I have just received photographs and verification that 13 puppies have emerged from the den of the Mapula wild dog pack. This is great news for anyone visiting Mapula Lodge in the next couple of months and beyond as the wild dogs continue to thrive in this area. 
French professional photographer Christophe Courteau (visit www.christophe-courteau.com to see Chris’s brilliant work) just returned from Mapula Lodge and emailed me this photo he took on August 4th of the young pups (about 5 weeks old). I collaborated with Christophe on an article that appeared in the March 2008 issue of Africa Geographic documenting the extraordinary behavior of the Mapula wild dog pack when the pups of the dominant female were seen regurgitating food to a subordinate females litter of puppies who were a very unusual 4 months younger. Download the Africa Geographic Wild Dog article (.pdf).
It is great to see the chance of growth for this dynamic African wild dog pack at Mapula. Last year the dominant female had a litter of six. African wild dogs suffer high mortality rates in the first year and only three puppies remained four months later when the subordinate female gave birth to 5 puppies. As is detailed in the Africa Geographic magazine article the odds were heavily stacked against these young pups but the pack surprised with incredible support.
© Bill Given. One of the subordinate pups to beat long odds as a survivor.
Only one of the six dominant female litter puppies survived the year, but shockingly three of the five subordinate pups have actually survived to strengthen the pack. Now the dominant female is likely entering the prime of her life, as she has produced a much larger litter with thirteen. Typically as dominant females mature their litter sizes grow until they near the end of their reign when the number of pups produced in a litter begin to shrink again. Hopefully this year the pack will be very successful strengthening their numbers with this large litter and guests at Mapula Lodge will continue to be blessed with fascinating observations of this most interesting species.
You can read more about the wild dogs and my safari experience at Mapula Lodge in my trip report