African Wild Dog

African Wild Dog (Painted Wolf)

This active, gregarious species is a favorite of our guides and biologists. It is thrilling to find and follow the dogs, and fascinating to observe their pack behavior.

This is a highly endangered species, and because it ranges over wide areas it is also one of the most difficult species to plan to see.

The best viewing opportunities are during the denning season, when a pack stays near its den for several weeks while the puppies are young. Outside of denning season, the best strategy is to safari in areas that have strong resident packs throughout the year.

African Wild Dog Itineraries

Botswana: Best of the Delta

-Unbeatable value (under $10,000 per person for a 10-night peak season safari in Botswana)
-Three private concessions of the Okavango Delta
-Opportunities for some of the best leopard, wild dog and sable antelope sightings in all of Botswana
-Track wild dogs with your Bushman guides, whose ancestors have nomadically patrolled this land for 10,000 years
-Magic under canvas – all three authentic tented camps

Botswana: Ready For Action

-Dry season safari, with high chances to see large quantities of animals gathered around limited water sources
-Best timing for African wild dogs denning with puppies
-Plentiful groupings of buffalo in the Mababe Depression increase chances of seeing daytime lion hunting
-Authentic tented camp Okavango Origins, site of BBC and Disney Nature filming of wild dogs
-Sunken photo hide at Mababe provides wonderful viewing opportunities of elephant herds

South African Splendor: Cape Town and Sabi Sands Safari

-A diverse itinerary in regions and activities, but with the simple logistics of traveling to one country – great for first-time safarigoers
-The best of a Big Five safari experience in the Sabi Sand private reserve, adjacent to Kruger National Park
-Safari in the private reserve means fewer vehicles and camps, and no day trippers or public campsites like Kruger
-Delicious wine, stunning scenery and outstanding culinary delights in the charming Cape Winelands
-See Africa’s cosmopolitan side and breathtaking coastline in modern Cape Town

Into the Botswana Wild with Victoria Falls

-Visit one of the Natural Wonders of the World, Victoria Falls, during high water season
-Scenic cruise on the mighty Zambezi River
-Safari along the Chobe River where elephant flock in huge numbers during the beginning of dry season
-Two authentic tented camps in private concessions of Botswana’s Okavango Delta
-Full variety of activities that make southern Africa special (walking, mokoro, motorboat, fishing, off-road game drives, night drives)

Botswana Desert and Delta Safari

-Top wildlife viewing regions of Botswana at 40-50% discount off peak season
-Focused on private concessions where there are very few vehicles traversing extremely large areas
-Expert guide AND a tracker per vehicle to increase chances for wildlife sightings, especially predators
-Green season magic – well-fed and watered animals, lots of baby herbivores, dramatic lighting for photography
-Avoid the higher crowds and inaccessible prices of peak season

Botswana Elevated

-Exquisite luxury camps offering supreme service
-Combines the best two regions of Botswana for diverse wildlife viewing: the Okavango Delta and Selinda Reserve
-Private concession areas only, limited to a small number of guests traversing extremely large areas
-Off-road game driving with incredibly close viewing of predators
-Variety of activities including walking, night drives, boating, mokoro canoeing and off-roading

African Explorer Safari

-Unique pan-African itinerary combining two of the continent’s best wildlife viewing regions
-Authentic, intimate tented camps with legendary guiding by Diesel or Dicks in Botswana and Ping or Peter in Kenya
-At Okavango Origins camp, pay homage to the Bushman, who nomadically patrolled this area for 10,000 years
-Visit a natural wonder of the world, Victoria Falls, between your two safari countries
-Seasonally dependent possibility to view world famous Great Migration river crossings in the Mara

Zambia Walking and Waterways Safari

-A vintage safari experience staying in remote, intimate bushcamps, with excellent guiding and lots of adventure including river-based activities
-Explore on foot in the South Luangwa,the birthplace of walking safaris, where animals are habituated to humans on foot
-True night drives, staying out for long periods of time rather than just a quick sundown drive on the way back to camp for dinner.
-Exceptional guiding by local Zambian guides
-Wildlife ranges from the iconic safari species (lion, leopard, elephant, giraffe, hippo, zebra and more) to rarer species such as the African wild dog.

