Not enough has been made about this anomalous pair of Cape Hunting Dogs/Painted Wolves/call them what you will.
Although pack sizes can vary enormously – with over 30 being recorded in some larger groups – double figures is at least the standard we are used to seeing at Londolozi over the years. Whether we’re just lucky or not I don’t know – and it obviously depends on the year and the success rate of that year’s litter -but a pack of just two is just not a common thing. And these aren’t simply dogs that are dispersing.
Wild dogs will leave their natal packs and move to new areas in an effort to form new packs and colonise un-utilised habitat. This aids in gene dispersal between subpopulations and regions. I don’t personally know the history of the two dogs in this particular pack (if anyone does, please let me know in the comments below), but I imagine they are the result of two possible circumstances:
A. They dispersed individually and met up.
B. They are survivors from a bigger pack whose numbers have been whittled away over time.
Whatever the scenario, they are here now, and the female is heavily pregnant. That in itself is huge (as is she!). Wild Dogs nearly always den in the deep winter months, when the savanna here is dry, dens won’t flood, and the area is open, making their hunting-through-stamina methods more streamlined. To have a female liable to give birth at any second at the end of April/early May (she may already have given birth for all we know), is very unusual. I certainly haven’t seen it in my 10 years in the bush.
The pregnant female (one can see just how big her belly is in this photo) is easily identifiable as she only has one ear.
Without going into too much discussion on the reproductive cycles of African Wild Dogs, I just want to bring attention to the very real possibility that the pair (who are by default the alpha pair of their pack, so good for them) may already be denning somewhere nearby. There may already be tiny pups concealed deep within a burrow in the side of a termite mound.
The two dogs were seen right next to Londolozi’s Tree Camp about a week ago, and tracks of them were found in our central areas a couple of days later, but we have had no sign of them since then.
I won’t even be that upset if they den elsewhere; I’m simply rooting for this most unlikely couple.
If they do meet with breeding success, wherever it may be, it will be (and I hope you forgive me for using this phrase) a true underdog story!
Looking forward to confirmation of the pups born, hopefully at Londolozi. It is and will be one of those feel good stories.
Am absolutely amazed at the size of the females belly. Fingers crossed for these two. I have not heard seen or heard anything of these dogs since Londolozis last update. Many thanks for posting.
It’s a story I want to follow along with the Tsala lioness and the ostriches (we haven’t heard about them in a while)
Stay safe, stay snug
Its a true lovely story and hope this couple could have a big family soon, and stay safe!
Wish them the best of luck and hope they stay at Londolozi!!! Victoria
A happy story and look forward to more news. We keep missing the Wild Dogs at Londolozi although so fortunate to see much else and it’s something special we really look forward to next time!
Hoping for good news soon 🙂
James, what a wonderful blog today. They were by tree camp🤗, we have stayed there in 2014, 2018 (we were also there in 2011 (stayed at Pioneer Camp) and 2017 (we stayed at Founders Camp – with our daughters family). We also are staying at Tree Camp in 2020, we are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary, Sept 5.
Oh how wonderful, James! Do hope they den somewhere on Londolozi SOON and that they and their pups do well! Please keep us informed on the Two Pack, would you? So enjoyed the last Virtual Safari in the Landdrover and on foot! So interesting and most enjoyable! Many thanks to all the people concerned. Very well done and much appreciated! Wendy and Neil
I’m still a little confused as to whether we should be calling these two a pair or a couple, rather than a pack of wild dogs! In any case, assuming they successfully have a littler, I propose calling the pack the “Romeo and Juliet” pack!
Consider yourself forgiven! Is it unusual for tracks to be seen that close to camp?
I’m rooting for them, too!
So exciting that she is pregnant! I hope that they successfully raise some pups to expand their pack. (Is that unlikely though? ….I thought one had to stay with the pups when hunting ….leaving only one to hunt?) Also you have probably previously addressed this, but what happened to her ear?
