The Painted Dogs

Painted Dogs are also known as African Wild Dogs and are an endangered species with only about 6,600 left in the wild. We were keen to see them as while the name doesn’t evoke a cute response in us they really are beautiful animals.

We came upon a pack of 10 wild dogs as they were hunting an impala. A pack will take down and feast on an impala until a larger predator comes along and steals the kill from them.

Their white tails look like the tail of an impala as the dogs are jumping through the grass during a chase. The intention is to confuse the impala into thinking they are following another impala when, in fact, the impala is following a lead wild dog to its’ doom.

Lettie, our guide, drove like a mad man through the bush to try to keep up with the dogs. In the end the dogs were unsuccessful in catching the impala this time.

After the unsuccessful chase they laid low in the reeds looking for their next victim.

We saw the pack later that morning lying under a tree and resting.

We heard from other guests that the dogs were out hunting that evening. They again were unsuccessful.