African Wild Dog Pictures

In November 2007 a pack of 18 wild dogs (also known as Painted Dogs) was re-introduced into the Tuli area with the aim of establishing a viable pack of this endangered species in the Limpopo Valley region of Botswana.

The pack subsequently bred and prospered, making sightings of these elusive animals possible once more.

African Wild Dog Portrait

Click on any picture to enlarge African Wild Dog T-shirt

Specialized Pack System African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) have evolved a highly specialized pack system that allows them to hunt more efficiently. As a result they're usually sighted in a group - whether at rest, at play, or setting off on a hunt - rather than individually. This social system works for and against getting good photographs of wild dogs. Because they stay in packs and can travel quickly over great distances, when they move off they all go and disappear totally. But if they're in your area and there's enough prey to feed them, then there should be good photo opportunities. This is especially so if the alpha female has produced a litter of pups that are too young to travel with the pack, as the whole pack will then operate from a fixed base It's nevertheless a challenge to capture out-of-the-ordinary wild dog images. When at rest, the dogs literally flop down as if drugged so there's little movement. Confusing Mix of Colors Yet when they're up and about, they tend to dart around quickly, interacting with each other, mock fighting, playing, and generally presenting a confusing mix of colors and movement against the surrounding vegetation. Whenever I've been lucky enough to see wild dogs, they've appeared unphased by people in game drive vehicles and generally ignore us, so it's possible to get quite close to them. In most cases a medium telephoto zoom lens like a 70-200mm or 70-300mm will provide enough flexibility to allow both close-up and group photos of the wild dogs. Fast Shutter Speed The best time to get wild dog (painted dog) photographs is in the early morning and late afternoon, so you'll need a higher ISO (400 or above) to allow fast enough shutter speeds to freeze subject movement and minimize camera shake. Later in the day, when the dogs are resting, they'll usually be lying in deep shade, but there will be very little movement, so one can get away with slower shutter speeds. See also: Wild Dog Information, Wild Dog Society, and Wild Dogs - Efficient Hunters, for more on these amazing animals. Return to Wildlife Galleries

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