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Sage advice, CarolV. As to the pangolin, perhaps that story sometime?

Both in Dec and March we were told several times that there were doggies on the S65 and S114, but sadly "Mr & Mrs Can't Find the Animals" didn't find them!!

Good luck deciding!!!

Will hold thumbs for a special sighting for you.

Thanks Crested Val. (I see you and CarolV could both be CV, so methinks I'll just call you by your full name.) I do hope I can bring back doggie pics; last time we chased after a pack, but the blighters showed no respect for us and left before we arrived.

Most of my sightings around Croc Bridge were on the tar road, including a kill, but the one on the S25 was 1 km before a leopard......

Leopard and wild canines within a km of each other; top stuff, BB.

No advice there, except perhaps keep looking for another great sighting after you've seen one.

Hi, we saw 5 wild dogs about 4km from the first green bridge at Malelane. Two previous days we saw them on the dirt road S114 and S121, sleeping next to the road. When we saw them the morning at about 8am in the H3 they went for a kill but one stupid person drove in front of them spoiling the kill. they entertain us for the next 5km on the tar road.

I you want to make sure that you see wild dogs you should travel with Pumbaa

hi all,

been pretty lucky with wild dog in the last 5-6 years, its all about being at the right place at the right time. maybe five years back, we heard that a pack of dogs were sighted around LS area, we travelled the H4-2 towards croc bridge, doing the mativulungu loop (S82) at least 10 times until luckily enough we found them on the main road towards croc bridge.

3 years ago, making our way out the park on the s25 towards malelane, we came across a pack (regularly seen on this road, still in 2011) it was great excitement for us at it was totally unexpected. we sat with the dogs for about 2 hours when suddenly a friend of ours sent an sms stating that we must make our way to the junction S25 and H3 as a pack of wild dog are lying on the side of the road. So for us, this is a memory we can never forget, 2 packs in one day.

Dec 2010 we found the same pack again on Timfenheni Loop.

The S1 doispane has been very lucky for us with dogs, seen them about 5 different times over the years.

In 2009 we saw the Berg en Dal pack taking down an impala on the Matjulu Loop.

I returned from the park 2 weeks ago, we were travelling on the H2-2 from pretoriaskop to afsaal, the road was very quiet with not an impala in sight, when all of a sudden a round a bend, 5 wild dogs were running towards us. They were definately on a mission, as we followed them for 10km what a sighting. (unfortunately this road has been closed until October for maintenance purposes)

So the S1, Berg en Dal area, Pretoriaskop are the places where the regular packs are sighted, but as I said, its all about the luck of the draw and entering the park without any expectations.




Wild Dog pack S1 2009


Same pack april 2010 S1

Thanks FC

I already wanted to reply hereto earlier but work load

The last years in row we had luck around the area in Skukuza, especially the H11 from Skukuza up to the crossing to the S1 was very rewarding, I would then recommend the S65 and the the H1-1 back to Skukuza also on this tar road we had luck and saw also a lot of magnets at the sighting boards which helped us guessing where to find them.

Last year we saw a small pack on the H12 which then rested in the beginning of the S30 - This pack has been seen there quite often.

And finally the Sweni drive (S26) near Satara was also great last year where we followed them quite a while (I guess this was the Orpen pack)

We always visited the park in February so in the deepest later summer.

Wish you luck in finding them, Terri-Lee

We spotted most of them shortly after gate opening time and one pack also very late shortly before gate closing time.

During out last visit in KNP from the 14th - 19th of July 2011 there were a lot of Wild Dog sightings near Satara.
Unfortunately we didn’t have the chance to see them.....
A lot were seen on the road from Satara to Olifants and to the South of Satara.

The pictures are of the Sightings board in Satara of the 18th of July 2011
(Yellow are the Wild Dogs but I don't have to mention it )

17th of July 2011


18th of July 2011



There is an other topic about wild dogs.....maybe handy to check this out:

http://www.sanparks.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=54779

They've been a little scarce in the Croc Bridge area recently. I've only seen them twice in the last few months and fellow guides say they haven't been commonly seen in the area for many months. There have been lots of sightings recently in the Skukuza area and between Skukuza and Malelane.

They cover ground like crazy and it's impossible to predict where they might show up next!

Thank you thank you thank you everyone!!!!

Your advice has been enormously helpful. It was SOOOO difficult to choose camps because I want to stay everywhere! Each place has its own special character!
Anyway, have FINALLY booked as follows (taking into consderation several factors... including time and budget contraints )
1 x night in phalaborwa to be in phalaborwa gate as gates open
3 x nights Shingwedzi REALLLY looking forward to going north after a few years absense
2 x Satara (camping on my own - should be fun!??!)
1 x balule (my first visit to this camp. exciting and but scared actually - bit o a iwmp in the dark!)
2 x skukuza (in the hopes of finding some painted dogs.... )
5 x lower sabie (LS is not my faaaaavourite camp but EH1 huts so econmical and also really good game viewing in so many diff direstions inclu towards CB and S28, closish to S25, H10 etc...)
1 x Biyamiti (booked and will see if finances allow) maybe 1 x pretoriuskop night
I really cant wait and will be watching forums closely closer to the time to see where dogs are TENDING to hang out ... and make any last minute desperate changes to bookings if possible!!!)

This is prob not the right place to be asking this...but can anyone tell me if it is at all possible to change a booking once you are already in the park - of course assuming that the accom that you are trying to swop TO is available. Are there any costs involved? (i imagine that if you downgrade to cheaper accom, you will not get the refund)

Thanks ever so much again for all the advice!!!!!
Terri

Hi Terri-Lee,

My moto when going to KNP is not to look for Wild Dog or Leopard they will look for you.

Seen Leopard and Wild Dogs on our last 5 trips, in the Skukuza, LS, Pretoriuskop, Afsaal and Malelane areas.

Hope luck is on your side this time around.

HI Terry-Lee

You can definately change accomodation while in the Park. They can do it for you at any of the reception areas.

Good luck.

Oh, why wasn't I smart enough to ask this question before going? I spent 12 days inside the park "hunting" them, and came up with nothing! Now I realize if I would have asked, I might have seen!

Not sure, but I think I might have heard them once??? Early morning on the S3, not far from Olifants, I was parked in one of the pull offs watching hippo at the river when I heard strange whistling yelping sounds from very close up the road. I rushed up the road....nothing. Even sat for 10 minutes waiting...nothing