Three African Wild Dogs Travel Over 4000 km in Search of Mates
Three male African wild dogs have embarked on a record-breaking journey across Africa, covering over 4000 kilometers in 9 months. Researchers describe this route as the longest recorded movement of an African mammal.
Scientists believe the males set out in search of mates. Typically, only the dominant pair breeds in wild dog packs, while others either wait for their chance to take their place or leave the pack to find partners.
The animals left Kafue National Park in Zambia in mid-summer 2025 and headed east. Almost simultaneously, four of their sisters left their home territory, taking a slightly different route.
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Researchers tracked the dogs using radio collars. Along the way, the animals had to cross rivers and navigate areas inhabited by large predators; in September 2025, the two groups briefly met, with the females having traveled about 1403 kilometers and the males nearly 1207 kilometers by that time.
The journey of the females ended tragically. After a few weeks, they reached a small forested area, where their journey came to an end. One of the females wore a radio collar, and the data showed multiple movements back and forth, returning to the same point.
This behavior is atypical for wild dogs, usually observed in two situations: when a newborn puppy is present in the pack or when animals return to an injured companion. Scientists concluded that one of the dogs likely died in a hunting trap; the female with the radio collar probably met the same fate.
The males eventually reached the Luangwa Valley in eastern Zimbabwe. In total, they covered 4120 kilometers, but it remains unknown whether they found mates.
