There were two sightings of Wild Dogs this month, the first of a single male chasing impalas in central-southern Charleston, the second, a few days later and towards months-end, of probably this same adult male and a young female.  On this latter occasion, the two Wild Dogs were seen running down and devouring a young impala along the lower parts of the Matshapiri River. These two Wild Dogs, it is believed, are the sole survivors of the pack of 3 adults and 9 pups which spent a week or so on Mala Mala in August.

Both appeared to be in top condition, this not surprising given the good crop of impala lambs this year.  Perhaps the only good thing about the desperate situation of the local Wild Dogs is that the impala lambs will be given something of a reprieve and their survival rate this year can only benefit.

Number of Wild Dogs encountered: 2

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November 2003

Wild Dog viewing during November yielded a single sighting of the remnants of the pack of 12 (three adults and 9 pups) seen on Mala Mala in August - the single adult male and three pups seen last month have now been whittled down to the adult and only one youngster.  These were seen halfway through November, looking well-fed and running eastwards from southern-central Charleston.  They entered the Kruger National Park and continued eastwards.  Goodness knows what killed the other two pups, but one assumes something such as a leopard or lion.

Number of Wild Dogs encountered: 2

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October 2003

The single Wild Dog sighting of the month came towards the end of the report-period when the same adult male and three pups seen last month, these the survivors of the pack of 12 that appeared on the reserve in August, were found moving north from just to the west of the confluence of the Chellahanga and Sand Rivers on southern Charleston.  The other members of the pack, two adults and six pups are reported to have been killed by other predators - lions mostly - to the west of Mala Mala, this soon after they left the reserve in mid-August.

Whilst the outlook for this tiny pack still looks bleak, at least they have stayed alive for a whole month and, having gone through what must be some of the toughest of tests, the three pups must now be well on the way to that stage when they are able to at least fend reasonably well for themselves.

Number of Wild Dogs encountered: 4

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September 2003

There was but one sighting of Wild Dogs this month, this at the very end of the September report-period, and it told a bleak story.  The dogs seen were an adult male and three pups, all from the group of 12 which arrived on Mala Mala towards the start of August.  One assumes, and this is backed up by reports from areas to the west of Mala Mala, that the rest of the pack is dead, killed by competitors such as lions and leopards.  Now, for a single Wild Dog - and it probably doesn't matter whether it's male or female - to look after the remaining pups, it must be close to mission impossible.

The group of four was seen to the west of the Sand River on southwestern Charleston and looked lean. 

Number of Wild Dogs encountered: 4

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August 2003

The August report-period started off with the sighting of three adult Wild Dogs, these from the pack of five adults known to have set up a den site inside the Kruger National Park adjacent to the central parts of Mala Mala at the beginning of the dry season.  When found, the dogs were hunting, but, with only three, things appeared very disorganised.  One of them, the female (the other two were males, one of these the dog with half a tail and half a nose), had apparently killed an impala, eaten what she could and had then tried to locate the other two, but had failed to do so and a substantial portion of the carcass was left to whatever other lucky protein-eater showed up first.  The same trio of dogs was seen the following day, on the border of the Kruger National Park.  But then there was nothing of the pack, just footprints and other hints that they were active in the southern-eastern parts of Mala Mala.

Then, a week into August, they were found on NW Charleston, just to the east of the Sand River, harassing a female leopard which had run from them and was sheltering in a large tree.  The leopard, known to be one of their biggest enemies, understandably agitated the three adults.  But suddenly, the scale of their anger took on a whole new meaning when, nearby to where all of this was happening, a host of puppies was seen emerging from a termite mound.  The pack had obviously decided that it was time to move their youngsters, at that stage probably two-and-a-half-months old, to a new den-site and had chosen this particular termite mound.  How frustrating for them to suddenly have a leopard pitch up to disturb their peace.

But, in spite of this rude early intrusion, the pack stayed for 5 days in the termite mound, making several kills in the immediate area and providing some superb viewing as they hunted and returned to regurgitate food for their pups.  As it turned out, there were nine youngsters in the litter.

