Africa's Wild Dogs: A Survival Story, by Jocelin Kagan

Africa's Wild Dogs: A Survival Story by Jocelin Kagan. Publisher: Merlin Unwin Books. Ludlow, Shropshire, United Kingdom 2020. ISBN 9781913159191 / ISBN 978-1-91-315919-1

Africa's Wild Dogs: A Survival Story by Jocelin Kagan: Iconic Nomads of the Bushveld

Curious, inquisitive, painterly-patterned in rich black, white and tan, a young pup steps closer and closer. Satisfied he is safe, he sits, sphinx-like and watches me. At five months, this African wild dog pup projects a tangible sense of self-assurance despite his youth. His huge ears turn like satellite dishes searching for a signal as he looks deep into my eyes. His own dark eyes seem to ask, 'Who are you?' Reluctant to disturb my new friend, and even more so to fracture the fragility of our newly-formed bond, I lie flat in the dirt, camera poised, and press the trigger. Unperturbed, and as if expecting me to embark on a portrait shoot, the pup poses, turning his head, giving me his best profile. The result is the cover shot of this book. He is not alone. Two of his litter-mates take their cue from him, creep closer and sit. He's clearly the leader of the three. His eyes gleam with extraordinary interest and awareness. He looks, sniffs the air and it seems he would be tempted to come closer still, had a short, quiet bark from a nearby adult not warned him against it. Did I feel afraid? Not at all. I felt exhilaration coursing through my veins at having these predators so close to me. More so, I felt humbled that they had chosen this proximity of their own volition. Questions raced through my mind. Is this wild predator something to be feared? Why are they so calm in my presence? How come they just mind their own business, while keeping me in their line of sight? Why do they not attack me? I keep watching, but get no answers to my questions. From deep silence within, a realisation forms and is to shape a new chapter in my life. My 'aha': a moment of illumination, when emotion and intellect come together in the same flash, showing me a plan unfolding in which I would take an active part in helping reverse the wild dogs' diminishing numbers. Through a book, talks and photographs, I could share my passion and knowledge of the wild dogs' story with animal lovers worldwide. Animals everywhere, I believe, deserve a deeper and greater respect than they currently receive. My love of photographing wildlife has awakened in me a deep respect for the animals of our planet. Over the years I've learned to read their ways, listen to their conversations, observe behaviours and accept their table manners. I am extremely fortunate to have experienced many close encounters with a wide range of wild creatures. I've met elephants in Tsavo National Park, Kenya, and felt the exploring touch of an enormous matriarch's trunk. I've stared in awe as a heavily-maned lion waded through belly-high water in Botswana to follow his lionesses. I've lugged kilos of camera equipment across crevasses and broken ice in -40°C in Antarctica to photograph emperor penguins and their chicks, and I've braced myself against a blizzard in north-east Canada photographing polar bear mothers with their mischievous cubs. I've loved each of these encounters more than I can express, but it is the African wild dog that has captured my heart. I grew up with domestic dogs, and bred Cairn terriers, so I guess it comes as no surprise that the wild animal I feel closest to is a canine. An African wild dog is an animal that goes by many names, African painted dogs, painted wolves, African hunting dogs, Cape hunting dogs and more. [...]

This is an excerpt from Africa's Wild Dogs: A Survival Story by Jocelin Kagan.

Title: Africa's Wild Dogs
Subtitle: A Survival Story
Author: Jocelin Kagan
Publisher: Merlin Unwin Books
Ludlow, Shropshire, United Kingdom 2020
ISBN 9781913159191 / ISBN 978-1-91-315919-1
Hardcover, dustjacket, 30 x 27 cm, 224 pages, throughout colour photographs