The Return of the Wild Dogs

In one of the previous posts I wrote about the wild dog situation in this park, or rather in South Africa. How they are kept in a boma while waiting to be translocated (taken into another protected area), under special care of people responsible for their well-being, and therefore the well-being of the whole species.

The boma received a pack of nine dogs, with a strong hierarchical structure and healthy relationships. It would have been an illusion to expect the events to turn into everyone’s favour, but no one had expected that less than half of the pack survived – at the end, there were only three of them left.

Misfortune had it all happen, from escapes from the enclosure to fights with outside packs and even other carnivores (hyenas and lions). The dogs were constantly under pressure, stressed out and anxious. The events created tension inside the pack and brought detrimental consequences. Dogs that made it to the end were no longer connected. They have forgotten they were once brothers and sisters, uncles and nieces. Final separation was a benefit for everyone.

The female dog, Luna, was released in the park. She was the youngest and the most beautiful wild dog I’ve ever seen. With such attributes, it shouldn’t be too difficult for her to find a mate and form a new pack on the already familiar grounds. The two males, senior Chance and young Calvin, were taken to another reserve where they would be bonded with local females and hopefully form a new pack together. 

At least at that point, things went well. All of them were found healthy, so Luna was running into the bushes soon after capture, and the boys were ready to be taken to their new home only a bit later.

With an endangered species such as wild dog, conservation is arduous. It’s like climbing Mt Everest in flip-flops, under a constant assault of screaming ravens. Wild dogs are not like other carnivores, such as lions, which can be kept in breeding centres and eventually re-introduced to suitable protected areas. To “breed” dogs, you need to consider their complex social structure, their dispersive abilities, the food and habitat requirements, the presence of other (competitive) carnivores, the origin, age and personality of every individual dog. Which needs lots of careful planning and involvement of an array of different people. From managers and park owners to ecologists, vets and pilots. 

Yet, all that effort can still not promise a happy ending.

The three dogs are now in a better situation than many others will ever be. Knowing they will be looked after for the rest of their lives by a team of dedicated monitors, gives me comfort. They will always stay in my mind as valuable example of the difficult but rewarding wildlife conservation in South Africa.

Photo by Courtney M., releasing the boys in the other reserve