Nevertheless, in spite of the area being rich in prey animals, it was also rich in enemies - lions, hyaenas, and particularly leopards, so it was no great surprise when the pack took their pups and moved westwards, crossing through the Sand River and continuing west, heading to areas beyond Mala Mala where they would most likely have a better chance of avoiding enemies and getting their pups beyond their currently vulnerable state.

And this is the dilemma of the Wild Dog; in spite of being such formidable hunters, they do not have the power to fight their enemies on a one-on-one basis.  Rather, they must avoid them.  Go to areas where the enemy is not.  With conditions very dry and prey concentrating along the river systems, Mala Mala has a super-abundance of many of the larger predators as they converge on the thirsty prey.  And as much as the Wild Dogs would love to do the same, they simply cannot and have to seek out more peaceful locations, until, that is, their pups are more capable of handling problems themselves. This pack of Wild Dogs was seen once more in the month, five days after they left the reserve, and once more it was adults and pups (one short it seemed) together, hinting that they were once more on the move, in search of another hiding place.

Number of Wild Dogs encountered: 12

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July 2003

After the promise of good viewing following the sightings in June, July proved disappointing as far as encounters with Wild Dogs was concerned.  There was ultimately only one sighting of Wild Dogs this month when two males, from the pack of five known to have a den-site inside the Kruger National Park close to the central parts of the Mala Mala boundary, were found heading southwards along the Mlowathi River generally towards the suspected den-site within the Kruger National Park.

But perhaps what should be realised is that not only is this pack small in size, which would mean that encounters with the various members could be expected to be fewer than if there were more animals in the group, but also, they do tend to wander far and wide and, after 'plundering' a particular area, will let it rest whilst they concentrate on another.

So, hopefully all is well with the pups and more frequent sightings will occur once they get bigger and are able to move from the current den.

Number of Wild Dogs encountered: 2

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June 2003

Although things started off somewhat shaky, Wild Dog viewing this month delivered some good news.  At the very beginning of the report-period, four Wild Dogs - three males and a female, one of the males with the half-nose and half-tail - were found towards the central south of the reserve and on the move, evidently looking for prey.  They were identified as being from the pack of five and the one missing was one of the females.  The last sighting of this pack was nearly a month prior to this and at the time it appeared as if the one female was pregnant.  Now, with one of the females missing, hopes were strong that this was the one which had looked to be carrying pups and that she was waiting at a den-site for the others to return after a hunting exercise.  The pack was not seen to catch anything, although they were lost from view chasing some small creature.  An hour later, they reappeared, this time at a sighting of perhaps their worst enemies, lions.  But although the lions certainly reacted with anger at the appearance of the Wild Dogs and briefly gave chase, the pack slipped away unscathed.  The following morning, all four Wild Dogs were found some kilometres further away, to the west of the Sand River, and feeding off the remains of a bushbuck.  Once the carcass had been devoured, the four Wild Dogs set off in an easterly direction, crossing through the Sand River and continuing away from it.  With full stomachs, it was assumed that the Wild Dogs would be moving directly back to the hoped-for den-site and the waiting female.  But this was not seen to occur; after running along for a few kilometres, the four Wild Dogs lay down and went to sleep, staying that way until just before sundown when they moved off, vanishing into thick bush.

The following day, all four Wild Dogs were found near the Mala Mala Bridge and once more on the hunt.  This time they came across impala and after a scattered and furious chase, they caught an adult female impala and in typical Wild Dog style, devoured it in next to no time before turning southwards and running off.

Up until this time, the three sightings on successive days had shown some signs that the missing female was at a den-site, but the fact that the rest of the pack appeared to be wandering far and wide and had shown little urgency in getting back to pups, there was certainly some suggestion that the pregnant female had been killed and that there was in fact no den-site at all.

