On Moditlo we are lucky enough to play host to the increasingly endangered wild dogs and last week was an awesome week for sightings with these amazing animals. The first encounter was at one of the bigger dams on the property. As we drove up to the dam, we saw something dashing up the dam wall, at first we were all unsure but as we got a bit closer we realised it was one of the dogs. Lately we have been seeing two males and one female together so we pulled in closer to see if we could get a glimpse of all of them. When the dam was clearly in sight we could see two of the dogs, and even better they seemed to be chasing a female kudu. The kudu was looking very bewildered and was running out of options as the dogs were behind her, there was lots of shrubbery in front of her and the dam was closing her escape route to the side.
I couldn’t believe this incredible sight and thought we were going to see something very, very few people get to see, a wild dog kill. The guests were obviously thinking along the same lines as one of them started repeating “Run kudu go!”. The kudu moved a few steps forward and seemed to be planning her escape but then the dogs stopped, they seemed to loose all interest in the kudu and stood looking at the water seemingly interested in something else. The kudu was frozen with fear and kept her eyes focused forward as the dogs slowly backed off and ran back up the dam wall, I was still hoping to see some action and secretly wished the dogs were retreating to try again from a different angle. Although wild dogs are the most successful predators in Africa, a large female kudu poses a challenge to the small framed animals when they are unable to rely on the rest of the pack to help them.
By this time the third dog had also made an appearance but he had previously been injured and wasn’t able to keep up and actively hunt with the other two. The movement of the other two dogs up the dam wall sent both a big, beautiful nyala bull and a small agile duiker running in opposite directions across the wall. The kudu, still frozen in fear, looked on as the dogs trotted across the rest of the wall and came over to the open patch next to the water where we were parked. First the injured male arrived and lay down, he was soon joined by the other two. All three of the dogs could not have been more than 20 meters away, lying down peacefully. This was not the extreme sighting I had expected when we first realised we had spotted the dogs chasing a kudu, but it was still amazing as we got to see their interaction with and the effect of their presence on other animals. It was also an awesome opportunity for us to all see the pack nature of the dogs and the care they give to all members of their pack. Even though one of the dogs was injured the other two do not leave it behind and if they had been successful with a kill he would have been provided for.
The last thing I had expected was for the dogs to come closer and lie down right in front of us. The scene was beautiful with the sun setting over the mountains, the tell tale shape of hippo faces just breaking the surface of the water, slighting obscuring the reflection of the clouds and three sleeping wild dogs. This was a safari outing that our guests won’t be forgetting any time soon!
Justine Brown – Guide