The story of the Toulon pack

Back in 2016, shortly after the rainy season, our guides on the Kruger National Park side of the Sabie River started to see a particular pack of African wild dogs.

Lead by an alpha pair, the dogs spent more and more time on the reserve, and we quickly realised that the pack was looking for a suitable retreat as a den site for the fast-approaching arrival of their new family members. The prospect of having one of the most endangered carnivores in Africa establishing its den site so close to home awakened a stir of excitement among the team…

It didn’t take long for our hopeful suspicions to be confirmed, and the news spread as fast as an August runaway bush fire. Wild dog pups had been born right in our back yard!

What this meant to us was that - unless their den was discovered by lions, their biggest natural predator - we would be treated to unlimited wild dog viewing for the next 2-3 months!

Raising the litter was a success, and all the pups made it to about 11 weeks when the pack abandoned the den and continued with their typical nomadic lifestyle. For the next year they were seen occasionally when they were passing through.

This experience was a dream come true for guides and guests alike - a once in a lifetime occurrence, which was highly unlikely to ever be repeated. Or so we thought…

A year later, to everyone’s surprise, the Toulon pack returned to repeat the cycle of the previous year. In a similar fashion and timeline, before the reality could even sink in, the alpha female had yet again given birth to a new litter in exactly the same den site as the previous year!

In 2018 everyone waited in anticipation for our beloved pack’s return. They did not disappoint, and have repeated their pattern every year since. This is like the gift that keeps on giving.

For those who don’t know why it is such a big deal to see these animals, let alone having a den site with sole access, here is a bit of an explanation.

Wild dogs are South Africa’s most endangered large carnivores and have been declared extinct in 23 African countries. There are several causes that have contributed to the widespread decline in their populations.

They are highly susceptible to a number of canine diseases, especially to those that are spread by domestic dogs (such as rabies and distemper, which was first identified in Africa in the beginning of the century). Other causes of their decline are road killings, snaring and - as crazy as this might sound - indiscriminate killing by park wardens until as late as the mid 1960’s. At that time gamekeepers were more focused on protecting herbivores from carnivores.

Wild dogs have lost 93% of their historic range due to a rapidly expanding human population and the associated loss of habitat. The current population estimate across the entire continent of Africa is about 6500 individuals.

Some people visit the Kruger National Park for decades before they get to see a wild dog for the first time. Some never get this lucky.

Appreciating these facts, can you understand and hopefully share in our excitement?

The fact that the Toulon pack, currently about 27 members strong, has returned to our stretch along the Sabie River speaks volumes of the property’s game densities and the health of the ecosystem as a whole. As guides, we feel privileged to call this home and love nothing more than sharing it with our guests on safari. They always leave knowing that they were part of something really special.

The time for them to return again is fast approaching, and we hope to start seeing them towards the end of March. Fingers are crossed for another exciting couple of months as we watch the next generation come of age right in front of our eyes!

Watch this space for more updates to come…

Words by Ryno Vosloo
Images by Francois Fourie