African Wild Dogs. When I first got into wildlife photograph in 1992, there were an estimate 12000 of these left in the wild. By 2009, there were only 5000 left in the wild and their numbers continue to fall rapidly. I have dreamed of getting a good shot of this species since I started this hobby. African Wild Dogs need huge home territories, wander hunbreds of miles and are the most affective hunters of all African animals. As such, they clash with humans far too easily and continue to lose the battle. They could be extinct in the wild within the next few decades.
Though I've tried in many reserves, getting a sighting of these fast-moving predators is not easy. This was the only time I've ever been able to see them at all but it was really late in the day and they were far off on this hillside.
Imfolozi National Park - South Africa June - 2008