Zambian Wild Dogs Set Record for Longest African Mammal Journey

Three male African wild dogs, known as the Mayukuyuku males, left Kafue National Park in mid‑2025 and covered 4,126 km (2,564 mi) over nine months, the longest documented movement for any African mammal. Their route took them east out of the park, north toward Kitwe and Ndola, back west, and then east again to the Luangwa River Valley, where a population of about 400 dogs lives. By April 2026 the trio reached a game management area between South Luangwa and Lower Zambezi, likely establishing a new territorial range. The journey was tracked with GPS collars on 19 wild‑dog groups, and the study notes that such long‑distance dispersal connects distant populations and ecosystems across Southern Africa. The researchers plan to quantify the dogs’ social interactions and population size in the new area to assess the impact of this dispersal on genetic diversity and ecosystem connectivity.