After 3 months at Rhulani Safari Lodge I could finally see the famous Wild Dogs of Madikwe. Alasdair drove us all the way to the North-Eastern fence line of the reserve – and there they were, hiding in the long grass.
On our way to the North-Eastern fence line
We left early to drive all the way to the North-Eastern fence line of Madikwe. This is where the Wild Dogs had been seen in the morning.
We wanted to get there quickly as it was quite a drive - but the group of Zebras in front of us had other plans. They decided to run right in front of the Landcruiser – all lined up – from several adults to a tiny little Baby Zebra. It was quite fun to watch them. After they finally decided to leave the road and make some space for us we met an Elephant on the road…
After all, we made it. Alasdair was tracking the Wild Dogs on foot for a little while. As it was a hot and sunny day we thought we might find them underneath a tree. Then we drove along the road near the fence for a little … and then turned around again. This was then Alasdair’s sharp eye spotted the Wild Dogs in the long green grass on the side of the road. We probably drove past them the first time.
We could only see some ears looking out of the long grass in the beginning. The Wild Dog Mom with two of her pubs was lying there. More Wild Dogs were showing up after a short while, greeting each other with their distinct sound. Some of them were running past us, others decided to lie down right in front of the Landcruiser or on the road.
Wild Dogs in Madikwe Game Reserve
Currently, there are 14 Wild Dogs in Madikwe: The pack consists of an adult Female, who has 9 Pubs, and 4 Males. They love to live near the fence line as this helps them during their hunt: They draw their prey near the fence so that it can’t escape.
The African Wild Dogs are native to Sub-Saharan Africa and always hunt in packs. They can be up to 60–75cm tall and weigh about 30kg. If they are lucky, Wild Dogs have a life span of about 10 years.
Besides Wild Dogs
That game drive was a really great one. Besides the Wild Dogs we spotted several different Baby Animals – from Baby Giraffes, little Baby Elephants and Baby Zebras to Warthog Piglets, tons of Guinea Fowls chicklets and even a Rhino Baby. The last one definitely gives me another Blog Article topic. We also had a great sundowner stop with amazing colours during sunset.
Thanks Alasdair, for finding us the famous Wild Dogs of Madikwe (and a lot more)!
Content / Photos / Video: Dagmar Roscher
