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Thanks Imberbe , nice to have a bit of informed knowledge
here

So basically the times they are found , is when they are moving through the area . I can understand that the areas
they are coming from are more like there normal habitat , but
I wonder where they are going to , as there is nothing much south or westwards from the park in terms of bushveld habitat.

Bucky

You are correct that there is no bordering area to the South or West that is really suited to their needs. To explain their presence, it is important to understand the nature of the Wilddog.

They are nomads!

They keep on moving, even in ideal areas! They roam over vast distances, and when the habitat is marginal to their needs, these areas become even bigger. They will remain static only for short times, then mostly to den. Wilddogs are known to even move through populated areas to reach new areas. ( In Natal they will move from Hluhluwe to Itala etc.)

What this means is that the dogs moving through the Kgalagadi is not going to another destination, say on the other side of the park. They are just roaming. But since the ecology is not suited to their needs, there are only a few reaching Kgalagadi and they won't stay there.

REGARDING THEIR PREY:

Wilddogs do hunt Wildebeest even in the KNP. BUT! Remember that they prefer smaller and weaker prey that is easier to catch. They themselves are not very big! Thus they prefer Impala etc. When they do hunt Wildebeest it will often be calves.

Further info on wild dog here.

The African wild dog (Lycaon pictus)
(Other Names: African Hunting Dog, Apeete, Cape Hunting Dog, Cynhyene, Eeyeyi, Eminze, Imbwa, Inpumpi, Kikwau, Kite Kya Negereni, Kulwe, Licaon, Liduma, Ligwami, Loup-peint, Lycaon, Mauzi, Mbawa, Mbwa Mwitu, Mbughi, Mhuge, Mulula, Muthige, Nzui, Omusege, Osuyiani, Painted Dog, Prude, Sudhe, Suyian, Suyo, Suyondet, Tri-colored Dog, Wildehond)

Appearance
Although similar in appearance to hyenas, African wild dogs are nevertheless true wild canidae. They are a mixture of black, yellow, and white in such a wide variety of patterns that no two individuals look exactly alike.

Size
Weight between 17 and 36 kg. Shoulder Height: 61-78 cm

Habitat
Savanna, grassland and open woodland

Population
Only an 4,000-5,000 in total, of which about 400 live in South Africa.

Range
Africa south of the Sahara.

Threats
African wild dogs are the continent's most endangered predator. Population size is continuing to decline as a result of ongoing conflict with human activities, infectious disease, and habitat fragmentation. The most severe threat to the wild dog has been its mostly undeserved reputation as a voracious and indiscriminate killer of game and livestock, which has led to its persecution. In most of Africa, wild dogs are shot or poisoned whenever they are encountered. Another severe threat has arisen more recently: the wild dog's habitat has been shrinking as human populations expand. This leads the wild dog into increased contact with humans, their domestic animals and the diseases they carry; and an increasing number of roads bisecting its habitat threaten the wild dog with greater mortality from vehicles. The wild dog appears to be susceptible to many diseases, particularly canine distemper (introduced into East Africa in 1906), rabies and anthrax.

General
African wild dogs live in tightly knit social groups and hunt cooperatively, preying primarily on grazing animals such as gazelles, springboks, wildebeest and zebras. Most predators stalk or ambush their prey, but these animals make no attempt to hide. They simply approach a herd until it stampedes, then single out an individual -- usually one that's slowed by old age or disease -- and chase it until it's exhausted. African wild dogs use their sense of sight, not smell, to find their prey. They pay no attention to wind direction and they do not use cover when approaching their prey. They can run up to 55 km/h for several kilometres. In eastern Africa, they mostly hunt Thomson’s gazelles, but they will also attack calves, warthogs, zebras, impalas, and the young of large antelopes such as the gnu.

The Shrinking Pack
African wild dogs were once common in virtually every environment in southern Africa except rain forests and deserts. But human encroachment has drastically reduced their range and their numbers. Because of land clearance, urbanization, and other factors, Africa's once-great herds of grazing animals are now restricted to scattered populations in parks and reserves. As their prey goes, so go the dogs. They are also widely regarded as pests; they've been poisoned, shot, and trapped in many areas. Perhaps their most serious threat, though, is introduced diseases. Burgeoning human populations have brought the African wild dogs into frequent contact with domestic dogs, many of which carry canine distemper and rabies. These diseases are ravaging the wild packs. This kind of contact is one of the less obvious ways that human populations disrupt wild populations.

