Warning: Not for the faint-hearted

If you’ve never been on safari, the experience varies greatly depending on where you go

In Kenya, you’ll typically ride in a 4x4 with sides, while in South Africa, Zambia, or Tanzania, you’ll often find yourself in open vehicles with nothing between you and the wild

In some southern African regions, you can even explore on foot during walking safaris, more on that later

It was in Zambia where I witnessed one of the rarest and most unforgettable sights: not just a pack of wild dogs, but a wild dog hunt and kill

Wild dogs are among the most endangered predators in Africa

According to estimates, only about 6,600 remain in the wild

Spotting them is rare enough; seeing them hunt is something money can’t buy

Safari days follow a rhythm: rising before dawn for game drives when animals are most active, breakfast served in the bush or back at camp, lazy midday hours near waterholes, and then a late afternoon drive ending with sundowners as the sun dips over the scrubland

On this evening, we had parked on a ridge, drinks in hand, overlooking a valley

Suddenly, a noise erupted behind us, growing louder, moving swiftly to our left

First came the deer, sprinting desperately

Then the pack of wild dogs appeared, coordinated and relentless

Working as a team, they probed the herd, testing for weakness

Soon they isolated a slower deer, heavily pregnant, and drove it away from the group

Within seconds, the pack closed in

The kill was brutal and fast, punctuated by the distinctive calls of the dogs, which in turn attracted hyenas from the distance

Their answering cries echoed across the valley

I had my 35mm film camera with me, but fading light made the photos almost an afterthought

If included one of the photos I took on the day, the sun was going down, but you can make the outlines of the wild dogs and deer

The real memory was the raw intensity of nature, the circle of life unfolding before us as the sun sank below the horizon

Later, as we prepared to leave, one of our group asked about using the toilet

On safari, the rule is simple: walk 20 paces, take care of business, then return

She wisely decided to wait until camp

As we drove off, headlights caught the gleam of a hyena’s eyes, standing no more than 20 yards from where she would have gone

Conclusion

That evening in Zambia remains etched in my mind, not just because I saw something so rare, but because it was a visceral reminder of Africa’s raw beauty and danger

On safari, you don’t just watch nature, you become part of it