WILD DOG SIGHTINGS - 2007
| WILD DOG SIGHTINGS - 2007 |
| December 2007 Both the packs of wild dogs were seen during December. The large pack of 17 animals moved up the property during the early parts of the month and eventually moved west leaving behind them a trail of destruction. While they were on the property they were seen to kills at least 11 different animals. The pups are now approaching seven months and they are now taking part in the hunts. The large pack still continues to provide some of the best wild dog viewing in the world and there is always excitement when they come on to MalaMala. The small pack of three was seen twice throughout the month once seen briefly before disappearing and on the second occasion they moved north over the boundary.
Number of different Wild Dogs encountered : 20 November 2007 Three wild dogs, a mother and two pups were seen on consecutive days around the Matshapiri dam. These appear to be the same dogs from the 14 & 15/10/07. Unfortunately they are now short one. This strange grouping of wild dogs is assumed to be the female and male combination that has been seen to frequent MalaMala from earlier this year. Reports of these two having had pups, and through some unfortunate circumstance, have been split. Reports of the Male dog and a few pups doing well to the east of MalaMala could confirm this idea. One hopes that they will reunite some time soon.
The pack that denned on MalaMala was seen towards the end of the report period off Steenbok Drive on eastern Toulon. The dogs were feeding off the remains of an impala. Reports from the research team in the KNP were of the pack having split. This is normal in this area when packs get too large. The research team in question has collared one of the dogs. Number of different Wild Dogs encountered : 19 October 2007
A pack of 22 wild dogs was seen near the beginning of the report period close to the area known as Hyena waterhole. They were observed hunting and killed a female impala. This same pack was found again the following day a long way south of that position in an area known as Lion Rocks. They were seen to kill two female duikers (one in the morning and the other that afternoon). They were followed running into the KNP and were not seen again this month.
Towards the middle of the month, some of the original pack of wild dogs (those that denned on MalaMala), were spotted in the Sand River just north of the big bridge. It was an adult female dog and three puppies. They had just killed an adult female impala that was pregnant and the three puppies were fighting over the head of the fetus. These dogs also finally ran east and into the KNP.
Towards the end of the report period, a pack of 22 was seen at Toulon gate. Rangers believe that this is indeed a different pack to the one that denned on Charleston, after spot pattern analysis of them had been done. One of these animals was seen to have a radio-tracking collar around its neck, indicating that this pack probably originated in the KNP and was part of a research group. Number of different Wild Dogs encountered : 44 September 2007 Wild dogs were not seen during the report period, however reports from the west indicate that there are only twelve pups remaining from the initial fourteen that were born on MalaMala. Number of different Wild Dogs encountered : 0 August 2007 The wild dog viewing at Mala Mala quieted down some what during this report period, with the pack now active again. The dogs were seen to move erratically for a while in the early part of the report period, with them occupying den sights for only a few days, and then continuing towards a new selected den sight. Eventually the dogs stopped using den sites all together, and crossed west over the Sand River, just south of Beaumont’s camp.
They frequented the western bank for some time, before continuing west. Small hunting parties of dogs have been reported in the Charleston North area, with them being seen to continue west, suggesting that the dogs are currently in a neighboring reserve adjacent to Mala Mala.
Unconfirmed reports of only thirteen pups have been heard. Although one obviously hopes that this is not the case, it is the unfortunate truth that very few pups survive till adult hood in the African bush. On a positive side, to only lose one pup by this stage is an excellent achievement on behalf of the pack. Number of different Wild Dogs encountered : 26 July 2007 The wild dog pack that have the den on Mala Mala have been very successful during this report period. The dogs did move the den site in the beginning of the report period and provided some great viewing of the pups being moved by the members of the pack. The new den was only sixty meters to the west of the previous den, then about two week after the first move the wild dogs moved the den only about fifty meters north west. Wild dogs often change dens due to fleas.
We have seen the dogs hunting on a number of occasions but have not witnessed many kills due to the fact that they move fast through the thick vegetation and are usually lost. The wild dog pups are doing well with all fourteen being alive still at the end of the report period. The wild dog for the most of the report have been viewed at the den, coming to the end of the report period it looks like the wild dogs have moved off with no activity around the den for just over a week.
