The Leopard Lodge staff, in the Kafue National Park, recently spotted a super pack of Wild Dogs numbering 50 individuals near the lodge!
They have seen packs of 30 plus in the past year, however their staff, which was en-route to Lusaka, but only a kilometre from the lodge, were delayed when they saw the dogs. As the pack crossed the road they counted them and saw 50 dogs in total. A pack of this size is obviously very rare and an incredible sighting!
Wild Dog numbers have unfortunately decreased considerably over the past 20 years. There are a variety of reasons for this, including habitat loss, human persecution including hunting and poison as well as disease spread from domestic animals. The average pack size these days numbers 6-20 individuals. History records indicate that the last time a pack of this size was seen, was in 1969 in the Kruger National Park. Packs numbering 30 have been in parts of Botswana.
It just goes to show, that if wildlife is given protection (safari lodge/community mutual benefit), and space (large protected areas like the Kafue National Park), it thrives!
Some of best wildlife areas to view Wild Dog include:
Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa
Okavango Delta in Botswana (especially around the Chitabe and Kwando areas)
Kruger Park (especially in the Klaserie, Timbavati and Manyeleti areas)
and now of course the Kafue National Park in Zambia!
