I arrived at Londolozi during December of 2010, and a lot of the Wild Dog discussions still revolved around the incredible viewing that had been enjoyed during the preceding winter.
For two years running, one of the local packs had denned on the southern reaches of Londolozi (see map below), and the sightings that the guiding team and their guests had enjoyed over those two seasons were unparalleled. With the adults from the pack departing like clockwork almost every morning and evening to hunt for the tiny pups, one could plan almost to the minute when one needed to be at the den to follow them on their chases.
The two red spots indicate the rough positions of the 2009 and 2010 wild dog dens.
And that was the last time they denned here.
Every winter since (winter is when the dogs give birth), the Londolozi Guides and Trackers have fervently hoped that we will be graced with a consistent two months of incredible wild dog viewing, but every year we have been disappointed. We have come agonisingly close a few times. Twice in the last 8 years, a pack has denned so close to Londolozi’s boundaries that we could actually hear the pups yipping and squeaking when the adults came home to them. We could literally see the tree at the base of which the dogs were denning. Yet the den remained, less than 100 metres past the limits of our traversing area.
We have been given consolation prizes once or twice. In 2015 in particular, the pack denned just next door to us but came hunting onto Londolozi almost every day. And when they moved dens for the first time they moved onto Londolozi’s north-west, where they stayed for about 6 weeks. That was an incredible month-and-a-half. But the PRIMARY den is where the real gold is to be mined; tiny pups, creeping out of a hole in the side of a termite mound and seeing the world for the first time… That would be first prize.
And now, once again, we are starting to enter that hopeful period in which we anticipate one of the local packs giving birth on Londolozi almost a decade later.
We recently watched the alpha pair of one of the Sabi Sand packs mating, and the rest of the pack seemed to be prospecting for potential den sites in holes in the side of termite mounds.
Dust hangs in the air as one of the dogs digs out a mound.
We’ve starred in this movie before though; I think it was in 2012 or 2013 when the heavily pregnant alpha female of one of the packs was actually in a den, staying put for the day, and we thought we weer home and dry, and then 24 hours later they had run right off our reserve and were denning were we couldn’t traverse. It was truly heartbreaking.
I think that might have been the problem all these years; we’ve been wishing for it so hard, we’ve jinxed it. We need to reverse engineer our approach…
I think instead of our usual united wishing, we’re going to have to be completely selfless this time around instead. We need to pour all our energy into hoping that other reserves are the ones that get lucky in a couple of months time. It actually hurts me to say that. But we’re out of options here.
We are so fortunate with the rest of the wildlife we see, we can manage for a few months in the knowledge that others are watching tiny wild dogs pups stumbling around outside their den. Surely.
If this doesn’t work, then I give up!
Let us not jinx it James, but it will be amazing if they den at Londolozi. Are the pups born in June?
Haha! Love your new approach, James! The pups are fun to watch for sure. Loving your photos!
Keep working at it James–we’ll be there in July!
James
We viewed the den several times in 2010. That was the year that we followed the adults hunting two honey badgers with Byron and Adam driving like maniacs. There was only going to be one winner there – the honey badgers! I know you are the fount of all knowledge on Londolozi but could I beg to differ on your 2015 date when the dogs denned on the North West Border. Again we visited the den several times and I’m pretty sure it was 2014 when Andrea (Campbell) was our ranger. That was the year Emma did the ice-bucket challenge in the sand river courtesy of a couple of topless rangers wearing bow ties!
Hi Richard, you’re 100% right, it was 2014, not 2015.
Apologies!
James, this is a great article. We saw a pack of wild dogs while in the Serengeti, they were demolishing a kill they had just made – unfortunately we were not there for the kill.
It would be fantastic to have. a wild dog den on Londolozi property, let’s just keep our fingers and toes crossed. Keeping the good thoughts, Victoria
Arrived in August 2014 the day wild dogs moved their den onto northern Londolozi. Spent an incredible late afternoon with Don Heyneke and Judas Ngomane at the den while the adults were off hunting. As the light started to fade Elephants arrived just as the dogs arrived with the remains of a grey duiker. A dramatic encounter ensured as the dogs tried to feed the pups with the Elephants trying to chase the dogs away. Watched the brief video of it just the other day. Think Don was a bit nervous that we were potentially trapped in the bush with agitated elephants all around us. I was just enthralled……perhaps naively!
Two days later Don found and then followed the pack through the bush in the late afternoon as they eventually caught a warthog. A superb wild dog experience with an outstanding guide and tracker partnership.
Fingers crossed the dogs will den within your perimeters, or if not, then your neighbor with whom you have reciprocity (Singita perhaps?)
I’m hoping to see some photos of puppies in the not too distant future!!
Dear James. Even as a Londolozi reader of articles every day, Neil and I will be hoping and praying that you guys will find your Wild Dogs denning on Londolozi sooner than you think! At least you have seen them in the wild. We MacNicols, in all our long lives of bush holidays, have NEVER seen a Painted Wolf! Although we have seen an Aardwolf who carefully did a poo in the soft earth in front of our Landrover, covered it up and trotted off, and Aardvarks a few times. So I suppose that should count for something ….. Wendy M
Hello James!
I wish you the biggest luck that they will make their den at Londolozi! I have never seen wild dogs. I would love to do that! What a privilege!! They seem to be very smart and lovely animals!
Please nobody jinx this!!!
Fingers crossed for you James!