Wild dogs reveal themselves in Kruger National Park

After looking for wild dogs for weeks across Africa, all of a sudden there they were: on a paved road in South Africa.

Kruger National Park wild dog (BWO photo).

And there they were, African wild dogs.

After traipsing through some of east Africa and southern Africa’s most famous wildlife reserves, I hadn’t seen wild dogs.

And most certainly not like in this tweeted video: in the jaws of a lion and living to tell about it.

LION LOVERS @LIONLOVERS5

One very clever wild dog 😲 As the original post stated, this wild dog deserves an oscar. 🎥Latest Kruger, Greater Kruger Facebook

November 18th 2021

3 Retweets11 Likes

I had seen the big five and most every other wild species you can imagine, except for some of the rare antelopes, the honey badger and wild dogs.

South African Tourism @southafricauk

🇿🇦 Tuesday Quiz❓ African wild dogs are usually dominated by a monogamous breeding pair. Each animal have its own unique coat pattern, and all have big, rounded ears. What is a wild dog group called? 🦊 #MeetSouthAfricaNow #wildlife #Nature #wilddogs

November 16th 2021

1 Retweet2 Likes

Wild dog packs (see tweet above) once lived widely in Africa, from the edges of the Sahara Desert down to the South Africa cape. They still range widely, but mostly in small, isolated and mobile packs. Trying to find them is a crap shoot.

Several famous reserves, Serengeti in Tanzania, Maasai Mara in Kenya and Etosha in Namibia, are believed to have no wild dogs.

And, suddenly, there they were in Kruger National Park in South Africa, after not seeing them in a five-day previous visit to the park and on the ninth of 10 days on this visit.

Kruger National Park wild dogs (BWO photo).

A wild dog pack was walking on the paved road, letting me roll down the window and take close-up photos as I drove by, on the way to Lower Sabie camp.

About 6,600 wild dogs live in 39 populations around Africa. Their habitat has been fragmented and individuals shot and poisoned, vastly depleting historical populations. Kruger National Park has about 400 wild dogs.

As I was driving with the dogs, an impala stepped out of the bush onto the pavement, glanced left and saw the pack of dogs walking toward it.

Kruger National Park wild dogs (BWO photo).

If the impala had been wearing pants, they would have been soiled. It bolted into a run and for whatever reason the dogs let it go without giving chase.

They must have been too busy posing for me.

Kruger National Park wild dog (BWO photo).

NOTE: A giant of a man died today in South Africa: Archbishop Desmond Tutu. This post on wild dogs has nothing to do with Mr. Tutu, other than that I had the post ready. Mr. Tutu was the second most influential South African during his 90 years of life and he surely would have loved the spirit of Africa’s wild dogs. Mr. Tutu will never be forgotten.

BBC Breaking News @BBCBreaking

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace prize laureate who helped end apartheid in South Africa, has died aged 90 Desmond Tutu: South Africa anti-apartheid hero dies aged 90Tributes are paid to Archbishop Tutu, the Nobel peace prize laureate who helped end apartheid in South Africa.bbc.in

December 26th 2021

4,205 Retweets9,300 Likes

More on wild dogs:

Lilongwe Wildlife Trust @malawiwildlife

⚠️ Cuteness alert! We’re delighted to share this footage from Liwonde National Park, which has just welcomed nine adorable wild dog pups.

December 15th 2021

7 Retweets39 Likes