African Wild Dog

[Bush Baptist]

I regularly see the Orpen pack, usually at the turn off to the ranger's house about 7 km from camp on the H7.

[onewithnature]

Friedrich, Afriphile, BB - thank you for the excellent information. I will certainly add a few of those spots to my list.

I've never been a fan of social-media sightings, but I feel that that is often the best way to find wild dogs. Many times the sightings are too far away, but if the dogs are sedentary, then it is often worth the effort to head that way. Dogs on the move can head in any direction and we've missed 'definite' sightings on several occasions because of this, sometimes arriving a minute or two after they've left.

We did have a lovely sighting from that S1 pack a year back - the dogs had been at the same spot the entire day and, as we arrived, the sun close to the horizon, the dogs chose that moment to up and begin their play sessions. I was impressed that day at how well the tourists behaved that day and thought if only all sightings could be like that.

The H7 pack I have only seen once - at the very spot BB sees them - but I have tried dozens of times driving that road up and down, and each time they have eluded us. It's sad that the Croc Bridge pack died recently - and that has been the pack I have probably seen the most - but the current vaccination drives from the conservation teams are very positive for the future of the dogs in Kruger.