Wild Dog Sighting in the Serengeti

Bryan, from our U.S. sales team, just returned from Tanzania with lots of great stories, gorgeous photos and some really impressive sightings under his belt.

At first, we thought he was just trying to make us jealous because two years ago, he spotted a different pack in Tarangire National Park.  These sightings are so rare and so special that we’ve been calling Bryan the Wild Dog Whisperer.

Of his latest trip, he said, “By day two of the safari the group had already seen wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, even a serval cat – but spotting a pack of 20 wild dogs was a total highlight. The dogs were relaxed, and even had pups with them . . . an amazing sight, and also encouraging to see a large group of such a rare species.”

Wild dogs are not domestic dogs that have simply “gone wild”; they are carnivores indigenous to Africa. As you can see by the photo above, wild dogs have large ears and a slender frame, weighing between 50-70lbs. Known for their efficiency in hunting, wild dogs travel in closely-bonded packs of anywhere between 2-60 members.

While wild dogs used to be found in nearly all areas in Africa, today they are close to extinction due to human encroachment and disease. They survive with depleted numbers in only a few African countries; in Tanzania they are more typically seen in the south, for example in Ruaha National Park.

Given the slim odds of seeing wild dogs in northern Tanzania, we wonder, is Bryan really that lucky or is he traveling with a daypack full of Scooby snacks?