Where to see African Wild Dog

The African wild dog is known by many names, including Cape hunting dog, African hunting dog and painted dog. Its scientific name, Lycaon pictus, means “painted wolf”, which refers to the African wild dog’s fur pattern, which features red, black, brown, white, and yellow colouration.

 

 

In terms of the African wild dog’s physical appearance, each dog has its own unique coat pattern, while they all share a sense of fun, a gentleness of soul and co-operative spirits, which makes them one of Africa’s most enigmatic creatures. Sightings of these boisterous canines bring excitement to any safari in Southern Africa, and if you are lucky enough to find them on a chase … make sure your seatbelt is buckled tight!

 

African wild dogs are classified as endangered on the IUCN’s Red List, and gained notable attention after the Dynasties documentary by Sir David Attenborough; sadly, however, the population continues to decline.

 

Learn more about these handsome hounds and the pack-life of African wild dogs here.

 

 

As leaders in conservation tourism, Wilderness has a number of camps where you can regularly see African wild dogs in all their glory. 

  

If the “painted wolf” is on your bucket list of animals to see in the wild, these are the camps you need to visit …

Chitabe – Botswana

 

Chitabe is located in the Chitabe Concession, which covers 22,000 hectares of pristine Okavango Delta wilderness. This unique area harbours a massive variety of habitats within close proximity, giving rise to a surprising diversity of species. The mix of Okavango and Kalahari ecosystems makes for an excellent home to an abundant array of herbivores: giraffe, buffalo, red lechwe, tsessebe, impala and elephant, which in turn support the larger predators: lion, leopard, spotted hyena, cheetah, and of course, wild dog.

 

Read here about Camp Manager Moalosi’s African wild dog adventures during lockdown, and how he spent time watching and learning more about these wondrous creatures who make up the Chitabe logo.

 

Mombo – Botswana

 

The Mombo Wildlife Area is known as “The Place of Plenty,” highlighted by the massive concentrations of plains game and predators that live here. These include all the big cats, especially lion, which provide frequent sightings. Leopard, spotted hyena, large herds of buffalo, elephant, giraffe, blue wildebeest, Burchell's zebra and more abound, while cheetah and wild dog often move through the area.

  

A pack of wild dogs known as the Mombo Pack currently dominates the area around Wilderness Mombo. These wild dogs are made up of a breakaway pack formed from the Motsumi Pack, which dominated the area between 2014 and 2020. The Mombo pack is 13 wild dogs strong, including two females and 11 males, and they are currently denning at Drift Molapo. So far, seven puppies have been seen but there is hope that there could be more. 

 

Also in the area are two nomadic female wild dogs that operate on the western side of the concession. Mombo guides are not certain where they have come from, and have spotted a male from the Mombo Pack with them from time to time. 

Vumbura – Botswana

The annually flooded grasslands of the Okavango Delta surrounding Vumbura Plains are locally referred to as melapo, and offer good seasonal viewing of elephant, giraffe, impala, sable antelope, kudu, zebra, common waterbuck and reedbuck, tsessebe, wildebeest, red lechwe and Cape buffalo. Hippo and crocodile are common in the waterways. Predators include the African wild dog, several resident prides of lion, as well as leopard, cheetah and African wildcat. Birding is also exceptional all year round.

 

Vumbura Plains has delighted us with images of the Golden Pack that frequents Vumbura Plains. The pack’s colouration is famous for its distinctive gold patterning; they were recently seen out and about with seven pups in tow.

 

As part of a collaborative effort between the University of Zurich and Botswana Predator Conservation (BPC), the pack is being monitored by GPS/satellite radio collars, in an ongoing research project for this Endangered species.

 

DumaTau – Botswana 

DumaTau, located in a region of woodland and watercourses in the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve in northern Botswana, boasts the famous Savuti Channel, an ancient and sporadic watercourse that supports abundant wildlife, and the productive Linyanti River. This area is famous for its huge concentrations of elephant in the dry season, and year-round game viewing. The varied woodland habitats and ancient floodplains along the Linyanti fault line make the area an essential part of any Botswana itinerary.

 

As part of Wilderness’ Guest Science initiatives, and in support of this project, visitors to the Linyanti are encouraged to report all wild dog sightings. The required data is as follows: number of adults, pups, collared individuals, date and location (co-ordinates or a rough description). Side-on pictures are of particular value as they allow the identification of single dogs based on their unique coat patterns. We are still a long way from obtaining the desired information from sightings, so these contributions are much appreciated.

 

Email: wilddogdispersal@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +41 77 4352783

 

Ruckomechi – Zimbabwe

 

Wilderness Ruckomechi in Mana Pools National Park lies at the heart of the Zambezi Valley (and was the area where the aforementioned Dynasties documentary was filmed with Sir David Attenborough), a remote, beautiful place with spectacular views. The area offers large concentrations of buffalo and elephant, while predators such as lion, wild dog, leopard and cheetah are often sighted. Greater kudu, Burchell's zebra, impala, warthog and common waterbuck can be seen on the surrounding plains, and the grunting of hippo can be heard all day. Birdlife is superb, with numerous local specials like collared palm-thrush and racket-tailed roller.

 

Book your Wild Dog Wanderlust adventure now, contact us for more information.