Trip Report: Searching for African Painted Dog, A Conservation Safari
Young Painted Dogs, about six months old and keen to explore their world, wait (im)patiently for the pack’s adults to wake up from their naps and play! Image: ©Evan Peers, Nature at Large
Roberta Kravette, Co-Founder.
Oh, To Be Young in the Wild!
Whose heart does not melt at the sight of a young animal? August in South Africa is a little late for spring babies - still, just a few days of exploring Kruger National Park and we were on heart-melt-overload. Young and juvenile elephants were everywhere – splashing, chasing butterflies, tripping over themselves, playing, and weaving their adorable little selves between tons – literally – tons, of patient relatives.
Down the road, young Chacma baboons chased and teased each other, and wide-eyed giraffe youngsters stretched tall to reach tender leaves easily munched by their elders. One late afternoon, we were treated to an explosion of baby hyenas! But, where are the African Painted Dogs?
Elephants can give birth any time of the year. We were fortunate to “meet” many breeding herds with young of all ages, including this newborn calf. Image: ©Amy Groveman
✓ Trip Tips
Where: Kruger National Park and Sabi Sands Reserve, South Africa
When: August and Sept
Species Recorded: The Big Five plus 35+, and over 125 bird species.
Tour Benefit: The Wolf Conservation Center, NY
What is So Interesting About African Painted Dogs?
The idea to see and study African Painted Dogs was conceived by a group of folks who love Gray Wolves and are actively involved in supporting The Wolf Conservation Center in South Salem, New York. So, what do grey wolves in North America have to do with Painted Dogs in Africa? More than you’d think.
This year’s Painted Dog pups in Sabi Sands. Of the 23 born in this pack, only three are expected to reach adulthood. Lions, Hyenas, and Humans are their biggest enemies. Image: ©Evan Peers, Nature at Large
Both in the family Canidae, the Gray Wolves (Canis lupus) and African Painted Dogs (Lycaon pictus) are top predators and defenders of their territory, which is imperative for their survival. But each would prefer to be left alone rather than tangle with humans. Both species are highly social and live in family packs, where play is an important part of the day, pups are cared for by all pack members, and hunting is usually a collective effort.
Sadly, each species is also surrounded by the frightening vicious-killer myth, has carried the detractor-given label “vermin”, and has consequently been extirpated from most of its range. However, in North America, there were fewer than one documented wolf attack every three years since the 1700s, and in Africa, there have been zero documented Painted Dog attacks on humans in over 100 years. Still, truth rarely gets in the way of a heated fairytale, and both are listed Endangered. African Painted Dogs and Gray Wolves are certainly not pets, but our fear and terror of them is irrational. We wanted to know more.
Will We Find African Painted Dogs?
African Painted Dogs are rare and under the radar of most people - even wildlife lovers. Our group's objective was to see the little-known African Painted Dogs in their natural habitat, observe their behaviours, and learn how they are being protected – or not—in what remains of their very diminished range. On the advice of Marc Cronje, an active conservationist and naturalist, we decided to base our study at South Africa's Kruger National Park, the location of one of the largest population strongholds of Painted Dogs – roughly 500 Individuals in approximately 54 packs. Marc would be our guide.
By day four of our Kruger exploration, we had seen Impala, Kudu, and a leopard every day - but still no African Painted Dogs.
Painted Dog packs have huge territories and hunt over miles in a single day. To see them, you need to go into the bush armed with patience and perseverance, and you still may never find them. Luckily, Marc was ready to teach us not only about Painted Dogs, but also about lions, cheetahs, primates, and birds - everything we encountered.
Our African Adventure Begins
The Crocodile River is one of Kruger National Park’s boundary lines. We stopped on the Malelane Bridge to drink in our the silence and beauty of our first moments. Image: ©Kelly Ermis
Our small group came from both US coasts. We all met at Johannesburg, South Africa, a day ahead of time for a good night's sleep (it's a loooong flight), a city history tour (don’t miss it!), and a good meal before our early one-hour flight north to Kruger (Mpumalanga International Airport) the next day. The drive from the airport to Kruger's Malelane Gate is about another hour on a paved highway, complete with the obligatory (for this New Yorker) ongoing construction and delays.
The highway's urban "normalness," cutting through farm fields, shops, and clumps of houses, peppered with reflective vested road crews, heavy machinery, noise, and inevitable road-improvement traffic backup, is unremarkable—until you reach the Crocodile River. And then there is an abrupt change.
The Crocodile River: Separating Nature from Urban Sprawl
Nile Crocodile on the banks of the aptly named Crocodile River bordering Kruger National Park. Image: ©Louis. C
We stopped on the Malelane Bridge for a first glimpse of Kruger. The change from a bustling urban environment to the bush is startling.
It takes time for city-eyes to adjust to the natural world, but as they did, Nile Crocodiles, invisible at first, were suddenly everywhere! We began to see the evidence of hippos and elephants along the river banks, and a single Monitor lizard sunning on a boulder, unbothered by it all.
