We have released the Mpindo pack.

Our Executive Director, Peter Blinston, being advised by our research team decided we release the Mpindo pack today. The pack of 2 adult painted dogs named Snow-Tail and Jonathan and their 8 pups have been in our Rehabilitation Facility for the past 6 months. We rescued them end of June from a communal land where they had denned.

Peter Blinston briefing the team before the operation began

We all gathered up at the Rehab at around 7am for a briefing from Peter on how the capture operation was going to be carried out. Simple plan, lay out nets, drive the painted dogs to the net, get to them while they are still figuring out how to escape and call a vet to put them to sleep.

The team for the job

Among the team were PDC staff, John Lemon from Painted Dog Conservation Inc in Australia, 2 vets and some friends of PDC came together to carry out this operation.

The team swiftly and efficiently got all 8 pups and the 2 adults. We immobilised them and fitted the adults with collars.  

John Lemon holding down a pup before a Vet put it to sleep

Snow-Tail, the alpha female, was fitted with a VHF collar, thanks to Wild Dogs MTB SA for donating one.

Snow-Tail being fitted with a VHF radio collar (thanks to Wild Dogs MTB SA)

Jonathan, the alpha male, was fitted with GPS collar courtesy of Painted Dog Conservation UK.

Jonathan, alpha male, being fitted with a GPS collar, thanks to Painted Dog Conservation UK

Soon enough all the ten dogs were in the trailer and we took off to the place of release, called Jambili, inside Hwange National Park, far from the communal land and hopefully in the safety of the protected area.

Mpindo pack in the trailer before release (NB: some not caught in the camera)

We released the painted dogs at the Jambili pan. We believe the place has reasonable prey base and will help fast track the adaptation of the pack to their life back in the wild.

The team opens the trailer to release the Mpindo pack at Jambili pan

Jonathan was the first to get off the trailer

There goes Snow-Tail, off into the wild where she and her pack belong

This is what Peter had to say about the whole operation of capturing and releasing the Mpindo pack today.  

Thank you all for all your efforts, support and kind words through this whole mission from the time we brought in the Mpindo pack to the time we released it. Success that you have helped us achieve and with your continued support we will continue to change lives.  Of both people and painted dogs.

Peter checking the signal of the collars on Jonathan and Snow-Tail after the release

To support the work we do for painted dogs kindly donate and help us save the species from extinction. To contact us kindly fill in the contact form on the ‘Contact Us’ page or contact via our social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Meet the Mpindos...

Preparations for the release of the Mpindo pack back into the wild are now at an advanced stage. Meanwhile we thought we give you some information about the individuals in the pack.

The Mpindo pack is comprised of 10 painted dogs, 2 adults and 8 pups. The 2 adults are also the alphas of the pack namely Snow-Tail, the alpha female, and Jonathan the alpha male.

Snow-Tail

Snow-Tail, alpha female of Mpindo pack

This is Snow-Tail. She is the alpha female of Mpindo pack and the mother of the now six-month old 8 Mpindo pups that came into our Rehabilitation Facility barely 2 weeks old.

Snow-Tail dispersed from the then Brokenrifle pack in 2016 and only reappeared in June this year as an alpha of her newly found pack, the Mpindo pack.

She has been a good mother, putting her pups first and taking care of them to become what they are today…ready to take on the wild world.

Jonathan

Jonathan, alpha male of Mpindo pack

This is Jonathan, the alpha male of the Mpindo pack and father of the 8 Mpindo pups. Together with Snow-Tail, they founded the Mpindo pack.

We could not locate Jonathan in our extensive id files (20 packs of more than 150 individuals) we have for painted dogs in Hwange National Park. Jonathan might have come a long way from an unknown pack to us, it confirms our belief that they may be other painted dogs deep inside Hwange National Park, which is a good thing.

Jonathan has been a good mate to Snow-Tail and good father to the pups, letting them eat first every mealtime at our Rehabilitation Facility.

The pups

Mpindo pack pups

And there are the pups, 8 of them and 6 months old. They are the hope of regeneration of this pack, they should become efficient hunters and survive the hunters. They should carry on the legacy, reproduce and survive into the future.

Stay tuned!