Great Dog Sighting at Mala Mala
 

How's this for NatGeo moment.

1. Pack of 17 dogs.
2. Hunt a Nyala, which backs into a thorn bush and manages to keep them at bay.
3. Meanwhile Leopard stalks the Nyala, unseen by dogs.
4. Dogs notice Leopard and chase up a tree.
5. Moments later Leopards's sub-adult male cub comes along and also is chased up a tree.

To top this off, this pack was witnessed making several kills over a three day period, and finally decided to chase Rhino around for fun.

I would run out of film shooting that (or bytes since I now shoot digital)! Are any of the photos in Mala Mala's online diary? Sounds like a great sequence.

Michael

WOW!!! 17 dogs....A large pack, indeed!!!

Thanks for posting. Will chk their online sightings web page.

Hari

Amazing action. These are some tough canines if chasing a rhino is their idea of fun.

Is their breeding season similar to dogs in Botswana?

Is this a pack that is just passing through? I don't recall Mala Mala having a resident pack.

Lynn,

No...they pass through the SSGR from the Kruger. Too many predators (Lion, hyena, leopards) for them to be resident anywhere in the area...

Hari

If you take a look at the cyberdiary page for their current week you will notice from November 27, there are fewer sightings of lion on their page: This May possibly explain the phenomenal wild dog and cheetah sightings during the week on their property.

Napamatt, the report says the rangers struggled to keep up with the wild dogs on their hunt. Have you been at MM during a wild dog hunt? If so, would you think their ability to follow them is just like in Botswana? I would think, anywhere in the SSGR they dont get the opportunity to follow them as often and so, it MAY be a bit harder to keep up(Schumacher skills)......

Hari

Not sure how the wild dog "terrain" compares between Botswana and MM, but, MM can be rather bushy and rugged.
regards - tom

Hari

Yes we have been on the hunt with dogs in MM, and yes it can be very difficult to keep up with them, but probably no more than in mopane. On the one occasion we saw a kill, or rather heard it, we saw them loping up the road in front of us, when suddenly a Bushbuck hurtled past us from some nearby cover, they sprang forward and grabbed it behind some bushes, we heard a squeal, got there a moment or so later, the Bushbuck was dead and being devoured pretty rapidly.

MM does have plenty of open areas where seeing a hunt, chase and kill would be in the open, but nothing quite as open as the areas bordering the Kwando or Linyanti.

Ok, sounds good....

Well, I've probably been lurking on this forum long enough and decided it was time to actually register and contribute!

Like many (all!) of you, I'm an Africa fanatic and have spent a lot of time in East and Southern Africa. Mala Mala is my favourite destination and I'm usually lucky enough to visit 3 times each year.

I have just returned from the latest trip (1 week in Kruger and 12 nights at MM)and was lucky enough to be there for the wild dog action. Yes, it was certainly a challenge for the rangers to keep up with hunting dogs through fairly dense bush, but great fun for all concerned. I have seen wild dog on 4 previous visits to MM, but this was by far the most protracted sighting as they hung around for a few days. Yes, it is true that there had been very little lion activity over that period, so perhaps that was a factor in their decision to linger. The dogs had also treed a leopard the previous day and it made for a difficult decision as to whether to reach for the video camera or stills!

Thank you everyone for all of the entertaining posts - it is always interesting reading about other people's experiences of places that you have visited and hearing their views on ones that you may be considering. Keep them coming!

Carol

Carol,
Where/what do you go/do in Kruger?
regards - tom

Carol,

You see all those cheetah also?

Hari

Hari/Tom,

Had some great cheetah viewing over the 12 days, but did not see the 2 brothers that were up around Clarendon Dam - wrong place, wrong time! We were down in the south at the time and then watching the 2 male leopards having a stand-off.

This was the first time that I have actually spent any time in KNP itself, having always been to the private reserves around it. We stayed at ordinary rest camps, namely Olifants and Satara and had a very good time. Whilst I would not want it as the only game viewing on a trip, it made a great combination with MM and was a really good way to relax. Obviously totally different experience and nice to be able to do your own thing. All of big 5 and good close leopard/lion sightings. I will certainly repeat it, again in conjunction with MM for the reliability.

Carol

Matt,

I am really hoping those wild dog reappear for this upcoming trip, 3 nights at Lion Sands, then 21 nights at MalaMala. May 2003 was the last time I saw dog at MM, and we had some amazing sightings, including a hunt by wild dog on impala. It was impossible to stay with them as they are so agile and quick in changing directions, to go after prey.

The sightings at MalaMala have been fantastic, so hopefully shall continue this month and into January. There are so many of the cats that I need to see again! Whatever I miss this time, I am back again in March, so hopefully will catch it then!


Kind regards,

Kaye

Hi Kaye,

Have a good trip with plenty of good sightings...

Hari

Kaye

A report appeared on the website and then disappeared, featuring the Eyrefield pride taking down a young Buffalo, and then the Newington Male taking a male warthog, who he couldn't strangle, instead a very gruesome twenty minutes went by, with photos showing the Leopard absolutely covered in blood. I'm sure you'll see some great things as always. Have a great trip.