But, I think one of the most surprising aspects of an African safari is the number and variety of birds you encounter - and as our eyes adjusted to nature, we discovered them all around. Reed Cormorants with outstretched wings sitting on the rocks in the riverbed came into focus. Nearby, a pair of Giant Kingfishers caught lunch, Great and Little Egrets hunted in the shallows, and a majestic Goliath Heron silently towered above them.
As days went on and our eyes became sharper, more fascinating birds appeared.
Our ears needed to adjust, too. The sound of gently rippling water soothed our traffic-tense senses - until the sudden loud, sharp calls of Three-banded Plovers split the silence with a jolt. Everywhere we looked was life. We had entered another - natural - world.
Finally, with the sun firmly in the western sky, it was time to go to the park's Berg en Dal camp, our home for the next few days. Marc lured us away with promises of more.
A Surprising Hyena Encounter
A mother Hyena nurses a cub while various “cousins” play and sleep. At least a dozen new cubs of various ages were active while we watched. Image: Amy Groveman.
“More” was an understatement! Just before the gates of our camp, we came (astonishingly) up close and personal with a clan of hyenas denning in a culvert under the road. To our delight, a hyena mom seemed quite content to nurse a bevy of newish babies less than six feet from our open vehicle while a dozen or so other cubs played, wrestled, and then fought over stolen provisions brought in by a clan member.
This hyena clan has significant numbers, probably two dozen or more, and, by the various sizes of the littlest tykes, multiple moms gave birth over the last six months. Our guide, Marc Cronje, estimated that the two "babysitting" adults were “watching” at least three litters of 2- to 6-month-old hyena cubs. No wonder "mom" looked exhausted.
Hyenas have a well-earned reputation for being fiercely aggressive, and while the young hyenas are adorable, that "don't mess with me" attitude is evident even in the smallest ones. We were enthralled!
Still, we came all this way to learn about one particular species – we were looking for African Painted Dogs.
Leopards Abound - But Where are the Painted Dogs?
We were fortunate to see twelve different leopards during our time in South Africa! This beautiful male, captured by ©Evan Peers,was one of them. Nature at Large
We saw impala and zebra and a Pearl-spotted Owlet, tiny and perfectly blended into its surroundings (how did Marc spot that????) We watched a leopard lounge in a dry wash and another high in a tree with its kill, then a third sauntered across the road. As our "bush eyes" developed, we found giraffes outlined among the trees, blithely nibbling leaves, and witnessed the squaring-off of two handsome Nayla bucks, even caught sight of the elusive and storied Honey Badger! But, wildlife is wild - we found zero Painted Dogs during our first three days in the park.
An estimated 500 painted dogs range over 19,485 sq. kilometers or 7,524 sq. miles of Greater Kruger, encompassing the National Park and the private and community protected lands around it - about the equivalent of the State of New Jersey. That's about 0.06 painted Dogs per square mile - a worryingly low number when you consider that they were historically prolific over the entirety of Sub-Saharan Africa. We kept looking.
Zebra and other species kept us fascinated as we searched for the elusive Dogs. Image: ©Evan Peers, Nature at Large
Finally, We Found Painted Dogs!
Beautiful Painted Dogs– a pack of 4, sound asleep under a tree. Almost directly across the road, a lone cheetah kept watch in the shade (bonus!!) Africa is Magic!
Protecting Wildlife is a Complicated - and Dangerous - Undertaking
We could have just watched the wildlife indefinitely; however, with trafficking and snaring rampant, we were curious to learn how they were being protected. It was time to meet with three important conservation organizations, each doing fabulous (and different) work. All three were very sensitive about photographs. Wildlife trafficking is a worldwide, multi-billion-dollar enterprise. Innocent images can be deadly for the animals - and their protectors. Contemplate Wild and the security team at Sabi Sands requested zero pictures for the safety of their staff and the wildlife.
Kruger’s Skakuza Science Leadership Initiative
The beautiful SSLI facilities are built by locals with local and recycled materials and feature classrooms, research library, labs, and student housing. Image courtesy of SSLI
We met the first organization, the SSLI (Skukuza Science Leadership Initiative), part of the Organization of Tropical Studies (a partnership of over 60 universities in the US, Latin America, Australia, and South Africa), at their headquarters at Kruger’s Skukuza camp, for a private lecture on their ongoing habitat research.
