Tembe Wild Dog Release – Update #3

22 Jan 2011 |

Yesterday, our Wildlife ACT team on Tembe Reserve once again spent the day following the African Wild Dog pack. By early morning we were chasing the dogs as they ran parallel to the road, just keeping out of sight. They detoured south/west towards the boundary fence on a no-road section of the reserve. Unable to follow them directly, we got around to where they were heading as fast as we could, only to see that we had just missed a another successful kill! The pack must have chased the impala into the boundary fence as a hunting tactic, because the animal had been killed and eaten right next to the fence.

African Wild Dogs are cursorial hunters, meaning that they pursue their prey in a long, open chases and simply outlasting their prey. As is the case with our Tembe Pack, 3 to 4 months after being born, the Wild Dog pups begin to run with the pack as they hunt. At the age of 8-11 months they can even kill small prey! We’ll keep you all posted. Remember to click the “like” button on our Wildlife ACT facebook page to enter our volunteer competition.