Just when we thought the wild dog saga had reached its climax with the Toulon Pack adopting the pups and trotting off into the ‘sunset’, life in the bush threw us another curveball. The fate of the pack of three—through all the complexities and heartbreak—took a much darker turn.

It’s been a rollercoaster for these three dogs from the very beginning. Losing at least one pup early on and only managing to raise three pups from there, to one male sustaining a severe injury, then having another larger pack come in and hijack the den and the pups within. For all of us following the story, we just never knew what was going to happen next.

Just when we thought it to all be over after the Toulon Pack moved on with the pups on the 22nd of August. The pack of three was seen moving across Londolozi, trying to find their footing once again. For three days, they were everywhere. One day, close to the Causeway; the next, spotted all the way in Mala Mala. Even with an injured male still limping, they kept covering the ground like only wild dogs can.

The injured male was starting to put a bit of weight on his wounded leg. But you could tell from their constantly half-empty bellies that they were struggling to secure enough food. Yet, true to the spirit of wild dogs, they didn’t stop moving. They’d pop up here, and disappear there as if trying to remind the bush that they were still fighting. It was wild dog resilience on full display, but it wasn’t enough to escape the harsh reality of the wild.

Early morning, we thought there might have been a run-in between them and the Toulon Pack again. The pack of three was found dangerously close to the Toulon Pack but both packs were running in the opposite directions. It was nerve-wracking knowing they were in the same area. As evening fell, the pack of three was on the move again, popping up near the Causeway, looking like they might cross the river. Barry called me over, and I immediately dropped my search for the Three Rivers Female Leopard—to join him. But just as I was a matter of minutes out, Barry’s voice crackled through the radio again to say they had turned back and disappeared across the boundary into Mala Mala.

Then came the gut-wrenching news the next day. Tracks of only two wild dogs were found on the opposite side of the reserve, which raised some serious questions. Where was the third? Or was it an entirely different set of wild dogs? Not long after, we got the heartbreaking report from our neighbours: the Toulon Pack had clashed with the pack of three again, and this time, the female hadn’t made it. The Toulon Pack caught her, and in a brutal twist of fate, she was killed.

The two surviving males, still holding on, had made a run for it, and that’s how we came to find just the two sets of tracks, running for their lives.

Now, with their numbers reduced to just the two males, the future is uncertain. They’ve been spotted here and there since the attack. The injured male is still nursing a limp, but at least he’s putting weight on that leg. They’re still pushing on. Their resilience is undeniable. But life as a pair of males is going to be tough, and the road ahead is far from easy.

I wonder what the next chapter holds for them. Maybe they’ll get lucky and come across a breakaway group of females to join forces with. Or perhaps they’ll push further afield, wandering in search of other females to help them rebuild. For now, though, it’s hard to imagine what’s going through their heads as they navigate the wild without their female.

The whole story feels like an emotional rollercoaster that doesn’t let up. From the drama of the pups being adopted to the devastating loss of the mother, the pack of three has been through more than its fair share of highs and lows. And now, the story has taken this tragic turn, as it so often does in the wild. It’s a brutal reminder that life out here is never easy, especially for a small pack like theirs.

But, even in tragedy, there’s resilience. It’s what keeps these animals going, and it’s what keeps us watching, waiting, and hoping for the next turn in the wild dog saga.