Wild dogs making a comeback in Uganda
The African Painted Dogs, also called African Wild Dogs have been sighted in Kidepo Valley National Park which is located in the semi-arid Karamoja region in the far northeastern corner of Uganda. This confirmed sighting of the wild dog by the park on 27th June 2023 is the first after a long absence from Uganda since the wild dogs were extirpated (went locally extinct) in the 1980s.
Over the last few years, there have been reports of sightings of the wild dogs in that region such as in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve which is also in the semi-arid northeast of the country, and even as close as Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda, but these have always been treated as rumors as there was never any evidence such as a picture. The dogs are quite quick and so offer very limited chance of a long enough appearance for one to take a picture. They will quickly take a dash into the bush immediately after they realize they are being watched.
The ranger guide in Kidepo National Park who found the dogs around the Narus Valley was able to steal a shot of two wild dogs on his low-quality phone before the dogs quickly dashed away into the bush. The low-quality pictures however properly reveal the features of the wild dog. Doubts have been put to rest that wild dogs (African-painted dogs) currently exist in Uganda.
Uganda Wild Authority has immediately sent out teams into the park for further investigation to establish the extent of the wild dog occurrence in the park. There are suggestions that these could be African migrants as the dogs are capable of traveling thousands of kilometers when dispersing to look for mates and new home ranges.
What are wild dogs?
Scientific name Lyacon pictus, wild dogs are recognized by their big rounded ears and their multi-colored far coats which have irregular patches of red, black, brown, white and yellow. In fact each individual has its own unique coat pattern.
The dogs also have four toes on their long legs, differentiating them from other dogs which has five toes on the forefeet.
Most prolific of hunters
The wild dogs are perhaps most famous for their incredible hunting abilities. They are praised as the best hunters of all the predators. They almost never fail and their hunting expedition does not take long till they have put down the prey. They hunt in large packs and will carry out a strategy of hunt depending on the prey. Their common tactic is to chase after the prey until it wears down, and when the prey slows down or stops to rest they pounce on it and start biting pieces off it and will eventually die from pain (a similar way hyenas eat their prey, they do not kill the prey first before eating). The dogs are light, agile, fast and are persistent runners.
Also, unlike other predators like lions that hunt at night, the wild dogs hunt during day.
The wild dogs will raise the predator profile of Kidepo Valley National Park and Uganda.