Decisions 13.92 to 13.95 - Conservation and Management of the 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 Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and other relevant partners: i. support the implementation, and regular revision of existing joint Cheetah and African Wild Dog conservation plans and strategies, both regional and national; Encourage the countries who do not have an action plan, to draw up such action plans, and support the implementation of these plans. ii. develop and implement strategies to reinforce international cooperation on the management of Cheetahs and African Wild Dogs that address all threats to their survival, including illegal take and ensure, including effective information exchange between Range States, transit and destination countries, and discuss with the Secretariat of the Convention on International trade in Endangered SPecies of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) to include this in the Programme of Work of the African Carnivores Initiative and the terms of reference of the CITES Big Cats Task Force; iii. 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 and enforcement authorities in this regard; iv. 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, transit and destination countries, 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; v. 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, transit and destination countries that are not yet Parties to the Convention to become Parties to the Convention; c) Report to the CMS Standing Committee, as required.

Parties are requested to: a) collaborate in implementing the Decisions contained in Decision 13.92, paragraphs (a) (i) - (v); 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) develop policies that assist the development of sustainable wildlife-based enterprises; f) ensure that legislation that protects Cheetahs and African Wild Dogs is in place and effectively enforced 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 and other public outreach efforts; 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-base; human-wildlife conflicts; and trade, including trade in captive bred specimens; l) assist the Secretariat to present a summary report to the Standing Committee as required.

The Scientific Council should, after consultation with the respective Range States affected, make recommendations to the Conference of the Parties concerning possible amendments to the list of Cheetah populations presently excluded from CMS Appendix I to reflect the current conservation status and inform a Decision by the Conference of the Parties at its 14th meeting.

Parties, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are encouraged to support the Cheetah and African Wild Dog Range States and as appropriate, transit and destination countries and the Secretariat in their efforts to conserve and restore these species across their range; and in implementing the Decisions contained in Decision 13.92, paragraph (a) (i) - (v) and Decision 13.93 paragraphs (b) – (k).