After these encounters, there was nothing further for nearly three weeks, until, right towards the end of the game-report period, three Wild Dogs, assumed to be from the same pack, were found opposite Harry's Camp.  The sighting was after dark and did not last long and the Wild Dogs seemed to be wandering around with little direction.  The next morning, however, two Wild Dogs, one the male with half a tail and half a nose, the other a lactating female, were found where the three others had been the previous evening and were clearly searching for them.  After much scurrying around, following scents and calling in their peculiar hooting manner, this pair of dogs linked up with the other three which had just finished eating some or other small antelope, perhaps a bushbuck.  There was some to-be-expected excited yipping and jumping around when the pack was re-united and all five headed westwards over the nearby Sand River, vanishing into thick reeds.  A number of hyenas were soon on the scene, as was a female leopard, attracted no doubt to the scene by the kill and the excited pack of Wild Dogs.  It was probably this unwanted intrusion which spurred the pack to re-emerge from the reeds and, lead by the lactating female, all headed eastwards, skirting along the northern side of the Kapen River at a steady lope.  With their seemingly effortless way of moving, the five Wild Dogs were soon several kilometres from the Sand River and heading steadily for the Kruger National Park.  And this is where they finally left Mala Mala, entering the Kruger National Park just to the south of where the Kapen River enters Mala Mala from this same conservation area.

And after this sighting there were several more, all indicating that the Wild Dogs had a den-site, just inside the Kruger National Park and close to the central parts of Mala Mala.  The last sighting to be included in this report had all five Wild Dogs together and once more to the west of the Sand River.  They had been found in the early morning and were certainly not as well fed as they could perhaps hope for.  Then, again lead by the lactating female, they headed eastwards once more, crossing the Sand River, bypassing a sleeping pride of lions and moving towards the probable den-site still some kilometres away.  En route they killed something small, a young duiker or steenbok perhaps, and then continued on.

Although the news seems good about this pack of Wild Dogs, it will still not be easy for them.  One of the concerns is that it appears as if all five of the animals will at times set out hunting, leaving the pups unattended at the den-site.  Although this has certainly been seen before, it is not perhaps the norm and the pups would be that much more vulnerable without an adult protector.

For the Wild Dogs of course, the more members of the pack which are out hunting, the better are the chances of finding food and then perhaps the sooner it will be before they all return to the den-site.  This is perhaps the dilemma faced by such a small pack - hunting success or immediate security for the pups.

The area in which the den is located has some advantages, at least as far as can be interpreted from animal movements on Mala Mala adjacent to this region and the principal one is that lions seem to be scarce.  With little grazing and little surface water, large herbivore prey animals are few and far between and as a consequence lions seem to be relatively inactive in these areas, a good thing for the pack of Wild Dogs and surely a reason for them having chosen the site they did.  Small antelopes such as steenbok and duiker are certainly around and, as sightings this month suggested, the dogs are also prepared and quite capable of running long distances in search of prey closer to the Sand River.

Hopefully then they will have a successful year and, when the pups mature and are more mobile, they and the adults will move closer to the Sand River and a fine season of Wild Dog viewing will be had.

Number of Wild Dogs encountered: 5

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May 2003

There was but a single Wild Dog sighting over the May game-report period, this at the very beginning when the pack of five, which have been seen on the reserve and surrounds over the last year or so, appeared near the Mala Mala airstrip and then moved east, crossing the Sand River.

This pack comprises two females and three males, one of which has only half a tail and half a nose.  Although all five of the Wild Dogs of the pack appeared very well fed when they appeared soon after sunrise, one of the females certainly looked pregnant.  Wild Dogs can be expected to give birth in early winter - perhaps late May or early June - and it is to be hoped that this pack will firstly have pups and secondly that they will be able to raise them.  Over the past few years wet conditions in this area have not favoured Wild Dogs, certainly not from a pup survival point of view.  But, this year, with a much drier environment, things might go their way.

Number of Wild Dogs encountered: 5

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April 2003

The pack of four Wild Dogs, three males (one with only half a tail and half a nose) and a female, which were seen together last month, spent the first week or so of the April game-report-period, moving from south to north through the reserve, criss-crossing it as they went.  Good viewing was had as they were followed hunting and the pack was seen chasing prey, harassing bigger animals and killing a young impala.

They then vanished until, in mid April, they were found, with another female Wild Dog, devouring an adult female bushbuck which they had just killed, this along the Mlowathi River, towards the north of the reserve.  The pack eating the bushbuck was actually discovered by a female leopard, which, whilst being followed by landrovers, detected what was ahead and ran in to perhaps steal the carcass or even to kill one of the Wild Dogs.  But the Wild Dogs responded rapidly and soon the leopard was fleeing and left the scene.  The pack then continued to finish their kill.

