Tail Wagging in the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve.

We followed Thadaigh Baggallay closely as we squelched our way through the coarse wet sand of the Umfolozi River, making our way towards the wild dog den that he had been monitoring for weeks. We gave the buffalo bull in the reeds a wide berth and kept a sharp eye out for the pride of lion that had been spotted in the area the day before. Intent on sticking together our breath caught in our throats as a warning bark rang out from the river bank a short distance ahead.  

It was deeply moving to be barked at by a wild dog, one of Africa’s most threatened carnivores, and we stopped in our tracks, enjoying the moment. Thadaigh, meanwhile, decided against getting any closer as it became obvious that the pups were not going to emerge and play in the early morning sun as they were wont to do. Besides, the den was just a little too far away for us to take any photographs, in spite of our long lenses, so we turned back and let them be.

Our feeling of disappointment soon evaporated however when, at the edge of a large pool of water in the middle of the riverbed, we saw that the sand had been churned up and a trail of blood and bits of fur attested to an impala kill by the wild dogs the night before. They were obviously a successful pack, one of several in the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve and the very reason why Thadaigh and his colleague, Zama Zwane, are employed by the KZN Wild Dog Project.

The project is the brainchild of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and The Smithsonian Institute in the USA. It involves an extensive community awareness campaign with Hluhluwe Imfolozi’s immediate neighbours, with a view to expanding the dogs’ home ranges into these areas. (Their ranges are vast and can sometimes extend from up to 400 to 900 square kilometres). By informing people about wild dog behaviour, their distribution and their impact the project hopes to turn around the perception that they are a ‘problem animal’. Thadaigh and Zama are presently tackling the process of developing relationships with the surrounding game ranchers, landowners and local communities in an effort to bring about an acceptance of the dogs and so create a safe environment for them.

The issue of resolving potential conflict situations is an important one and with this in mind Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has responded quickly to situations as and when they have occurred. Most concerns have been about losing stock to the wild dogs and being compensated for any such losses. (Fortunately to date there have not been many incidences). Zama hails from the local community, his acceptance by them smoothing the way considerably, and he says that people have gradually got used to the idea of seeing wild dogs amongst their kraals.    

Thadaigh and Zama are both passionate about wildlife and are especially enthusiastic about the concept of community conservation, where communities that surround declared conservation areas are encouraged to identify with and  align themselves to the ideals of the park. Exciting times lie ahead as this new face of conservation takes hold, producing larger sanctuaries for wildlife as well as giving local populations a chance for advancement. The shift from suspicion to involvement has been particularly successful in the vicinity of Hluhluwe Imfolozi, thanks to Thadaigh and Zama’s tireless commitment. Managing a predator population in a non-game reserve area calls for considerable ingenuity, but if the glint in their eyes is anything to go by then they appear to be more than up to the challenge. 

The KZN Wild Dog Project would not have been possible without the generous support of The Green Trust and Land Rover South Africa.