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Wild Dogs

  


Rarely Seen Endangered African Wild Dogs

In seven years of living in South Africa, I have only seen wild dogs, also called painted dogs because of their mottled coloring, four times; three in SA’s reserves and once in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. I am of two minds when I see them. I shiver in awe on one side and fear on the other. Watching the pups at play is as delightful as seeing our family pets frolicking with their canine pals in the park. 


However, when on the hunt, they are focused, relentlessly determined, and terrifying.  


The dogs travel and hunt in packs and have an astonishing 80% success rate. Compare that to the mighty lion at 30%. Wild dogs will even corner petrified prey against electric fences, forcing the animal to electrocute themselves before going in for the kill. But why am I terrified when I see dogs on the hunt? Because I have witnessed a pack of four descend on a baby impala and eat it alive. 


Of the four dogs, three were young and robust, one was an old fellow with a limp. While they tracked the impala herd, two led the way; one stayed in the middle, running back and forth between the leaders and the older dog who could not keep up. We watched these dogs on and off over two days, and the behavior remained the same. The pack would stop when the older dog needed to rest. When the dogs surrounded the one impala, he did not actively participate in the kill, circling on the sidelines, waiting. As horrifying as the event was to witness, I worried if he would benefit from the hunt. 


The scene was brutal to the senses but what happened after the initial slaughter softened my heart to these endangered predators of the bush.


All three hunters, each with their own share, walked over to the older dog and dropped a portion for him to eat. But that’s not all; one of the dogs brought him the head, which according to our ranger, is an honor because it is a delicious treat. 


I wonder if this lesson is obvious to you as it is to me?


#wilddogs #africanwilddogs #painteddogs #respectyourelders #bushlife #ilovethebush #writing #personal essays #endangeredwilddogs #lastmonthsinafrica #okovongadelta #thebushcamp #mosethlaecocamp

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