A Crazy Afternoon with the Dwarsberg Pack

Two days ago, myself and Grant decided that we were going to look for the wild dogs down in the south of the reserve where they had been spending quite a lot of time, possibly looking for a den site.

As you might or might not know, is that to look for wild dogs is not as easy as it might seem…..

The first tracks of them going from Makanyane road going south was what we had expected. Then more tracks going east from the airstrip, then going south west from Diperoro.

This could only mean one thing, they are HUNTING!

After much searching around and chasing after “the fresh tracks”, I finally found them in an open clearing engaging into what seemed to be some wildebeest. With there ears flat and determined look on their faces,they started the chase.

Or was it the other way around? The wildebeest then all ganged up on them, and a battle of stares ensued with the victors being the wildebeest, who now drove their advantage home with the dominating male chasing all that looked like a wild dog into the distance. The dogs then gave up ,and with one voice they all suddenly took off in a different direction with huge speed.

To witness the interaction between the predator and prey, with the prey winning the battle is always amazing.

Darkness fell, and we couldn’t follow them any longer. To be continued...

Written by Gavin Tonkinson

(To view more of Gavin's images or to contact him, visit his page on Photo-Africa!)