Wild dogs make a rare appearance

A single African wild dog

African wild dogs have become an increasingly rare sight, and are almost never spotted in Lake Nakuru National Park. So Africa House guide and photographer Bob Demchuk was more than pleasantly surprised when he was able to take these recent shots at Nakuru – an area where you’re far more likely to see flamingos than wild dogs.

A wild dog being
watched by a buffalo

Also known as ‘Painted Wolves’, owing to their mottled yellow, black and white coats, African wild dogs have dwindled in number over recent years. It is thought that while there were once around half a million of these dogs throughout Africa, only around 5,000 animals remain, and these are confined to parts of eastern and southern Africa. Their survival has faced a number of threats, including loss and fragmentation of their habitat and human disturbance.

A wild dog surveying
Nakuru's varied bird life

African wild dogs are formidable hunters. They work in packs, pursuing their prey in long, open chases and achieving a kill rate of around 80%. They tend to attack medium to large mammals such as impalas, Thomson’s gazelles and wildebeest calves. Conservation groups such as the African Wild Dog Conservancy have worked to safeguard African wild dog populations against further decline in Africa. Bob’s sighting of these unique animals in such a rare hunting ground as Lake Nakuru is an encouraging sign.