Hello James! This is wounderful news! I really hope they find a good den so we can hear more about their life, soon familylife! Thank you for sharing this good news!
My favourite animal in the wild – I have all my fingers crossed for this pair.
It will be a mighty challenge for the pair to raise all the pups, wishing them every success and that they will become ‘many pack’
Will be very interesting to see where these dogs choose to den!
The dog with one ear was spotted on the day it happened. It had been in a fight with a hyena on the Tshokwane end of the Maroela loop. It had several other injuries and was separated from its pack. I have photos of it and it had been seen 12 moths later before ending up at Londolozi. If you pm me on Facebook I can send you some pics.
Thanks William! I’ll be in touch
Would be so interested to hear more about the circumstances of her losing her ear. We saw the pair in February- were intrigued at how well healed the site of her “lost” ear was. I do hope they do well with their pups.
Hi William,
I’d be very interested to get hold of these pics but I can’t find a specific you on FB (there are a number of William Mahoneys). Please could you email me on blog@londolozi.co.za.
Thanks very much,
Best regards
Soon they will be a six pack!!! We are all rooting for them just as much as you James! Keep us updated please!
Oh James, you made me laugh…underdog story for sure! The minute I saw the first earless image, I thought how conveniently identifiable! Wishing these two the best of luck and am also glad that a new thing occurred for you after 10 years. After all, something has got to keep you on your toes! Lol….
Very cool. Keep us posted!
I really hope that the pups are ok!! Thank you very much James for all your wonderful articles. You are a person for someone to look up to and I really hope that sometime my family and I will be able to come and meet you and your amazing team in person.
I would just like to comment on the use of the word “anomalous”. I would like also to apologise beforehand and to pinpoint that no insult is intented. “Anomalous” is a Greek word. I am Greek. When Greeks use the word anomalous is in a very negative way. Consequently seeing this word used in nature surprised me in a dissapointing way. For me these wild dogs are defying the odds and are attempting to do what nature calls them to. They are more natural and normal than ever. If they waited for wintertime, lions or other competitive predators could attack them and that would mean the end of a pack before it began.
I just felt obligided to comment on that. I am looking forward for your next article. Keep on the good work!!
Hi Maria,
Thanks for the comments. I was using “anomalous” in a way that purely meant they were something out of the ordinary. No disrespect intended to them at all. 🙂
Best regards,
James
It’s just another wonderful story about survival against the odds. We’re all rooting for this pair and hope their new family thrives I know locating the den can be tricky but all good things are worth waiting for!
Glad to see these 2 dogs are doing well. I saw them in September last year in Kruger just North of Skukuza. It is always going to be a tough ask for the 2 adults to successfully raise their pups but not impossible.
I had the privilege to watch another pack of 2 dogs successfully bring up 9 pups last year close to the town of Hoedspruit. They were lucky that they had chosen a private farm which was absent of Lions, which did lower the risk to the pups.
It was amazing to see the dedication and efficiency of the adults to providing food for the the pups. At first it was only the male hunting and he had no problem with bringing down Impala, Duiker and Nyala on his own and returning multiple times to the carcass to gulp down big pieces of meat and go back to the den to feed both the female and the pups. At the stage that the pups started demanding more meat, both the female and the male would go hunting together and the pups would stay inside the den and only come out when one of the adults came back and called them out. This is going to be much more difficult to execute effectively with a high density of other predators around, but let’s keep fingers crossed for these two.
Encountering a pack of wild dogs back in 2016 when we stayed at Londolozi was the high light of our holiday for me! I remember our guide and tracker (Alistar and Ucce) doing a little victory dance after we found them. It was amazing to watch the pack. I really hope this pair make it!
Very Interesting Couple! Nice photos to share with this story. Please update as you can!
Always great to hear about Wild Dogs being anywhere on the Londolozi radar. Must have been some fight for her to lose an ear. Hope you get to see the pups!
Wonderful news thanks James!..
Any recent news ?