Mkhuze Wild Dog Mortality

12 Aug 2010 |

At the beginning of July, a male Wild Dog was found dead from unknown causes on Mkhuze Game Reserve. At the first morning’s sighting, Mkhuze wildlife monitor Marumo Nene found one of the dogs was missing from the pack. Unable to find a signal from the missing dog’s collar, Marumo returned to the dogs’ overnight resting spot, and after searching the area along with the Ezemvelo field staff, found the remains of the Wild Dog, which had been partially fed on by Hyenas. In the wild, all the top predators compete for food, which often results in interspecific fighting, and sometimes death. In this case, however, the cause of death is not known. With an estimated 400 Wild Dogs left in South Africa, every death is a tragedy, which serves to highlight once more the vital importance of monitoring these animals.