I say “Second, first view of wild dog puppies“ as back in May we were treated to some incredible views of Londolozi’s first wild dog den in a decade.
It’s been over two months since the pack of two and their pups left Londolozi. The pups were around 2-3 months old when they scurried off into the wide blue younder, leaving us with fond memories that will last a lifetime. Just as one chapter ends though, another begins. A different, much larger, pack of 13 dogs gave birth to 11 pups just west of Londolozi’s northern sector in late June/early July.
Our last view of the pack of that denned on Londolozi over May/June this year.
Wild Dogs will normally keep pups safely at a den for the first two to three months of their lives. They are incredibly vulnerable to predation from all angles at such a young age, thus the less time spent alone above ground, the better. However, as they grow and wean off milk and onto a more strictly meat-based diet, the adults begin to move them short distances. We’ve now reached this milestone in this pack’s timeline, which has got us smiling!
Our first real view of the puppies from this pack. The pack had split up during a hunt. Some of the adults were looking after the pups, while the others were off hunting somewhere.
We were ecstatic as we saw the 11 pups for the first time. At this age, they are like perfect miniature versions of the adults. Only five adults were with the pups, some of them with evidence of blood on their necks from a successful kill earlier that morning. We knew another seven or eight dogs must be somewhere in the area, based on the information we had received on the number of dogs in this pack.
Two of the pups sit on a termite mound, with the hopes of spotting the rest of the adults.
Still early in the day, the dogs proceeded to hunt again. With so many mouths to feed, the pack will sometimes need to kill more than once on a hunt for each individual to receive enough food. We ended up sitting with a small number of adults and the full compliment of pups, people and dogs alike all awaiting the return of the other dogs anxiously. We knew that if the second hunt was successful, the adults would return to regurgitate food for the pups, sending them into a frenzy of excitement. Watching wild dogs greet, play and interact is exhilarating and particularly heart-warming – especially with man’s affinity for domestic dogs.
The massive ears on the pups’ small heads make them particularly cute.
At one point, the adults tasked with pup-sitting moved a little distance away. This left just us with the pups. We expected them to be a bit wary of the Land Rover, having had very limited exposure to this strange, large object. On the contrary, they came right up to us inquisitively.
James Tyrrell capitalises on a magical moment in which the 11 pups came to investigate the vehicle.
It didn’t take long before we heard the characteristic “Hoo-hoo-hoo” contact call of the returning adults. The pups rushed towards the sound, as the returning adults came bursting out of the thickets. The excitement displayed by wild dogs when they re-group is truly unique!
An exciting moment for all as adults and pups rush towards each other for a reunion…
An elaborate greeting ensued between all of the wild dogs, with pups and adults running in all directions around us! It was the heart-warming moment for which we had been waiting. The hunt must have been unsuccessful as there was no regurgitation that took place, however with some of the pack tinged red in blood, they seemed satisfied with what they had already caught that morning.
The whole pack proceeded to split in half and run past either side of our vehicle.
As I write this I hear that the same pack was seen again , this time fighting off a clan of hyena along the banks of the Sand River west of the Londolozi camps. It seems that we are lining up for some more exciting wild dog and pup viewing again!
what an exciting morning!! Must be great to have this new pride at Londolozi and the chance to keep an eye on the puppies! Victoria
Oh 🙁 so the back of two and their puppies left londolozi..do we know how many puppies were alive when I last saw them??
Hi Maria,
There were seven pups in the pack of two when they left Londolozi. They were last seen heading into Singita to our west.
Fantastic news. It is very special to see wild dogs.
Hi Pete yes they remind our dogs but they are very different indeed as our dogs have basically the same DNA as wolves, while wild dogs are taxonomically different being close to dholes of Asia.
In fact also their feeding habits (ripping prey alive) is quite the opposite to wolves that look for the vital areas. Useless to say that I prefer wolves but I do appreciate the conservation success and ecological role of such funny animals. They look like dogs in their physical traits quite nice !
