Wildcast

The warm weather had all the wild dog pups out early this morning. The alpha and BB pups were out playing at dawn, all already looking well fed.

Things were calm at the den when suddenly the Alpha male and female came sprinting in with faces covered in fresh blood and the meat spilled from their mouths as they fed the ‘hungry’ pups. More like the greedy pups. If the others are eating then they must eat, even if they’re full to falling over.

This was a sign that played out badly for BB. Last night when the adults went hunting, BB split off from following the Alpha male and female. And in doing so the other adults followed her. This is not the way it’s supposed to be in the wild dog world. All must follow the Alpha pair.

And then this morning we find the other adults well fed and the Alpha pair coming in later having made their own kill obviously.

Well this afternoon BB was quietly suckling her little ones. Then one by one the alpha pups barged in and claimed a teat. Suddenly from nowhere the Alpha female was on the scene biting BB as she suckled ‘peacefully’. With BB screaming in submission and trying to get up the Alpha female continued to bite her on the back and the alpha pups too joined in. Although this didn’t last long it gave BB a strong message and she wondered off away from the commotion.

At dusk only some of the adults went hunting and BB was again upfront with another male. This time the Alpha female took her pups back to the den and didn’t participate in the hunt.

This continuous harsh treatment of BB appears to be the Alpha female cementing her status as the Alpha queen and no insubordination will be tolerated.

Leaving the dogs at mid-morning to chill out in the heat of the day, we travelled down onto the Chiredzi River. With this early hot flush, the Albizia’s are already flowering.

The Acacia tortilis (Umbrella Thorn) trees are also heavy in seed. This is always a big attraction to the antelope, baboons, giraffe and elephant. Most of the antelope rely on baboons to drop seed or elephant to push over trees as the tree canopies are out of their reach. As usual the Tortilis woodlands on the Chiredzi were full of animals, impala, zebra, giraffe, kudu and waterbuck.

We arrived at Chekwa pan after midday and the elephant had already left as some zebra made their way in to the pan. They’re always watchful scanning the surroundings for danger before settling in to drink.

Chekwa is always a great waterhole to chill out at in the heat of the day resting under a Mopanie tree listening to the woodlands alive with the call of doves.