International Union for the Conservation of Nature and other interested organisations in taking actions at the national and regional level, in particular with regard to: habitat conservation, the establishment of ecological corridors, the management of infectious diseases, the restoration of prey-basis and humanwildlife conflict.  

The Scientific Council should make recommendations to the Standing Committee at its 48th or 49th meetings based on the reports submitted in accordance with Decision 12.62 and 12.63, including recommendations concerning possible amendments to the list of cheetah populations presently excluded from CMS Appendix 1 to reflect current conservation status and inform a Decision by the Conference of the Parties at its 13th meeting. 

The Standing Committee shall:

a) Consider at its 48th and 49th meetings the reports submitted by the Secretariat, the Scientific Council and the Parties and as appropriate recommend further actions to be taken;

b) Report to the Conference of the Parties at its 13th meeting on the progress in implementing this Decision.

Parties, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are encouraged to support the Cheetah and African Wild Dog Range States and the Secretariat in their efforts to conserve and restore these species across their range; and in implementing the Decisions contained in Decision 12.61, paragraph a), sub-paragraphs 1-7 and Decision 12.62 paragraphs b) – k).