The Story Behind the Image: Playing Wild Dog Pups
I spent some time on foot with wild dogs in Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe. Wildlife photography takes dedication and patience. This is the story behind an image of the playing wild dog pups.
(Maybe a bit “rough” voiceover reading here, but that’s how I like to keep it, as it’s a bit rough in the bush, too ;)
Being on foot (on your own – without an armed guide!) in the Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe is a privilege you can’t get anywhere else in Africa. Usually, you’re not allowed to leave your vehicle, especially not without a licensed (and armed) guide.
But Mana Pools is different; there you can. It’s a privilege that comes with great responsibility, too. The least is not being responsible for your own safety and the safety of the animals you observe.
You have to know your way around the bush, too (that translates to having experience with the African bush and knowledge about animal behavior). Walking alone in the bush can be a relatively safe1 activity only with knowledge about animal behavior.
So, I don’t endorse anyone going out without knowledge and experience. I will only tell you about my “on foot-safari” experience, which led to the image below (and many others of wild dogs).
So let’s get started.
It was an independent evening game drive 2, and we had obtained a permit to drive to the Nyamatusi area of Mana Pools, as we had heard that the wild dog pack with pups was in the area.
We had already driven quite a few hours looking around when we suddenly spotted the dogs lying in a ditch near the Zambezi River, and the pups were playing around!
The ears of one wild dog popping up from the ditch gave the pack away. We drove a bit closer and took our cameras out.
The best thing was that, first, we were the only (!) vehicle at the sighting! This is a rare luxury in many African National Parks, yet in Mana Pools, a crowd is usually not a problem as the visitor numbers are limited. In the end, there was only one other vehicle around, so we had a very private time with the wild dog pack.
After photographing the wild dogs from our vehicle, we decided to get out and get some shots on foot. Getting down on your knees or lying on the ground makes all the difference in getting those better, low-angle images that invoke more emotion and presence.
There were over ten members of the pack, so being on foot also meant we had to keep a keen eye on our surroundings.
Even though many animals are a bit more used to seeing humans on foot in Mana Pools than in other areas, you don’t want to let anything creep on you from behind your back. That could end in a disaster. And the wild dogs are predators, too.
And, of course, the bush is filled with many other animals as well.
There is also a strange allure to the endorphin bliss, which rushes through you with the adrenalin of knowing that you are not the head of the food chain here…
Being aware of our surroundings, we cautiously and slowly approached the pack, observing their reactions and behavior. But we still kept a respectful distance, as this is very important with wild animals. Never get too close; you have your telephoto lens for that.
Keeping enough distance is critical to successful and enjoyable encounters in the wild.
We enjoyed the presence of the wild dogs for about 1.5 hours altogether. The pack was very tolerant of our presence and acted relaxed.
Observing the pups playing with each other was highly exciting. Sometimes, I put my camera down, sat on the ground, and just enjoyed watching them play.
Don’t let extraordinary moments go by by watching only through the viewfinder! Remember to watch with your eyes; you will see many more photo opportunities and different composing options while also experiencing the moment more profoundly.
Time flies when you are enjoying, they say. The sun started setting, and we had to start heading back to camp, but we wouldn’t have wanted to leave the pack now when we had finally found them. So it was a reluctant (yet only temporary) goodbye when we hopped back into our car, put the headlights on as the darkness crept in, and drove back to camp.
But I remember how happy I was, not only because I had taken several great photos of the wild dogs but also because I had the privilege of being with them—on foot, on their level. It made the experience so much better; it was a much more intimate meeting with the wild.
Moments like this are why wildlife photography can give you so much more than just the images you take. And why I love wildlife photography so much.
It’s not just about taking beautiful images of the animals; it’s about communicating with the wild. Good photos take time. You have to dedicate time to them.
It took a lot of time to get this image. Only after time did the wild dog pack relax so much that they didn’t really mind nor pay much attention to our on-foot presence, and the pups played like we weren’t there.
But I loved every minute I spent with them. When I look at this image, I can remember the exact moment I took it, and I can feel the same exciting feelings I felt when I was there.
I hope it awakens good feelings in you, too.
Stay wild but patient & take great photos,
PS. On consecutive days, we found the wild dog pack again a few times, and we were able to spend more time with them.
Here is also a short video I made about one of our bush walks in Mana Pools (no wild dogs in this video, but you get a feeling of the surroundings):
I say “relatively safe” because dealing with wild animals can never be 100% safe. There is always a possibility that something unexpected will happen, and there can even be a mortal danger. That is the risk you take, and you need to approve it. But the decision is entirely yours.
We usually always drive ourselves in national parks in our own vehicle.