One of the highlights of my second trip to South Africa was this encounter with a pack of African Painted Dogs (AKA Wild Dogs). It was late afternoon and we were slowly working our way back to our lodge when our ranger received a radio alert about a pack of wild dogs on a kill close to a nearby lodge.  Since we were fairly close, we sped to the scene where we stopped near a steep riverbank and could observe the pack about a quarter mile away on a sand spit in the middle of a shallow river.  Not to be deterred our ranger quickly drove along the riverbank until he could descend and then began to make his way off road across the marshy ground toward the pack. 

You could feel the anxiety within our group as we lurched and slid along the mushy riverbank and a few intrepid adventurers even questioned aloud whether it was worth the risk.  I don't remember the exact response of our ranger but it was something like...."Don't worry, no problem.  I got this under control".  I do confess that I had flashes in my mind of being stranded in the African bush at night surrounded by large, hungry predators but the closer we got to the wild dogs the more such thoughts dissipated and then completely disappeared when we stopped about 50 feet from the still feeding pack. Cameras were quickly raised and the clicking of shutters sounded like machine gun fire on the Western Front which, lucky for us,  the dogs paid no mind. 

A pack of about 15 painted dogs had taken down a bushbuck and in typical fashion had made short work of the kill.  Wild dogs speedily devour their prey and have been known to start feeding before their prey is dead.  This is not due to any inherent cruelty but of necessity as larger predators will let them do all the work and then steal their kill.

Sometimes Mother Nature can appear cruel and indifferent but that is the circle of life maintaining the balance of nature.  African Wild Dogs are successful in downing their prey about 80% of their hunts whereas lions are only successful about 30% of the time.

After a few moments of hectic shutter clicking one of the bolder dogs grabbed the largest morsel still available and made a run for it passing a few feet in front of our vehicle and stopping about 20 odd feet away. 

The rest of the pack soon joined him and they again began to feast in the typically noisy fashion of the wild dogs best described as a high pitched yipping as they do not bark.  I seldom take videos as I normally don't think to do so until it is too late but this time I did take a short one of their feeding frenzy.  Towards the end of the video you can watch and hear them discipline one of the younger members of the pack for some infringement of pack etiquette.

Wild Dogs

 A fond memory from my second trip to South Africa made better by sharing it with fellow photographers.  I would be remiss to not thank our ranger/guide, Gregg Stevens, for his yeoman effort in placing us perfect position to have such a memory.  Kudus to Gregg.