Number of different Wild Dogs encountered : 27 June 2007 The wild dog viewing during this report period has been outstanding. The suspected den site was finally found on the upper reaches of the Chellahanga River system. Viewing of this den site has been kept to a minimum with only one vehicle at a time permitted to view the den and then only from a distance of no closer than 20 meters. The rangers’ patience was eventually rewarded with final emergence of no less than14 wild dog puppies (it is no wonder the female looked about to explode when she was seen to be pregnant).
During the course of the month and, with great care and consideration while viewing the den, the puppies have relaxed enormously with the vehicles and are now without a doubt the greatest highlight of any game drive. The relaxed nature of the adults and puppies have enabled to rangers to get glimpses into the most private lives of these critically endangered predators. The adults themselves have provided wonderful game viewing, leaving the den site almost like clockwork, twice a day to go hunting. Although the kills themselves have not been witnessed this month, the rangers have often caught up to them feeding on either impala, duiker or bush buck. The dogs share each kill among the hunting party and then run directly back to the den site. On returning to the den, the adults then regurgitate meat they have eaten for both the puppies, the alpha female (who always remains behind to look after and nurse the puppies), and any other adults left to guard the den.
One afternoon, towards the end of the report period, one of the rangers, on arriving at the den site, found the alpha female carrying a puppy in her mouth. She disappeared into the bush and, shortly, returned, picked up another puppy, and disappeared in the same direction. After carefully following the alpha female it was found that the dogs had excavated a new den site a little ways to the north of the original den site. Once all the puppies had been moved the dogs settled into this new den site. Each day brings exciting times with this wild dog pack and the young puppies are growing stronger and bolder each time they are seen.
Number of different Wild Dogs encountered : 25 May 2007 Wild Dog viewing has simply been spectacular this month. A pack of 11 wild dogs has been seen most days of the report period. This incredible species typically dens at this time of month and when that happens wild dog territories become significantly smaller as they concentrate their hunting in relative close proximity to the den sight.
Early in the report period the dogs were seen in the southern sections of the property but they eventually started moving more northwards where it was noticed that one of the females was heavily pregnant.
She was seen to excavate a potential den sight close to Charleston north but lost interest, perhaps because of the high leopard density in the area. The pack, however, moved eastwards and for the next week or so wild dogs were seen hunting all over Charleston and southern Flockfield but each time notably made their way back to the north eastern parts of Charleston close to the upper reaches of the Tjellahanga river system. Many tracks also indicate that the dogs are spending much time around this area and so it is pretty much guaranteed that a den exists somewhere in this part of Mala Mala. Also of importance is the fact that the Alpha female had not been witnessed on any of the occasions during the hunt of late.
Sightings of the pack on the hunt provided some excellent viewing as they were seen to kill a duiker as well a male impala on separate days and then 2 female impalas close to where the dens sight is assumed to be. The dogs were also seen to harass a number of animals including rhino; hyenas (their rivals) on a few occasions as they fought over food; chased a civet up a tree and then also chased the Jakkalsdraai female leopard up a tree. The Kapen female leopard and cub again clashed with the dogs, something that this poor leopard seems to endure every time they pass through her territory and the recent injury to her tail is assumed to be part of this clash.
If this highly endangered animal remains on the property for a while still, their viewing will continue to provide immense entertainment. Also the next few months are of great importance for the future of this pack so the finding of the den sight will have to be done with extreme caution.
