Feet with teeth

 

Painted dogs are one of Africa's most efficient hunters. When they take chase after an antelope, they almost always catch it. This is the power of collaboration. 

🐶 🐶 🐶

Painted dogs also go by wild dogs or African Cape hunting dogs. They are not related to domestic dogs but have a common ancestor. 

The pack naps away the afternoon in the winter when all of Kruger becomes lion-colored. This forest was full of impala — dog food!

Each dog has a unique pattern of brindled brown, white and black. But almost all of them have black faces and a black line running down their head. 

Even while resting, the dogs are alert to every sound and smell. They have to be wary of other predators, particularly lions.

I was super lucky to catch up to this pack on three consecutive days. But once they trotted off into the scrub, I couldn't follow.

One of the dogs excitedly woke two others, presumably its parents, by licking their faces. And this seemed to rouse their interest in joining a hunt because after a long stretch, they loped off together into the woods.

Painted dogs have formidable teeth, but their success is due to their long legs. These dogs can sustain chases over huge territories by literally running down prey. This dog was easy to recognize from its white dragon on its shoulder.

I bumped into the dragon dog and its pack the next morning, but they headed off into the scrub after trotting past me.

Picking the right spot to take a nap is an important skill for a painted dog. This one was too restless to sleep.

A dog with a shoulder wound licks the wounds of pack mate resting in the shade. I wonder what the other guy looks like!

Painted dogs are also called wild dogs or African Cape hunting dogs. They are susceptible to diseases such as distemper because they are so social. If one dog gets sick, they all do.

A family of painted dogs hunts both sides of a dirt road. I couldn't follow because the road was closed to the public.

Painted dogs and wolves live in packs, but it's really just a family: mom, dad and the kids and sometimes the kids from previous litters. It's not nearly as menacing to hear a "family of wolves."

These nearly grown wild dogs are still puppies. So when one found a stick to play with, the other littermates wanted a stick, too.

Mom stops to groom her grown pup during a morning hunt. Painted dogs are devoted family members, which is a big reason they're my fav African animals.

I went back to Kruger this year to photograph lions, but I was pleased that my lucky string of painted dog sightings was unbroken across three visits. This morning was the highlight of the trip.