Classic Zimbabwe: Hwange and Mana Pools with Victoria Falls

-Adventurous itinerary that features the thrilling walking safaris and ‘big games approaches’ Zimbabwe is known for
-Excellent value year-round with an affordable safari experience at classic bush camps
-Zimbabwe is known for its incredibly high standard of guiding, with some of the most respected professional guides in Africa originating here
-Outstanding wildlife viewing in Hwange and Mana Pools, especially elephants, and 8 large carnivore species
-Visit the mighty and majestic Victoria Falls

Tanzania’s Wild Frontier

-Tanzania without the crowds – experience seclusion in the Southern parks
-World class chimpanzee trekking in the Mahale Mountains
-Diverse activities with night drives, walking safaris, boat trips, swimming in Lake Tanganyika, forest walks, village visits
-Utterly off the beaten track at boat-in only Greystoke Mahale
-A melting pot of unique animal and plant species not found elsewhere in East Africa

Ruaha National Park view of elephants crossing the river

Southern Tanzania’s Untamed Wonders

-Off the beaten path in southern Tanzania
-Intimate, authentic tented camps hearkening back to the original days of safari
-Outstanding predator viewing including possible lion, cheetah, leopard, wild dog, and hyena
-Hands-on conservation – help set/check camera traps and contribute to biodiversity audit data collection
-A nature lover’s paradise – sleep under the stars, fish and boat, walk and night drive

Best Places to See African Wild Dogs on Safari

Northern Botswana remains the best geographic area for finding and observing wild dogs in a wilderness setting. We keep tabs on numerous den locations throughout the Okavango Delta and Kwando/Selinda/Linyanti region, and can recommend the best camps from which to observe these dens. Outside of the July – September denning season, the November – December impala lambing season has proven to be outstanding for wild dog viewing. The young lambs make for easy and frequent prey for packs that have fast-growing puppies demanding food.

Other Areas of Note

Luangwa Valley and Greater Kafue, Zambia

The Zambia Carnivore Programme has been instrumental in protecting and growing predator populations throughout the country, and are conducting the longest-running wild dog conservation project from the Luangwa Valley. Zambia is among the remaining six countries in Africa to house viable wild dog populations with the largest numbers in the Kafue and South Luangwa National Parks.

Laikipia, Kenya

The Laikipia area of Kenya has become an excellent area for wild dogs, and many camps are able to use radio-telemetry to track research packs. Sadly, an outbreak of canine distemper disease passed by domestic dogs wiped out almost 90% of the pack in 2017, but the pack has been making a comeback. One female, the alpha female of one of the local packs, lived on by herself for a number of months before meeting a pair of roaming males and denning a few months later. There are several collared males and more that visit the area in search of mates and territory.

Mana Pools, Zimbabwe

Mana Pools in Zimbabwe can rival Northern Botswana for outstanding wild dog viewing and they are often viewed on walking safaris. In September, 2019 a pack of 10 African wild dogs was translocated from Hwange National Park to the eastern boundary of Mana Pools National Park where the pack will be farther from human populations and help to grow the numbers in Mana Pools, which Painted Dog Conservation estimates to have 24 packs and over 200 individuals.

Hwange, Zimbabwe

Hwange in Zimbabwe is known for having good sightings. As of 2019, Painted Dog Conservation estimates that there are 32 packs within Hwange National Park.

Madikwe Reserve, South Africa

The Madikwe Game Reserve was founded in 1991 where, over a seven-year period, Operation Phoenix reintroduced more than 8,000 animals (28 species) into the reserve including the African wild dog. It remains the largest and most successful reintroduction program to date. Since their reintroduction, the fenced reserve in South Africa has become a haven and known for it’s wild dog sightings.

Kakesio, Tanzania

The Kakesio area south of the Serengeti can have amazing wild dog action hunting on the open plains during the wildebeest calving season (January through March), but that pack can be challenging to find. By taking a picnic lunch, this can be included as a full day outing from the camps closer to Ndutu for those looking to enjoy the Great Migration calving season as part of their safari experience.

Ruaha, Tanzania

Ruaha National Park is a vital stronghold for keystone species in Tanzania. The park is very large and difficult to explore fully due to the topography and distance, however it holds the third largest population of African wild dogs according to the Ruaha Carnivore Project.

Selous, Tanzania & Niassa Reserve, Mozambique

The Selous region of Tanzania and the Niassa Reserve of Mozambique have some of the largest populations but the areas are large as well, with limited tourism access making sightings unreliable.