Wild dogs, what’s all the fuss about?

The African wild dog is listed as highly endangered. It’s the second most endangered mammal in Africa after rhinos. Their numbers are thought to be less than 5000 and there are as few as 300 in the Kruger National Park.  That’s why when you see them, it’s a rare occurrence.

Over the last few weeks we have been very privileged to see these beautiful creatures as they have moved their den onto our reserve. The pack is led by an Alpha Male and Female who do most of the breeding and can have anything up to 20 pups in a litter.

Sadly not many pups last as they are preyed upon by lions, leopards and hyenas. The den needs to be moved every so often to get relief from the parasite loads that build up during their stay.

They’re the most successful hunters of any predator, with a success rate of around 80%. The dogs chase their prey down over long distances maintaining 60km an hour. This strategy leads to the weaker animals in the herd falling back and putting the dogs in the perfect place to catch and kill their prey. They can be quite gruesome and don’t necessarily wait for their prey to be dead before they start eating.

Watch this video here of Wild Dogs taking down a Buffalo.

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Their lifespan is relatively short (5 – 6 years) and it is being endangered by human intervention, population, rabies & other predators.

It’s tricky to find places to let them roam free as they require large territories to roam and they require an ample amount of prey (sometimes as many as 3 impala in a day).

If you’d like to see these beautiful animals in the wild, contact us for areas where they are prolific and it’s likely to see them in Southern Africa.