The IUCN quadrennium came to an end at the World Conservation Congress last October, and all SSC’s Specialist Groups were dissolved. I have been invited by the new SSC Chair, Dr Simon Stuart, to continue to serve as Chair of the Canid Specialist Group (CSG) and re-constitute its membership.

I have already written to the current members of the CSG in this regard, and in parallel I have prepared a short online questionnaire to help me get a better idea of the human resources available among our Friends of Canids. The information thus gleaned will constitute a resource database for easy reference.

This exercise will also assist us in identifying additional CSG members, and CSG Country Contacts (i.e., those of you that reside or regularly work in a country with important canid populations, and have detailed knowledge on their distribution and status).

Click here to get to the survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=yWgRlz6MIEBBGmnL1r93CA_3d_3d

It should not take you more than 5 minutes to complete. Please do it no later than 20 February 2009. Feel free to pass this on to any other people sharing our interest for wild canids. 

Note that if you already received a letter addressed to CSG Members you dot need to complete this survey.

I look forward to hearing back from you. Please do not hesitate to write to me with additional comments or to raise any further Canid related issues.

Best wishes

Claudio Sillero, Chair 

IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group