Number of different Wild Dogs encountered : 11 April 2007 Wild Dog viewing remains excellent on Mala Mala after the welcomed return of them about 6 months ago. This game report period has shown some consistent wild dog viewing of the same pack that frequents the Charleston area and southwards. On one occasion they were seen combing gulley systems for any unsuspecting prey including an unfortunate bushbuck of which they made easy work. Of the 6 sightings during the last month, perhaps the best was when 12 dogs were seen feeding on an adult male impala in Central Charleston before they were eventually chased off without a fight by 4 hyenas which quickly consumed the remains of the kill. This healthy pack of wild dogs, which has provided some fine viewing, has not been seen in recent times with more than 12 individuals. Immediate thought is that some members have been killed by a stronger predator, which often happens, but it is also very likely that males and/or females have left the pack to go and start new packs with members of another pack, obviously necessary to increase genetic diversity of a pack. Pack size is also limited dependent on prey species for an area and studies have shown that in this area 12 is a good size pack and any more than that would make it difficult for the pack to hunt to satisfy all members of a pack over a long period of time, especially just before denning season when there are many more mouths to feed. Also of great encouragement is the fact that this pack is spending so much time on Mala Mala at a time of year when a pack typically starts looking for a suitable den site and with some parts of the property having a low lion density the chances are there that they choose the Mala Mala property. In all it is great that there seems to be such a promising future for wild dog viewing in these parts. Number of different Wild Dogs encountered : 12 March 2007 Two wild dogs were found on Newington road, not more than one hundred and fifty meters from the Mala Mala booms. The two dogs were identified as the male and female that had been seen together in the Emsagwen region. These two dogs were seen several more times during the report period. A memorable sighting in the Piccadilly region, involved the dogs feeding from a freshly killed female bushbuck.
One hopes that this pair will manage to breed in the coming season, and that they will be able to form a formidable pack in the future. February 2007 A welcome return of a large pack of wild dog in the middle of the report period provided some fine viewing. They were found late in the evening of the 16 February. The dogs were found near Charleston Koppies, and were making their way north along Charleston drive. A few days later they were found close to Pole in the road. The dogs moved south through an area that rangers refer to as the golf course, hunting impala unsuccessfully in the area. The dogs provided some fine viewing, before they were left resting close to the nineteenth hole. Rangers were eager to follow up the next morning, but only found tacks. It was only through some excellent teamwork, that rangers managed to locate the dogs, close to Rocky Crossing. The dogs were found feeding on the remains of an adult female impala. The dogs soon finished the carcass, and headed south into some thick bush. They were relocated after rangers followed up on audio of the dogs, where they found them chasing a hyena off an adult male impala carcass. The carcass appeared to have been killed by a leopard, although there were none in the immediate area. The dogs were eventually left heading east in a donga system. January 2007 A pack of fourteen Wild Dogs were found on the morning of the 8th of Jan hunting along the Emsagwen firebreak. There was originally only one dog sighted, yet it led Rangers to the location of the rest of the pack. The pack seemed to be totally oblivious to the vehicles, which leads us to believe that they were of a very relaxed disposition and must have been viewed many times before.
For the next four hours that morning Rangers and Guests followed the Wild dogs as they hunted in all directions on the eastern parts of the reserve. The dogs soon came across a herd of Impala, which they then started to stalk. Suddenly the lead dog gave chase and as per usual the other dogs took up the flanks. The bush burst into a frenzy of life stricken Impala and hungry Dogs.For the next fifteen minutes Rangers tried to relocate the dogs and after much searching they were found south of there last position tired and panting with no sign of a kill been made.
That same afternoon the Wild Dogs were found at the same place still resting from the morning’s hunt. As the temperature dropped the dogs started to show signs of activity. The lead Dog got up and started to move northeast as the rest of the pack followed at a trot in keen hunting fashion. That afternoon the dogs hunted in the same direction towards the Split Rock Donga, as they were seen to make many attempts at different prey species, the first of which was a small herd of Kudu. After a long chase the hunt was unsuccessful, yet the dogs kept on moving showing no signs of wiriness. They made another attempt at a herd of Impala but missed. The dogs were finally left still on the move as the light faded, as to the fact that we do not follow Wild Dogs at night.
There was one other sighting of Wild Dog towards the end of the report period, as a Male and Female dog were sighted moving along the western boundary of the reserve. The sighting was very short and they soon moved of the reserve. Number of different Wild Dogs encountered : 16 MalaMala
Game Reserve, PO Box 55514, Northlands, 2116, South Africa. Copyright © Rattray Reserves |
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