We learned in the previous article about how the Cheetah Conservation Fund helps reduce human-wildlife conflict with the use of several methods, one of them being the use of the livestock guarding dog. In this journal, we will explore this further and show you some other ways that dogs help cheetahs in the wild!
Livestock guarding dogs have been used for centuries in many countries, and the breeds that CCF uses are Turkish, called Anatolian Shepherds or Kangals. In Turkey, a Kangal usually has its ears cropped for work (instead of letting them hang naturally to avoid being bitten by a predator). When the Americans brought the Kangal dog back to America, it was not recognized by Turkey as the same breed and therefore renamed the Anatolian Shepherd. Although they are the same dog, the Anatolian usually doesn't have its ears cropped and has been bred to be slightly smaller and more docile to be used as a "pet" and working dog.
These dogs are extremely large, weighing between 90 to 150 pounds at adulthood and standing 27 to 29 inches tall at the shoulder! They have various markings, but are usually a tan color with black accents and medium-length fur. Along with their large size, Anatolians have an incredibly low and sometimes "scary" bark.
