Words & Photography by Fiona MacKay
The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus), or Painted Dog as it is sometimes known, is without doubt my absolute favourite animal. Unfortunately due to habitat loss and fragmentation, persecution by farmers and the effect of infectious disease also taking a toll, there are estimated to be only 6,600 individuals left in the whole of Africa.
I was very fortunate to have been involved in an initiative with the EWT (Endangered Wildlife Trust) to re-introduce a pack of 7 dogs into the Greater Kruger National Park region of South Africa several years ago. Accumulating hours, weeks and months monitoring and interacting with the pack gave me a a huge insight into this engaging animal and its interesting and dynamic social group behaviour.
Despite this wonderful experience, one of the most rewarding times I have spent with African Wild Dogs is accessible to everyone. It was on a walking safari in Mana Pools National Park on the banks of the mighty Zambezi, the northern Boundary of Zimbabwe.
Mana Pools is a gem of a national park, where unusually for Africa’s national parks, walking is not prohibited. In fact you are able to walk unaccompanied if you wish. There are numerous operators offering guided safaris in this wonderful park. This park truly is an often unknown and overlooked treasure and I would encourage you to put it to the top of your bucket list as it is somewhere not to be missed.
Our interaction with the pack of Wild Dogs began on our very first afternoon in the park, where we found the pack collapsed in a heap waiting out the heat of the day, lazily flicking and twitching at the annoying flies and every now and then getting up to briefly move with the shadows, to keep out of the full heat of the sun.
We had approached them on foot, maintaining a reasonable distance so as not to unnecessarily disturb them and then we waited, just enjoying the simple pleasure of being so near such beautiful animals. The dogs were relaxed with our presence and happy to continue doing what they would have, had we not been there.
Gradually the heat of the midday sun began to subside, it was early October and the rains had yet to arrive, everything was bone dry, little vegetation remained which of course made visibility for game viewing all the more easy.
As the day cooled the dogs gradually became more alert and active, they even showed interest in a passing group of impala. One dog was even tempted to make a half hearted attempt at a chase, the rest of the pack did not get involved but they showed their enthusiasm on his return with the customary excitement with which wild dogs always greet their fellow pack members, leaps and twitterings galore. It was short lived, clearly it was still too hot for such exuberance so they settled again but this time spread out in a line along a slight ridge in the open terrain.
Shortly before sunset they got up and headed out together towards the river, probably for a nights hunting. We left them too it feeling already a deep sense of pleasure from the hours of just being so near to these wonderful dogs, all of us essentially doing nothing except soaking it in. Our own dinner was calling…
It appeared our time with this particular pack was not yet over, as in the early hours just before dawn the next morning, just as our camp was beginning to stir in anticipation of the next adventure and the half light was creeping over the horizon, the dogs came bounding through our camp site on the river bank. They were hunting…
With few words, we quickly gathered ourselves and leapt into the vehicle to try to follow, we found them briefly upstream on the banks of the river, an amazing sight in the rising sun on the vast expanse of sand it looked more like a beach then the river bank. After a quick refreshing drink they headed off again, clearly determined to successfully hunt before the heat of the day became too intense.
We abandoned the vehicle as there were no roads to follow and then did our best to keep pace and track with the spread out pack of dogs. We zigzagged down towards the waters edge, following the spore and were rewarded with a quick glimpse of a pair of dogs, impala called in alarm nearby and the dogs were moving again. Heading away from the river we followed through some of the thicker riverine vegetation, happening upon a spotted hyena as we did so. The vegetation gave way to combretum bushes and then we heard one of the dogs hooting, a very unique call to the other members of the pack, she was circling towards us and some members of the pack came from behind us. We followed as they all moved quickly away. The calling member had been successful having brought down an impala.
The whole pack had assembled for breakfast, painted dogs eat quickly, as generally they are unable to defend their kills from larger predators. We slowly moved closer to the pack, who seemed completely at ease with our presence, well aware we were there. Perhaps because of our hours with them the day before, they were content that we posed no threat. Clearly the hyena we had seen just minutes before was a threat, it could be heard calling with its characteristic Whooop Whooop nearby, a member of the pack was constantly on patrol around the perimeter, a perimeter that actually encompassed our small watching group…
Within minutes the impala was demolished by the hungry pack, having eaten they don’t hang around their kills. They head off, quite often to drink and bath in nearby water if they can, this group did exactly that, heading off towards the river once more before the hyena had a chance to close in.
We sat in place as they disappeared into the bushes, thrilled and stunned by the magic morning we had experienced and the events the dogs had so happily allowed us to witness…
I obviously can’t guarantee that if you go to Mana Pools you will have the same experience, all I can say is that it is a magical place. At that time of year the vegetation lends itself to wonderful game viewing. The ability to walk freely within a wilderness area, with animals that seem more accustomed to seeing people on foot, makes for some incredible sightings like no other I have experienced anywhere else in all my time and travels in Africa.