Tag Archives: Painted Wolf

Manyeleti Magic 2024: Hunting with Painted Wolves

One of the absolute highlights (yes, another one!) of our 2024 Manyeleti Magic photographic safari and workshop was the time we got to spend with three hunting African Wild Dogs – or, to translate their Latin scientific name, Painted Wolves – and a bunch of opportunistic Spotted Hyenas who had much trouble keeping up. We followed along for many, many kilometers and were astounded not only by the dogs’ fascinating behaviour but also by how well our guide Beckson knew the Manyeleti’s roads and tracks and how expertly he anticipated the dogs’ movements, time and again putting us (Hannes Rossouw and myself) and our guests in perfect position to photograph the frenetic action!

African Wild Dogs in playful mood before starting their hunt

African Wild Dog, or Painted Wolf

Painted Wolves on the hunt

Spotted Hyena looking a little winded from trying to keep up with the dogs

Spotted Hyena

We’re already taking bookings for our 2025 Manyeleti Magic Photographic Safari and Workshop, to be conducted out of Buffelshoek Camp again in June of next year in conjunction with Hannes Rossouw Photography. Contact us if you’d like to join this one, or if you and a group of family and friends are keen to do something similar on other dates we’d be very glad to accommodate you!

Caught between Painted Wolves and Cheetahs

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Shortly after leaving Ndzhaka Camp on our first guided morning drive in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve earlier this month, we found a pack of Painted Wolves, better known as African Wild Dogs, in the road. There was great excitement among the younger Dogs in the pack as the adults had just returned to them with meat from a fresh kill, and all of them were in a very playful mood. We got some wonderful photographs and video of the Dogs playing around the vehicles at the sighting.

Wild Dog in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve

Playful Wild Dog pups in Manyeleti Nature Reserve

Wild Dog in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve

After a while we noticed two Cheetahs walking along the road in our direction, very aware of the Wild Dogs but apparently not fazed enough by them to immediately head for cover.

Two cheetahs walking along the road in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve

It didn’t take long for the Wild Dogs to also notice the Cheetahs though, and they immediately set off in their direction.

Wild Dogs running along the road in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve

Now this is the point where I can kick myself! I thought I was videoing the whole sequence, but in the excitement I never pressed the recording button… Next time I will do better, I promise… As the Wild Dogs trotted ever closer one of the Cheetahs broke cover and charged at them, seemingly thinking that offense is the best defense. The Cheetah was however immediately surrounded by the adult Wild Dogs, hit with its front paws on the ground, hissing and spitting, and then ran through a gap in the Dogs and up a dead tree, where we pick up the action with a photograph or two.

Cheetah after being chased up a tree by Wild Dogs in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve

Cheetah jumping out of the tree

With the Dogs satisfied that they’ve given the Cheetahs a run for their money and setting of on another hunt, we followed the now reunited Cheetahs for a while until they moved into dense cover where we lost sight of them. By then, the Wild Dogs had also ventured further into the bush and out of sight.

Cheetahs in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve

Cheetah in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve

African Wild Dogs can cover enormous distances, and we found the pack again that afternoon, this time on a drive from Buffelshoek Camp. In the heat of the afternoon they were a lot less energetic and more content lazing in the shade at the side of the road than hunting.

African Wild Dog in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve

African Wild Dogs in the Manyeleti Nature Reserve

Don’t miss the opportunity to visit Manyeleti along with DeWetsWild and Hannes Rossouw Photography!

Satara Summer 2021 – African Wild Dogs

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We were still very fresh into our latest visit to the Satara area of the Kruger National Park when, on the 14th December, we came across a pack of seven African Wild Dogs, or Painted Wolves, near the Nsemani Dam on the H7 road leading to Orpen. To find such rare animals so early into our Kruger visit really was a good omen of things to come, and we were very excited even with the dogs resting so sedately in the heat of the late afternoon.

Painted Wolves, or African Wild Dogs, on the road between Orpen and Satara

In the early morning of the 30th December we had just finished breakfast at the Muzandzeni Picnic Spot when the attendant alerted us to a pack of Wild Dogs rapidly approaching. We were just in time to see 10 of them run past the picnic spot and into the marshy area covered by long grass next to it. They paused a while on a little rise and then continued running, clearly seriously on the hunt. We decided to try and find them again on one of the roads leading from Muzandzeni.

Wild Dogs passing Muzandzeni (photo by Joubert)

Wild Dogs passing Muzandzeni

As we left Muzandzeni we found three Spotted Hyenas following behind the Wild Dogs, no doubt hoping to score an easy meal.

One of the Spotted Hyenas on the trail of the Wild Dogs

First we tried turning south on the S36, but quickly realised that it leads away from the direction we last saw the dogs heading into, so we turned around. The S126 Sweni River Road might be the better option. Just as we started thinking following the S126 might be a lost cause too, we saw a hyena loping along. And then, just around the next corner, two dogs in the road – we found them again! Pretty soon all ten dogs were running in the road ahead of us, with the hyenas following some distance behind and just visible in the rear view mirrors every now and then. We followed the dogs for almost 10 kilometers, over the course of an hour-and-a-half, while they hunted. Every now and then they’d pause, take a scent trail leading into the long grass to disappear from view, only to return to the road a minute or two later. The dogs, with us in tow, decided against taking on a big warthog boar and then actually passed an impala ram standing in the long grass, not any the wiser how close he was to death. Just short of the Welverdiend waterhole however the dogs must have picked up a very promising lead as they left the road a final time, ears pulled back and bodies kept low to the ground. We waited around for several minutes, then searched up and down the road for a few kilometers either side of where we last saw them, but they didn’t re-appear. This probably means that they were successful at their kill.

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021 (photo by Joubert)

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021 (photo by Joubert)

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021 (photo by Joubert)

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021 (photo by Joubert)

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021 (photo by Joubert)

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021 (photo by Joubert)

Wild Dogs hunting along the S126, 30 December 2021

Our plan for the morning of 31st December was a slow drive to a picnic breakfast at N’wanetsi. Our meal plans were slightly delayed however when we found another pack of Wild Dogs – nine animals – not 200m from the picnic spot! The dogs had a fresh kill and most were still feeding deep in a bush and not very clear to the eye. We stayed a few minutes and then moved to the picnic spot for a much needed comfort break and a quick bite to eat. When we returned to the dogs the whole pack had moved into the open and treated us to wonderful views.

Wild Dogs at N’wanetsi

Wild Dogs at N’wanetsi (photo by Joubert)

Wild Dogs at N’wanetsi

The African Wild Dog is endangered, not only in South Africa but across the whole continent, where its range has been drastically diminished. South Africa is home to approximately 500 of these beautiful animals, about half of which live in Kruger National Park and adjacent reserves. For us to have seen three different packs during our 3 week visit to the Park was extremely lucky! The Endangered Wildlife Trust is again calling on citizen scientists to submit photos of Wild Dogs (and Cheetahs) taken during visits to the Kruger Park to their 7th Wild Dog Census, and Joubert and I will definitely be making our contributions.

Satara Summer 2021 – 14 December

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It’s the summer holidays in South Africa and we find ourselves back at Satara, in the Kruger National Park. We encountered these Painted Wolves, or African Wild Dogs, on the road heading into the Park from Orpen Gate today. These are all Joubert’s photographs.

Painted Wolves, or African Wild Dogs, on the road between Orpen and Satara