Freezing start.
I was up early dressed in many many layers of clothing and sitting deep in my sleeping bag as I drove out to Nhoro pan where we were going to be inoculating a pack of hyaenas. And by golly was it cold. I know there wasn’t any ice on the road, or snow on the trees but the windchill was well well below. AND you have to understand, us Africans just can’t handle the cold.
Well the hyaenas did pay us a visit but weren’t interested in hanging around for some idle chatter while we darted them. So we had no joy there.
The news on the Mupanigawa pack continues to be sad. Cracker-Jack was full of the rabies virus this afternoon and I had to put him down. That now leaves the pack with only 7, and 2 more dogs are possibly showing signs. It’s all just too sad.
And very sad for my daughter Lindy, 11. She and Penny, 9, always take much delight in naming new pack members or hyaena cubs and lion cubs. And now Cracker-Jack was Lindy’s last dog.
Penny too only has one pup left, Brownie, who for now is looking fine.
So the dogs headed off hunting with yet another member missing. This no doubt puts more pressure on their hunting success.
Hi Kim,
I hope the remaining members of the pack will survive the rabies virus, but if the worst case scenario happens: Are there surrounding packs of wild dogs which will infiltrate in the area? And if not, how do you maintain the genetic diversity? By introducing wild dogs from other areas?
kind regards,
Douwe
PS: I hope there are any mistakes in this message. Due to a fractured shoulder bone it takes half an hour to make this message. Instead of one minute. I tried a sport that i have never done before: indoor skiing.
It is all too sad just watching the pack going down without being able to do anything against this virus.
My prayers are with you and the dogs.
Douwe: So I presume the indoor skiing has walls that was the surprise for you? Couldn’t stop in time? Hope you get to mend in a hurry!!! There were 3 wild dog packs on Malilangwe. Mupanigawa pack, Hunyugwe pack (presume all have died from rabies) and a big pack in the south that come and go from Gona-Re-Zhou Game Reserve. So there are other dogs around. I just hope they don’t get taken out by rabies. But there are other areas in the vicinity that dogs could come from.
Hi Kim,
Thanks for your answer. Indeed, the building was not big enough for my skiing skills. And concrete is much tougher then I am, this was a very important scientific discovery. Maybe I should try kite surfing. Not indoors.
I hope the number of wild dogs will be recovered soon. If the dogs are weakened by the virus, is there a chance that other predators will kill them? In wildlife films (in general) you do not see much interaction between wild dogs and other predators.
kind regards,
Douwe
Really the only predator that kills wild dogs is iions. And less likely are leopards but the pack usually sees off a leopard. Luckily there is very little lion activity where the dogs are hunting at the moment.
The dogs here often interact with hyaenas but that’s just about always over a kill. And on several occasions I’ve seen then chase a male leopard and treed him.
Are there any cases of wild dogs killing lions or leopards?