Unlike the big cats and hyenas, wild dogs are seasonal breeders, raising their pups for approximately three months around a central den typically from June/July time with pups emerging in September and October.
With 26 known denning packs and over 400 dogs across the study sites, for Zambian Carnivore Programme, who we partnered with last year to support field-based conservation in Zambia, it is a very busy time of the year.
The teams monitor, count, assign identification numbers and work with law enforcement teams and other partners including Conservation South Luangwa, to protect packs from snares.
Snaring is a major issue and with South Luangwa home to the country’s largest population of elephants and wild dogs, and being one of the 10 remaining lion strongholds on the continent, we wanted to support anti-snaring and wildlife rescue operations with our 2023 fundraising efforts.
This story helps to highlight the importance of anti-snaring and wildlife rescue.
Image: ZCP
Puku Plain Pack
The Puku Plain pack is a new pack in South Luangwa, who had their first litter this year.
Watch camera trap footage of the Puku Plans pack here>>
These pups are the great, great grandpups of one of the most well-known Zambian wild dogs: Wild Dog 73.
Wild Dog 73, the alpha male of the Hot Springs pack, was rescued from a snare in 2014. He was in his prime at the time, aged around 8 years old.
Without intervention, Wild Dog 73 would have perished.
He went on to sire many, many pups and passed away in 2018 at the age of around 12 years old. 12 years is the oldest recorded age of a wild dog.
Best time to see wild dogs
Surprise, surprise, the peak of denning season from June-August is not the best time to see wild dogs!
Sightings are more likely in April/May, immediately prior to denning, although the bush may still be quite thick and green at this time of the year, and from September to November after the dogs emerge with their young.
Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, as well as the Greater Kruger in South Africa offer the best opportunities to see wild dogs in Southern Africa.
Denning happens a little earlier in East Africa with Laikipia in Kenya and Nyerere in Tanzania the most reliable places for seasonal sightings.
It is not easy to see wild dogs – they roam a vast area and their movements can be unpredictable! You may see their tracks but catching up with them is another matter entirely as I know from personal experience! However, I can also say that when you do see them in the wild, it is incredibly special and they are absolutely fascinating to observe.
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Images/video: ZCP Edward Selfe
