The murram road through the dense scrub of thorny acacia and commiphora fades. Hills surround us. The late afternoon sun is hot in a cloudless sky. We’re trekking the elusive African wild dog.

Anthony Mututua who works for the Friends of Nairobi National Park (FoNNAP) and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) monitors the rare canine also nicknamed the painted dog.

"There are more than 200 African wild dogs in Elangata Wuas,” states Mututua. "But they move very fast. They consider this to be their corridor. In the last few weeks, 50 migrated through here towards Namanga and the Meto hills to pass the dry season. They cross into Tanzania but return because there is not a lot of wild game for them to hunt there. Also, once across the border, there is no protection for them and people usually kill them. Kenya wildlife safari

"The wild dogs do not have a permanent abode but for the last seven years, this has been their park. When other landowners or I sight a pack, I record the location, date, time, number and other details and whenever possible, photograph them. The real way to conserve wildlife is to collaborate with the community, otherwise they will not conserve the wildlife on their land.”

We’ve been walking for an hour now. The air is cooler with a slight breeze. It’s quiet save for the occasional tinkle of the cowbells as the herds are led into the boma for the night. It’s a beautiful land – red earth, trees and bush resilient to the sun and hills surrounding us.

We meet up with Mzee Tejeu Moile by his manyatta waiting to lead us where his little boy saw the wild dogs a few days earlier while herding his animals. Masai Mara safari packages

"They usually hunt in packs of five to 10. They have a very specific time for hunting – that is from 5 to 8 pm in the evening and 5 to 9 am. They regroup in the evening, making a lot of noise as they meet each other.”

Moile, is in his customary red shuka. He stops. In a clearing in the sun-parched grass is a clear spoor of the dogs. The sun now is just above the western hill, its orange orb splashed on the soft blue canvas.

200 African wild dogs roaming around here, it’s their hunting time - my adrenalin is pumping. We scan the horizon – birds chirp, gazelles and impalas watch from a distance. The sun begins to slip behind the hill but the wild dog doesn’t show.

"We can’t go further – we must return,” counsels Mututua.

I’m disappointed but looking at the hills, I make a mental note to return to explore them in search of the painted dog. The African wild dog, once plentiful on the African continent –the only one which houses them - was hunted to near extinction by the early 1900s by farmers who thought of them as rabid and cruel hunters.

Grossly misunderstood, the wild dog is an efficient killer, and not the ruthless, mindless killer as once perceived. Masai Mara safari holidays

The Elangata Wuas group ranch is bordered by Kilonito group ranch in the north, Olodonyie Onyokie group ranch in the west, Torosei and Longosui ranches in the south.

The long-term plan of the local Maasai group ranches is to start wildlife conservancies like others in the country to benefit from the wildlife on their land, which also compliments their pastoral lifestyle.

As the sun disappears, a full orange moon rises from behind a hill as we stroll in to Ole Moile’s homestead. Feeling our disappointment, he invites us in for tea and to meet his family.

The cattle are in the boma in the middle of the manyatta. As we sip our tea sitting on the three-legged stools by the low-domed hut, the stars appear and everything is calm. We’ll just have to return another day.

rupi.mangat@yahoo.com

Source Daily nation