Since 2003, the OTS has run research-based educational programs for US and South African undergraduates. The SSLI was established in 2011 to engage in a broad range of autecological, community, and landscape research and conservation science, including biodiversity monitoring, climate change (drought) effects on savannah habitat, and the social-ecological study of the contrast between its protected areas and the urbanization happening immediately beyond. With little margin between urbanized and protected areas worldwide, this is vital research. (The present US Administration has recently cut support for this US / South African initiative)
Contemplate Wild: The Study of Painted Dogs
Collars help in the study and protection of Endangered species, but they are expensive: $700 USD for a radio and $2000 USD for a satellite - all privately funded. Image: ©Evan Peers, Nature at Large
A few days later, we were extremely fortunate to be able to meet with Contemplate Wild, a South African non-profit organization founded in mid-2016 in response to the death of an entire pack of Endangered Painted Dogs that had contracted canine distemper – another unfortunate consequence caused by human proximity.
Contemplate Wild, in conjunction with the Endangered Wildlife Trust, uses cutting-edge technology to track and gather vital data on the movement and needs of Painted Dogs, cheetah, vultures, and other Endangered carnivores. These transmitters are vital in allowing Contemplate Wild veterinarians to find and mitigate human-caused injuries like poaching snares or poisoning events, before the injuries kill them.
We were incredibly fortunate to be invited to witness a collaring and examination of a wild Painted Dog. It was thrilling to see the care and skill with which the professionals from Contemplate Wild darted the Dog, cared for it, and then patiently waited, ensuring it was safe and secure as the tranquilizer wore off. We silently cheered as it calmly rejoined its pack, as though it had just awakened from a nap. (Note: Contemplate Wild relies on your support for its work)
Only one or two collared individuals are necessary to track a pack; these guys stick together. The collars do not seem to interfere with their daily business. Image: ©Evan Peers Nature at Large
Sabi Sands - 200 Years of Conservation
After a week or so in Kruger, we traveled to the storied Sabi Sands. Dating back to the 1800s, the oldest private game reserve in Africa consists of a collection of private reserves with many of the original families still owning huge tracks of its land.
Located adjacent to Kruger and part of the Greater Kruger area, no fences separate the Park from the Reserve, a huge benefit for the animals. However, a free flow of wildlife also encourages a free flow of wildlife traffickers and poachers. Government-paid wildlife rangers protect Kruger National Park, but the Sabi Sands collective has its own private wildlife security force.
The Sabi Sands Rhino Miracle - 200 Days and Counting
All rhino at Sabi Sands Reserve are dehorned for their protection. It does not always stop traffickers who kill the animal and carve its face for the horn base. Image: ©Louis C
We had an eye-opening private meeting with one of the Sabi Sands rangers. Our scheduled 10 minutes (no cameras allowed) ran to over an hour of discussion, including a demonstration with an antipoaching dog. The Sabi Sands team is doing a heroic job, 24 hours a day. While rhino poaching continues in Kruger, at the time of our meeting, Sabi Sands had not had a poached rhino in over 200 days, a point of immense pride.
The fact that counting the days without a kill is the measure of rhino conservation success is horrifying.
The fact that rangers and their families, including their children, are routinely threatened is even more frightening. But the dedication, innovation, and perseverance of every person we met are beyond hopeful.
A Pack of Painted Dogs - At Last
Ready for mischief, a groups of Painted Dog pups in Sabi Sands waits impatiently for their adults. They didn’t remain still long! Image: ©Amy Groveman
While at Sabi Sands, our wonderful guide and teacher, Marc, was joined by the Sabi Sands Team, wildlife guide Marlo, and professional tracker David. And what a team they were! Lions, White Rhinos, Leopards, and the most wonderful breeding pack of Painted Dogs!
While most of Kruger’s Painted Dog packs seem to be getting smaller, with 4 to 6 individuals commonly reported, at Sabi Sands, we were delighted to discover an outlier, a breeding pack of eleven adults with ten pups born this year! It was our great luck that the adorable pups were still too young to join the evening hunt, so a couple of males were left to “babysit.” They did not look amused - but we were! We watched in delight until the sun began to set.
Painted Dogs have natural challenges as well as human-caused problems. Of the eleven healthy, exuberant pups we watched, fewer than four are expected to reach adulthood. Lions, leopards, and the ever-opportunistic hyenas will all take their toll. Good luck, little ones!
Africa Gives You a New Perspective
It is common to hear, Africa changes your life. That’s a big statement, but you cannot help but be moved by this type of nature experience.
Before we arrived in Africa, the members of our group were avid wildlife lovers and conservation supporters; however, we returned with a new understanding of the complexity and worldwide interconnectedness of wildlife conservation – and how the efforts each one of us makes (large or small) on one continent impacts the environment on another.
And we all have an even greater appreciation of the work that conservation organizations like Contemplate Wild, the SSLI, the Sabi Sands collective, and our Wolf Conservation Center are doing to protect our amazing global biodiversity. As one of our group said upon return, "The trip far exceeded my expectations!"
Headed Home. Our Painted Dog Conservation Safari Group, Amy, Julie, Evan, Louis, and our wonderful friend, guide, and teacher, Marc Cronje, and me, Roberta. Special Thanks to Nature Travel Africa for their help in putting together An Unforgettable Journey That Does Good.