How lucky can you get? African wild dogs with the unending expanse of the Kruger National Park to roam, have stuck around Africa on Foot and nThambo Tree Camp for at least 2 weeks. These pack animals are exceptional hunters, they don’t have territories and are always on the move. Their home ranges can reach up to 1500 sq. km and they will constantly circulate their area, chasing prey during dawn and dusk, and resting overnight, perhaps two nights. Unless the pack is denning with pups, we don’t expect to enjoy their presence for such an extended period of time, but what do you know?
This morning was the most recent in the unbelievable wild dog activity in the last 2 weeks, and we couldn’t have expected what we got! Our ‘usual’ pack of 7 was nowhere to be found, but in its place was a fantastic scene of 17 wild dogs together! These are certainly not the same dogs we’ve been seeing since July last year, and it is not big enough to be the famous Orpen Pack, which is about 30-strong. It is a possibility that this group of 17 is a split from the Orpen Pack, but that is only speculation – we would need to get a status update on the Orpen Pack to be able to know for sure.
Either way, it was a spectacular sight! The dogs gathered at Buffel Dam near Africa on Foot and enjoyed a drink and a rest while guests looked on in awe. Enoch was taking guests on a walking safari and managed to position the group in the perfect spot to view the dogs, making for one memorable morning! It’s astonishing that as our 7 wild dogs move off, these 17 move in. Hopefully the dogs stick around during the heat of the day and the afternoon game drives are as lucky as this morning’s!
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