African painted dogs (commonly called wild dogs), which were declared extinct in Uganda in the 1980s, have been sighted by a local ranger, the Uganda Wildlife Authority said.
"African Painted Dogs were sighted this morning around the Narus River in Kidepo Valley National Park [north-east of the country]," the statement said.
The canines are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of endangered species. The IUCN explained that the population level of African wild dogs fluctuates but is in a likely irreversible decline.
The ICUN said in 2020 that the population of African painted dogs was estimated at about 6,600 adults.
Ugandan wildlife conservationist Paul Oketcho called the discovery of the dogs a jolt to a country already abundant in biodiversity.
"This is a major development but Uganda has a history of not conserving such wildlife as many such including rhinos, elephants and lions are facing extinction due to poaching and mismanagement by those in charge of wildlife," Oketcho told media.
According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, rangers will be stationed in the park to track wild dogs in order to collect data for conservation.
Earlier this year, the body said that conservation efforts have steadily increased the number of elephants, rhinos and other endangered animals in wildlife refuges. The agency said the number of mountain gorillas in dense forests has also increased.