Breeding
African wild dogs have an unusual breeding system. Only one pair of dogs reproduces in a pack; other pack members act cooperatively to care for the young of the breeding pair. It has been said that African wild dogs are the most social of all mammals, never living apart from a pack at any stage in their lives.
Young wild dogs are adult at about 1 year, sexual maturity is attained between 12 - 18 months. The gestation period is around 60 - 80 days. There are 2 - 19 pups per litter, with an average of about 10. The time between births is usually 12 - 14 months, but it can be as short as 6 months if all of the young die.
Pups are born in a den, usually one dug by an aardvark. Weaning takes place at about 10 weeks. After 3 months, the den is abandoned and the pups begin to run with the pack. At 8 - 11 months they can kill easy prey, but they are not proficient until about 12 - 14 months, at which time they can fend for themselves.
Females between 14 - 30 months old leave the pack in which they were born in groups of sisters born in the same litter and join another pack that lacks sexually mature females. Most males do not disperse from the pack they were born in.

Kruger
Kruger National Park seems to have 20 packs, which have ranges from 150 to 1110 sq km.

Mortality
Natural causes (39%): Lion predation - 12%, hyena predation - 4%, other predation - 5%, other wild dogs - 5%, disease - 8%, accident - 6%.
Human causes (61%): Road kill - 24%, snared - 10 %, shot - 15%, poisoned - 12%, other - 1%.

Between Olifants and Satara [2001] was our first wilddog sighting.

Hi Twiga

We do go to the park more than the average person and have seen them at all times of the day.

Mornings :
Between Croc.bridge and Lower Sabie on H5.
2 x On Malelane road to Skukuza between Biyamiti river and S113.
On S65 next to the N'washwitshaka river.

Midday :
At Skukuza S1
Between Skukuza and Lower Sabie close to Nkuhlu

Afternoon:
3 x On Malelane road to Skukuza between Biyamiti river and S113.
From Skukuza on the Doispane Road before the S65.
At Tambotie Camp in the riverbed

That's an interesting concept, i suppose because thw dry season is the predator's 'time of plenty' - though if too many drought seasons occur, predator numbers start to decline beacause of over predation and lower numbers of prey.
But I would love to find out the current status of the kruger population.
Also there is a point because after a dry speel in the early 90s the population was estimated at 450, but after the 2000 floods, it had slumped to 190 - so hopefully now they're back on the up.

Remembered i read about this a month or so ago in the Kruger Park Times - just had to go and find it.
Here is the article:

Have seen wildogs on quite a few occasions in the south everytime but one. Large group with pups near pretoriouskop, also not far from berg en dal as well as crocodile bridge but saw them on the main road tar track just before the gates closed up to Olifants Camp once, they literally were running up and down the road. How far north have you guys seen them?

Hey Guys

Its so cool to hear people talking about my favourite animal ... the Wild Dog

They are :

- Excellent hunters .
- Caring Parents .
- Beautifully Coloured .
- Very Cute .
- Highly Intelligent .
- Super Fast .
- Critically Endangered .
- 2nd favourite in Predator Poll ( So Far )

As far as sightings Go .

I've seen the Wild Dogs Once out of Two Visits

- S110 near Berg En Dal ( Morning )

It was Truely a Memorable Moment

Hopefully I'll see them when I go in July

Wild Dogs Rule

Seen near Sunset Dam in April 06.

The Skukuza pack, S65.





Edit by bert

Seen this pack in 1994 between LS and Skukuza IIRC.



Edit by bert

It was an unbelievable hour, 20 minutes later we got our first lions and 10 minutes later 2 rhinos.

In the same trip as the cheetah, December 2004, we were lucky enough to see the same 3 wild dog (the one has a very distinctive tan blaze accross his back) on 2 occasions:
1. On the S114 close to Renosterkoppies in the early morning:

2. On the S21 in the afternoon:


Edit by bert

Continuing on our wild dog discovery in December 2004 we bumped into these youngsters on the S65:


And this group (+- 12, I couldn't get a clear photo of the whole group) at around Afsaal/Biyamiti area on the S114, so focussed on trotting along that they trotted straight into a herd of elephants, who went crazy- there was trumpeting and squealing and dogs dashing off in all directions!


Edit by bert