African wild dogs are thrilling, intriguing and endangered. Delight in their beauty is matched by anguish at their plight. In the fervent hope that our efforts will make some practical difference to their prospects for survival, the Canid Specialist Group has had a busy year regarding African wild dogs. The defining moment for us was the publication of the African Wild Dog Action Plan in 1997, a triumph for the scholarship and dedication of Rosie Woodroffe, Joshua Ginsberg and many contributors and correspondents. However, the end of the Plan is the start of the Action. One important conclusion of the Plan was that the situation of wild dogs in Southern Africa was significantly different to that anywhere else, and therefore merited a specialised, regional focus. It is therefore very gratifying that an immediate action has been the convening of the PVHA for African Wild Dog in Southern Africa.