|
Wild
Dog Pups
Seeing wild
dog pups in any shape or form is always a blessing, because the
African Wild Dog, also known as Cape Hunting Dog or Painted Dog, is the
most
threatened of mammals in southern Africa.
|
Wild Dog Tending
To Pups - John Milbank ©
|
After a gestation period
of 72 days, the dominant female of a pack
gives birth to a litter of
6-14 pups – usually late March to
June. She does this hidden in a den, usually a disused aardvark burrow.
The mother stays with the pups and they suckle until
about 3 weeks of age when the whole pack starts sharing the
responsibility
of caring for and feeding them. At this age they are still mostly of
black and white colour. At about 4 weeks of age, yellow markings starts
to appear and they look more like the adults.
Wild dog pups may be moved to different dens during the season as the species is nomadic in nature.
The
Young Eat First
Wild
dogs hunt in packs, a necessity to this smallish carnivore which would
otherwise lose its prey to larger predators. They use teamwork to
bring down prey as large as wildebeest and zebra.
The younger dogs are allowed to feed first, while the adults will guard
the kill against any potential scavengers. The pups of up to two and a
half months of age, too young to join the hunt, and their mother and/or
other guardian/s will receive their food back at the den, in the
form
of regurgitated meat.
Where
To Spot and Photograph Wild Dog Pups
Due to their low numbers, wild
dogs are not often spotted. They do however occur
in various game reserves in east and southern Africa. Some of the areas
you may get lucky are:
- Botswana:
Moremi/Okavango Delta area, specifically Selinda, Chitabe, Kwara,
Linyati
- South
Africa: Madikwe, Kruger National Park, Sabi Sands, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi
Park
- Tanzania:
Serengeti National Park, Selous National Park, Mkomazi Game Reserve
- Zimbabwe:
Hwange National Park
They
are most active
in the early morning and late afternoon, also the best
light for photography. Should you spot a pack, look for the younger
dogs among them; or if you or the game rangers know of a den you can
try for photos of the very young pups.
Related
Content:
Links: (opens
in a new window)
For more information on conservation and how
to protect wild
dog pups visit Save The African Wild Dog.
From this website:
More (adult) wild dog pictures and
information.
Other baby animal pictures - lion cubs,
baby leopard, baby elephant ...
Back
to the top
or
homepage
© African Safari Pictures. All rights reserved.
|