Carol

Three times a year! Which rangers have you had recently and would you like to comment on their performance, we will be getting a new ranger in January now that Leon has left. Birding is particularly important to us.

Matt,

I would think it will be hard to beat Leon when it comes to birding! If I'm honest, I'm much more of a cat enthusiast myself and would never consider myself a bird expert by any means. For my last 4 trips I have had Graham, but he is only there very part time (he has a lot of other projects) and had come back specifically for me on the last occasion. I know that he won't be there in January, otherwise, I would definitely recommend.
Alan had just come back as head ranger before I left, so might be worth requesting, although I'm not sure how long he is staying. Might be worth asking Nils for a recommendation for a birding enthusiast?

Carol

Carol

Which Alan is that? Not Alan Boulle?
Tom Bloy is planning to drive us on our big birding day, if his work load allows.

Matt,

Yes. To my understanding he was taking over from Sheldon as head ranger for a shortish period. Whoever, I'm sure you'll have a great time!

Carol

The great time is a given.

You are so right! When in January are you going?

Sightings diary update posted today looks good - wild dogs still around and lots else!

Carol

21st for 5 at Main Camp then 3 at Rattrays

Matt,

Sounds good. Will be thinking about you - I'll be in Kenya at that time, so you'll be seeing significantly more leopards unless something very strange happens!

Carol,
Last Sept 2006 we also stayed in KNP, Satara and Mopani, before driving over to MalaMala. We enjoyed KNP and plan to start our safari in Sept 2007 again with Kruger then on to Mala. (Fly into JNB, drive to KNP). I'm looking for the "best" Kruger rest camps and thing to do/see there. Our best KNP activity was a night drive where we saw a mama lion and her two very young cubs. Any other suggestions?
regards - tom

Tom,

It's hard to judge on only the one visit there, but travelling with a South African of huge experience I would probably say that the North of the park seems to be great for scenery, solitude etc and the far South perhaps a bit better from a sightings point of view - obviously this a generalisation. Olifants was lovely but was noticeably drier around that area than around Satara and they're not even that far apart! Next visit, I think I'll probably aim to spend a few nights in the far north and a few in the far south, just for contrast...and ease of access to MM. How was Mopani and when in September will you be at MM? I'm there myself end of August into September.

Regards,

Carol

Carol,
Mopani was good. It is one of the newer camps so everything is very fresh. We had it basically to ourselves. When I asked about lack of guests they said the camp is at capacity on weekends and school holidays but almost empty other times. But I also know that Satara was full on that Wed and Thr. That's why I went to Mopani.
We plan to spend 5 nights in Kruger (don't know where) then on to Kings Camp for 5 nights then I go (by myself) to Mala for 6 nights on Sep 14-19. So will be there a couple weeks after you.
I'm going to try and fly directly from USA to JNB (avoiding Europe). Have you an experience doing this, e.g, JFK to JNB or perhaps IAD to JNB? (I'm starting though from LAX).
regards - tom

Tom,
Sorry - can't help you there. As I'm from the UK, I don't have that problem. I have to say, I'm not sure that I would visit so many times each year if I had your journey to get there! Mopani sounds interesting. Perhaps I'll try it in my October/November trip. Yes, we'll miss each other at MM in September as I leave there on the 8th, current plan is for Hluhluwe Umfolozi for a few nights...just for a change. Any experience of there and have you been to King's Camp before?

Regards,
Carol

Carol,
In the "Kruger Area" I have been only to Kruger and Mala. I have not been to Hluhluwe Umfolozi nor King's Camp. My travel agent was just at KC last Sep 2006, he, wife and another couple. They all liked it very much although still not quite up to the Sabi Sand camps. However, Kings Camp has a deal of 5 nights for $1,500 person. (As compared to about say $3,000 at Mala et al). My sister wants to safari next year (her first safari) and she wants sort of a short budget trip. So, we are going to Kruger for perhaps 5 nights, then to Kings Camp for 5. That should cost around $4,000 airfare included. (But I'm not going all that way just for that so I'm over to Mala after Kings Camp).
Yeah, you're lucky to go to Africa from UK, half the flight time and no real jet lag to recover from.
regards - tom

tana1

I have been to Umfolozi/Hluluwe for a 4 day walking trail. Its a very small park relative to the ones in Botswana or Kruger, but an excellent location for White Rhino.

Amolkarnik,

Thanks for that. As it will be in conjunction with Mala Mala I'm happy with whatever is there. It's just nice to see different areas. I believe that some of the park's rhinos were used to stock other areas, so that's always a good sign!

Carol

The park rangers at Umfolozi-Hluluwe are very proud of their Rhino conservation efforts. The White Rhino densities are simply stagerring - we must have seen atleast 30 individuals in 4 days, some of them far too closely to be comfortable.

Predator numbers are apparently quite low though.