Wild Dogs Face Down Elephant

There is nothing very subtle about an African Wild Dog, which is what makes them such wonderful animals to follow on a game drive. What looks like chaos, with dogs running first one way, then the next, is actually a well-orchestrated and very effective hunting technique. We watched as a pack of six wild dogs chased impala in their erratic, multi-directional way, and when the brief chase brought up no decent opportunities, they regrouped and moved on, slowly at first, then disappearing at speed when they caught sight of another group of impala. We sat enthralled as a confusion of wild dogs and impala criss-crossed the road in front of us, snatching glimpses of blurs through the bush, until everything was quiet and we realised that the wild dogs had given up again. Stopping to catch their breath and re-group, the dogs found themselves gathering a very short distance away from an elephant bull but showed no interest at all in the towering behemoth. Even when the elephant bull, clearly agitated after the earlier commotion, started standing tall with head high and ears out, then tossing his head, slapping his great ears on his sides, trumpeting and then charging the wild dogs, they seemed relatively unfazed. With every charge from the elephant, the wild dogs just darted a few metres to one side, then milled around, unconcerned. Frustrated that his charges were not having the desired effect, the elephant bull threw his trunk at two white –backed vultures sitting calmly in a nearby tree, sending them scattering, and he then raced into the middle of a thicket where he started thrashing bushes and trumpeting. Still all but ignoring the elephant, the wild dogs eventually moved off to continue their hunt (which this time was successful), and left the very agitated elephant to eat in peace.

Posted: Exeter Lodges by Keri-Ann McDonald, Date: 1 February 2010