Enjoyed watching this video about the Hyenas and their pups. Thank you so much. I look forward to visiting your Blog every day. Blessings.
Hi Leslie,
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the blog and the videos. Hyenas and Wild Dogs are similar at first glance in appearance, but are in fact different species that are completely unrelated. Have a look at a previous post of ours for more info: https://blog.londolozi.com/2018/01/03/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-wild-dogs/
What joy….again!
It’s so wonderful there’s another pack with so many puppies. Let’s hope for a high survival rate. Has there been any news on the status of the three-eared pack from other reserves?
Hi Chelsea,
We haven’t heard of any sightings unfortunately. They were last seen heading west into Singita from our side.
Hoping for some exciting video on Sunday!
Happy to hear you’ve some puppies to view once again-a bit of comic relief! Any idea how many pups from the wild dog couple survived?
We are so glad to see more puppies!
Denise, we are not sure of the fate of the pack of two. We aren’t aware of any sightings for a long time unfortunately.
Super news that you have a new pack with 11 pups ! My respect for the 3 eared pair continues to grow when you think of them having no back up baby sitters while out hunting…I wonder how they have faired ? Look forward to more on this big family. Thanks Pete 🙏🏻💕
Hi Cally,
Indeed, the pack of two really pulled off a huge challenge raising their pups alone. We don’t have any news on them from the last while unfortunately.
Wow this is incredibly lucky to see a second pack, I hope they stick around for some incredible viewing! Has anyone seen the first pack of pups with the 2 adults again?
Hi Kara,
There’s a good chance we will be seeing a lot more of this pack! Unfortunately no news on the pack of two…
That is so cool! I just watched that video over and over. How wonderful for all of you there. Wish I was.
Amazing!! Haven’t heard about this pack denning until now!
Fantastic, wild dog returning to Londolozi just in time for guests returning to Londolozi
Seeing the expanse of area the wild dogs travel( far and about), .. to the extent of hunting for a meal, makes you think about their physical survival, .. in contrast to what us humans must endure to find a meal in our present day life. It truly is profound.
Finally, more wild dog pups!! Was quite sore when there was an end of articles to the pups earlier this year.
Yeah!!!!!! Can’t wait ❤️
How exciting! Looking forward to hearing more about these cuties in the coming months!
Thanks for the heartwarming blog Pete. It is nice to think that the wild dogs are increasing their numbers. Hopefully all the pups will make it to adulthood. It must have been a great experience to see the pups close up. Thanks for sharing with us. To all at Londolozi – take care, be well and stay safe.
More Wild Dog, that’s fantastic news 🙂
Great capture. I enjoy seeing when the dogs are highlighted. Do you think the one eared female will either bring her brood back to Londolozi and return to den again next year.
Hi Andrew and Daniel,
It’s fantastic to try shed as much light as possible on Wild Dogs. Never a dull moment when viewing them… Let’s hope the pack of two makes a reappearance – we haven’t heard of any sightings for a while now.
Pete, I loved the photos, especially the one with wild dogs pups🤗
How wonderful that there is another pack of wild dogs at Londolozi! Great news.
This is fantastic news! I think the African Wild Dog is my all time favorite, and I am rooting for this pack, and also hoping that the courageous pack started by the two adults earlier in the year is faring well!! Thanks Pete, and keep us abreast of any new news!
Wild dog denning behaviour is fascinating , especially the allo (communal) sharing of maternal responsibilities.Young after weaning are slowly intergrated onto the big league.
ritualised greeting exhibited by wild dogs is important for pack bonding.Succession matrix when Alpha pair collapse and the Beta pair is amusing.Particularly the way the youngest male is promoted to the apex when Alpha male dies.The Hierarchical ladder is very strict.
Wild dogs are Africas number 1 predators and boast a high efficiency and kill ratio on hunts