As the meat reduced in quantity, two of the dogs started mating.  Many mating events were then witnessed before the pack, having reduced the carcass to only a few large bones, left the scene and jogged away.  The fifth Wild Dog to have joined the pack was in all likelihood the single female seen several time last month, wandering all over the reserve, apparently on the lookout for this or another pack of dogs.  The reason for her leaving the pack in the first place (a second female Wild Dog, probably this same one, was seen with this pack earlier on in the year) is not known.

Number of Wild Dogs encountered: 5

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March 2003

Five Wild Dogs were seen this month, but not all together.  A lone female was located on various parts of the reserve on five different occasions and over the course of two-and-a-half weeks.  At least one of the sightings she appeared to be actively looking for other Wild Dogs and was calling repeatedly.  The last three sightings of the month had her move over almost the entire length of the reserve in three days.  The final encounter with this lone female was of her near the remains of a young male impala which she must have killed.  When located, the dog was satiated and lying close to the kill.  A hyena soon appeared and appropriated the remains of the kill.

But what was this animal doing out on its own?  Perhaps the most likely answer is that it was a lone female out looking for a mate or another pack at least.  Wild Dogs have a short pregnancy, perhaps 10 or so weeks and the time for giving birth is usually in May or perhaps early June, so this would, one could perhaps expect, be the time for some upheaval within the pack.  With Wild Dog numbers within the Kruger National Park system as low as they are at present, let it be hoped that this female finds herself a pack before it is too late.

The other Wild Dogs seen were in the pack of four, these representing the remainder of the pack of six or seven which has been seen around this area over the past half-year or so.  This particular pack is now made up of three males and one female, one of the males of which has only half a tail and half a nose.  They were seen twice this month, both times towards the northwestern parts of the reserve.  When first seen they were near the lower parts of the Manyelethi River and headed westwards.  The following day, the lone female Wild Dog mentioned above was found not far from this area and heading towards it.  But some zebra saw her and chased her off, making her turn around and head south and east.  The following day she was found ways away near the centre of the reserve.

Number of Wild Dogs encountered: 5

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February 2003

The pack of four Wild Dogs seen last month and which represent the remainder of the group of six seen during previous months, were encountered twice during this game-report period, once to the east of Harry's Camp and then close to the Mala Mala Main Camp. On both occasions the dogs were on the move and going fast. This is so typical of these creatures as they search for prey - tirelessly on the move when conditions are good. When they do rest - and this usually in the heat of the day - they seem to collapse and hardly budge. But when they hunt, it's quite a different matter. But this energetic and so obvious a method attracts attention from their multitude of bigger and stronger enemies and from the prey animals which they hunt. So once they have been through an area, it's usually best to keep moving, looking for fresh, undisturbed spots and planning to return to the others once they have 'recovered'.

Number of Wild Dogs encountered: 4

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January 2003

There was but a single sighting of Wild Dogs this month, this of a pack of four, the remnants of the pack of six seen last month and the month before that. Missing from the original six was the single pup as well as one of the females, leaving two males and two females. One of the males has only half a tail. The Wild Dogs arrived on the reserve with little warning, pitching up near the middle-reaches of the Matshapiri and heading rapidly west towards the Sand River and areas of rich pickings as far as prey species are concerned. When they encountered a large herd of impalas half-an-hour later, they went speeding in after the briefest of stalks, catching a baby impala near the banks of the river. The commotion of the attack attracted a female leopard to the area, but although she appeared only moments after the Wild Dogs initially gave chase and was at one time within fifty or so metres from where the Wild Dogs were ripping their prize to pieces, she failed to find them and the Wild Dogs were soon moving off unmolested. They then spent the rest of the day sleeping in some shade before heading off once more, covering the miles tirelessly. Although they bypassed several herds of impala, they seemed not to see them and were eventually left in the early hours of darkness, still on the move and several kilometres from where they had originally be found.