Equestrian & Wildlife Artist - Katy Sodeau
'African Wild Dog Pups Drinking'
Watercolour painting of African Wild Dog pups drinking at a water hole.
"We saw these lovely pups in the Kwando Lebala, concession in northern Botswana in 2008. At the time the pack consisted of 8 adults and 9 pups in total, they were causing a lot of excitement for the guides in the area as they had abandoned their den site very early. The wild dog pack's previous den site had been discovered by lions and one pup had been killed by the lions. Traumatised by that experience the dogs didn't look for another den site but kept moving around the area with the pups. The pups were obviously too young to follow the adult dogs when they hunted, so the pups ended up being left alone for long periods. All the safari goers were very relieved each time the pack was found again with adults and pups intact.
The evenings game viewing involved the normal sort of confusion associated with trying to follow a wild dog hunt. The adult dogs and puppies had all visited the water hole together, the pups being quite nervous around the water and not venturing beyond the edge. The adults then took off at great speed and attempted an attack against a herd of Wildebeest. The Wildebeest were not going to give up any of their number and formed a circle facing outwards, threatening the dogs with their horns each time they approached. Whilst this was an entertaining spectacle much of it became shrouded in clouds of dust stirred up by the action. When the dust finally settled we realised we had missed the departure of the dog pack who'd left in search of easier prey. Much driving around later one guide finally found the adults with an impala they had managed to catch.
We returned to the water hole where they had left the pups behind in the hope that the adult dogs would return to feed them. The pups had moved
a little way off and were playing chasing games and 'I'm the King of the Castle' around a small termite mound. Alas the adults didn't return to them that evening, leaving all the human spectators very worried about what the night
might hold for the pups. It was a great relief to be able to search for them again the next morning and find the whole pack re-united in the bush some distance from
the water hole".
ORIGINAL SOLD