As we watch the subtle shift happening in the bush at this time of year. The lush green, vibrant hues of summer begin to fade, and the morning drives carry a cooler undertone. The gradual shift towards the golden brown hues of winter starts to become apparent, and the anticipation of change is upon us.
Possibly the most exciting shift is the anticipation of new wild dog pups, which is undeniably a highlight in the Lowveld during this time. Which is why this particular development feels just slightly ahead of its time. The Alpha female of the Othawa pack is heavily pregnant, and alongside her, the presumed beta female appears to be following the same path. Which, for wild dogs, certainly in the past few years here, is early.
Wild dogs typically den deeper into winter, when the grass has dropped, and visibility improves, offering the pups a slightly better chance in a more open landscape, coupled with the impala rut, where food is abundant, and the male impalas are somewhat distracted with each other.
You can’t help but hope to see a large litter of pups once again for this pack.
And yet, here we are.
Perhaps the heavy rains from earlier this year have influenced things, or perhaps the pack is simply responding to conditions in a way that suits them best right now. These animals are, after all, incredibly adaptive, and rarely bound to the rigid timelines we try to impose on them.
There’s also the question of where.
It will be some time before the newest additions will be viewed on game drive. This was a den from a few years ago on Londolozi.
For the past few years, the pack has chosen to den in the western sector, an area that has served them well, offering relative safety and a suitable area for raising a litter. It is presumed she gave birth in early June last year, and so only a couple of weeks earlier this year. Whether they will return there again remains to be seen. At this stage, there are no clear indications of a chosen site, and as always with wild dogs, their movements in the lead-up to denning can be wide-ranging and unpredictable.
We can only hope that maybe they will den here on Londolozi… A long shot- as we do not see this pack as much as we use to however time will tell. But for now we know that soon she will have her next litter and we hope to watch this chapter unfold. The next month or so promises to be a fascinating one to follow.
Great news. Cant wait for the next chapter.
This is exciting news! Will they kill the beta female’s pups if the alpha female’s litter is healthy?
Hi Kirst, how many packs of wild dogs are there in Londolozi? A litter is usually very large, like the one you wrote about, I wonder how many packs may coexist as far as the territory is concerned…. very intriguing, you exposed examples from a litter of three to a litter of? 16?. They don’t usually loose many puppies, unlike leopards and lions or cheetah in spite of the protection lionesses get from the pride, they hide all alone with their litter…. a world to discover then. I watched impala rams defending from wild dogs, they are heroes even if weakened from many fights…. waiting for news….
Hi Kirst, thanks for the update on the Othawa Pack. I really do hope the Alpha female dens on Londolozi ground so that we can see the puppies. They are so cute when they are small and so inquisitive little busy bodies.
A new litter of wild dog pups, great news for Londolozi!
I am looking forward to hearing more about this pack soon.
This is fantastic news and fingers crossed they choose a den on the Londolozi property. More pups born that survive would be a welcome addition to the species.
Hopefully there will be birth news in the next 3 weeks! We’ll be there soon; sorry we’ll not see you, Kirst.