I just read the latest Duma Tau newsletter. It states that Kane (a guide at Savuti)tracked down the wild dog den and there are six new pups.

It also confirms recent Fodorite trip reports that stated that two Savuti pride lionesses were killed by nomadic males.

The Savuti pride have also killed a local favourite female leopard.

Julian...possibly some sad news for you - one of two leopard cubs was killed by a Selinda lioness (who has moved in to the area with cubs). I'm not sure if this is one of the leopard cubs that you spotted at Savuti.

Hi Gaurang,

I've read about this as well -- it's great news that they found the den(particularly for Kane, who was my guide at Savuti and tried in vain to find it for me).

I was glad to hear that Isis and her sister have joined up again - I was wondering how long her sister could feed all four sub-adults on her own. Now that they are together they should be able to feed all the youngsters.

I do have a bad feeling about the leopard cub -- we did see the cubs down in the DT core area so it's likely that it may have been one of the ones I saw.

Cheers,
Julian

Gaurang,

By the time of your visit, the pups will be mobile and running....i think between Duma Tau and Lebala you have a probable chance to see them. You also hv a chance, if they are at the Selinda border with Lebala. However, lots of recent sightings around Zibalianja.

Ofcourse, will look forward to your pictures....

Hari

Gaurang,

That news about the den is a few weeks old. By now the pack will have changed dens, possibly as long as two weeks ago. No doubt Kane or his colleagues at Duma Tau will have located the second den, too, unless the pack moved some distance inside Selinda territory.

Going on previous years, the pups will be running with the pack very soon, if they're not doing so already.

John

Gaurang,

Just thought I should check my facts. I knew it was a little while ago, but checking my email files confirms that a friend forwarded the Duma Tau news to me on August 23.

John

John,

The Duma Tau news that Gaurang refers to is actually from July, posted on WS website on August 1.

Hari

From the recent trip reports, it seems the den was found after some Fodorites had just left the area. Gamedrives to the den only began at the end of July - I wonder if any Fodorites were in the area during August? Very lucky if they were.

John and Hari, do you think that this pack of dogs and those subject to recent sightings at Zib, are the same pack?

Hari....I told you to tie up the dogs when you were there!!! But I'm sure we'll track them down

Gaureng,

Yes, the same pack. The den was on or very close to the boundary between the two concessions and the pack has been hunting regularly in the Zibalianja area, as it usually does. But apparently because of lion activity, it chose to den deep in the mopane instead of close to Zib as it often does.

The den was located by Kane after Julian's stay at Savuti and he and his colleagues took care to leave it alone for a few weeks.

John

Thanks John. What is the current status regarding cross-concession gamedrives between Linyanti and Selinda?

Recent reports indicate Selinda and Kwando have a good relationship (within reason).

Gaurang,

Between Selinda and Kwando (Lebala), they do have a good relationship. Usually, when guides drive down to the border (which is a very very productive area) they may see trucks of the other camp and hv a chat with the guides to listen to what they have seen. If the sighting is not too far deep in the other concession, it is usually shared. On the other hand, if you are following certain animals and they cross borders you can follow them for a certain period, until the guide feels it is too far into the other concession to continue....

However, there is no radio contact between the Kwando vehicles and the Selinda ones.....however, guides between Lagoon and Lebala have radio contact.

During my recent trip, we shared two sightings with Selinda (both right on the border).....the cheetah on my first evening and the huge herd of buffalo (actually inside Selinda).

When we met one of the Selinda guides, he said they were seeing two very big male lions but they were located too close to their camp, so we didnt go take a look. The cheetah from day 2 of my trip got inside Kwando territory and none of their trucks got a chance to see it. However, i'm sure both sides have plenty of good sightings on their own for you to enjoy........

Hari

Thanks Hari, that sounds good.

Although I think Lynn (not sure - might be wrong), mentioned that there is a bit of friction between the Selinda camps and the Linyanti camps (I think Duma Tau was mentioned)?

The Linyanti and Selinda camps were not communicating as of mid August.

I think this is the pack that often hunts in Selinda. I hope the dogs do well.

Selinda and Kwando have been on good terms for years...sharing the goodies near the border is not uncommon. I explained the protocol in my Selinda-Kwando-Zibalianja trip report last year. The Selinda-Duma Tau cold war is just as long-standing, though there has been the odd occasion when guides have exchanged information about sightings. The Selinda people want to have the same relationship with the Duma Tau people that they have with Kwando, but unless things have changed in the last three weeks, the cold war continues.

Lynn...it is the same pack. Their home territory encompasses both Selinda and Duma Tau and Hari says they're also seen in Kwando territory. And as you were so fortunate to see, they love the waterhole in front of Zib camp. This was taken in 2002, before the hide was installed next to the waterhole: www.afrigalah.com/selimg/Wilddogdrinking806.jpg

Gaurang,

Missed this earlier. I shouldve tied up the two mystery dogs up at Lebala for your visit....oops!!! next time for sure.....

Jokes apart, the dogs are really mobile and if they are at the borders of concessions, there's a very high chance that they get into the other side atleast for a brief time frame........

Hari

Hello,

Although I didn't see the dogs in the Linyanti this year, I'm glad all the time we spent searching paid off in some way!

The Linyanti-Selinda border situation is an interesting one -- it seems that people on both sides want things to change but aren't sure how to go about it. The guides I spoke with at Savuti and Duma Tau were hopeful for a thaw following the departure of a senior person who had been involved in the current problems.

Cheers,
Julian

Julian,

The honey badger is a fierce defender of its own

John

Gaurang,

Did you take a look at the Duma Tau newsletter from Sept 1? One of the wild dogs hv been killed by lions. Pack now 14 adults and 6 pups. Clearly states that most of the hunting done in the Selinda concession.

Also, very interesting that the newsletter states two unknown new male lions in the area. One with a milky eye. Those two are so mobile, that it's really fascinating. They hang out a hell of a lot of time with the two lionesses (one with the APCRO collar). I missed these lions by minutes at Lagoon and saw them later at Lebala feeding on wildebeest. These lions hv been seen a lot in the Selinda concession also. Reading DT's newsletter, they go there as well........the big guy with the milky eye is really nasty.........

I will try to put up pics of these lions some time this week.

Hari

Thanks for the update Hari. I really enjoyed reading that report and Duma Tau always "tell it like it is", even though some of the news may be upsetting for guests. They even named the wild dog that was eaten by the lions!!!

The attitude of different camps to naming animals is interesting. Selinda/Zib gives names to certain animals which are regarded as permanent residents, and I guess Duma Tau does so too in at least some cases. Sometimes the names cross boundaries, sometimes not. I notice Duma Tau's newsletter does not give a name to the Zib female leopard, but she has a name in Selinda territory (she almost lives in their CMU camp), as does one very well known female cheetah. Then there are 'the boys' or 'the brothers', each of whom had names in Selinda territory. I believe Kwando people have an aversion to naming any animals...I was told they threw their hands up in horror at the suggestion, though the subject was not raised during my visit there. Hari, do you know if that's so?

John

Hi John,

Yep, true....Kwando doesnt like naming their animals. That's why you just find generalizations in their sightings reports.

They however name their lion prides, once they are a real force in the area, like, "Lagoon Pride". The Kwando guides like to call "Lagoon pack" or "Selinda pack" as most visitors coming into the area use that common terminology. However, they do not name induvidual lions or dogs.....

Hari