The painted wolves of KNP

There are some animals that hold an almost mythological status, even here in South Africa, among so many species and so much diversity. Lycaon Pictus is just such an example. Meaning Painted Wolves in English, these creatures are feared, respected, admired and adored the bush over. You may not yet know which animals I am talking about, and that’s because they have many names. Most people call them - Wild Dogs.

There are, unfortunately, not many Wild Dogs left in South Africa. Some lucky Private Game Reserves have packs that roam across the veld, but they are rare. The Kruger National Park for example, the size of Israel and the largest area of wilderness in the country, only has around 200 Dogs left that call it home.

In April 2022. I was fortunate enough to travel the length of the Kruger for 4 weeks, from Malelane Gate in the South all the way to the Far North, and into Pafuri. I stayed at many camps along the way, and traversed all eco-zones that the Kruger has to offer. Lady Luck must have been on my side as, over the course of my trip, I encountered 3 different packs of Wild Dogs in different areas of the park. In this post I endeavour to detail these encounters, and highlight to you the awesome nature of Painted Wolves.

The camp of Berg-en-Dal rests among granite foothills in the South of KNP. The surrounding bush is classic grassland - riverbeds strewn with Marula, Mahogany and Bushwillow trees, mixed Acacia savanna, and all sorts of Guarri shrubbery, of the Magic, Blue and Hairy kind. Roaming across the vlei are herds of Buffalo, Elephant and Impala, thus attracting the Park’s predators, Lions, Leopards and Wild Dogs. One morning I left camp early, and swiftly came across a pride of Lions stalking down the road away from me. There were quite a few vehicles already present at the sighting, meaning I could not get a good view. I turned the car around and took a track round to the North of the Restcamp, with the goal of intercepting the Lions as they crossed the grid onto the next track. My bold plan failed, and I lost the pride among the Marulas. However, the old classic knowledge about predators using tracks proved correct once again, as barely 2 minutes after parking my car, the pack of Wild Dogs shot out of the bush in front of me and crossed the road at pace. I jumped to re-start my engine, wound the windows down, turned my camera on and followed them. It was clear to me quickly that the pack was hunting - it was moving at pace and with purpose, in an ever forward direction. They clearly had caught a scent. I followed on, enraptured, and enjoyed for the next 40 minutes or so a private viewing of Wild Dogs hunting in the KNP (the two photos above come from this viewing - you can see the Berg-en-Dal escarpment in the background). This period included a hilarious interaction between the pack and a Hippo - the Dogs had clearly startled the huge creature as they entered the riverbed, and the Hippo was quick to give them a good telling off.

The S39 runs North East of Orpen and Tamboti, in central Kruger. It pierces through the bushveld alongside the Timbavati river, and takes you toward Olifants. It is, perhaps, my favourite road in the entire National Park. The road is quiet, as the main tarred road used by most visitors is not far away. As such, you will likely be alone as you meander along the Eastern side of the riverbed, past giant termite mounds, Marula Trees with their edible fruits, Warthog burrows and Guarri bushes. The surrounding flora is far more interesting on this road than on the main tar road, and it carries with it a feel of authenticity.

In April, the Park had seen heavy rainfall and many S roads were closed. I was delighted to find that the S39 was not one of these, and so I used it to head from Tamboti towards Balule and Olifants. Other visitors must not have realised the same thing however as, on my journey, I passed only one other vehicle over the course of 4 hours or so. This turned out to be extremely fortuitous when, rounding a corner in the riverbed and seeing the shrub open up a touch, a glanced to my left and saw the peeping head of another of Africa’s Painted Wolves. I applied my standard procedure - slam on brakes, grab my camera, hold my breath. The four photographs above highlight the detail of this viewing, but I shall endeavour to explain it and so it justice in the following sentences.

Wild Dogs live and operate in packs, as I’ve previously mentioned. However, on this occasion there were only four, and two were heavily pregnant. This led me to assume that they’d been sent by the pack to a distant, safe location, with two protectors (likely their mates), to give birth, while the pack went on to hunt. I’d never seen such behaviour, and so was intrigued immediately, quite apart from the fact that I had yet another sighting of these incredible, rare animals. I took some photographs, parked in a comfortable bend in the road, and once again settled down to a long, private sighting with tea, rusks, and some of Africa’s most famous predators. I stayed for over an hour, completely alone with the Dogs - an unbelieveable privilege in a busy Park where sightings are hardly ever private. During this time they moved little, lying down to sleep for 10 minutes or so at a time, grooming themselves, then pacing 5 metres off before dozing again. The Dogs were comfortable with me but in general were on edge - whenever they heard another animalistic sound (whether I heard it too or not), all four heads snapped up and stared in the same direction. I simply sat, in awe, a constant, beaming smile on my face, and lived. I existed briefly, privately, with these amazing animals, and saw their gentler side. Not the ferocious predators that I knew they could be, but the creatures of family, struggling to procreate in this unforgiving bush. The experience was an immense privilege and was one I shall never forget.

Lycaon Pictus

Wild Dogs are but one of the sensational, mesmerising predators that live and operate in the African Bush. They may hold less of a public status than Lions and Leopards, but are just as if not more impressive, and are, unfortunately, even more endangered. To read more about Wild Dogs, the threats they face and their plight, please check out the Endangered Wildlife Trust, just one of a number of incredible organisations striving to improve the future of these beautiful animals. And, though I leave them for now, Painted Wolves will return on Sunrise In Paradise….