African Wild Dogs Disperse from Zambia’s Kafue Park, Facing High Mortality Risk

In mid‑2025, a trio of male African wild dogs left Kafue National Park’s eastern woodlands, while four sisters had departed the pack two weeks earlier. Each group carried a GPS collar monitored by the Zambian Carnivore Programme, Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife, and partners. Tracking data show the females headed north into a partially protected game‑management area adjacent to the park, whereas the males—known as the Mayukuyuku—entered an unprotected zone east of Kafue before turning north toward the cities of Kitwe and Ndola. At roughly three years old, this dispersal is a natural step toward establishing new packs and finding mates, yet it is also “a good way to die,” according to ecologist Scott Creel. The alternative—remaining in the natal pack—means never reproducing. Researchers continue to monitor the dogs’ movements to better understand the risks and inform conservation strategies.