The Dozers Are Here

In 2005, I visited the Nairobi Animal Orphanage in Kenya and amongst the many caged animals was a lone African wild dog. All other animals were in pairs or three or more. I knew it was an endangered species, but I wondered if the minders couldn't get this pack animal a partner. Dogs need walks, but this animal was caged and alone. The orphanage was turning out to be a prison. The alternative, however, would be death at the hands of farmers, herders, and new occupants of the receding jungle. Indeed, large tracts of national packs have been hived off to make room for new human settlements. The last time I saw a wild dog in the wild was 1979, when we visited the National Park as school children. Even then, this animal was reviled by herders who accused it of frequent attacks on their herds. Given a voice, what would a wild dog say?