Taking Dogs to Bushveld and Game Farm Areas

Check whether dogs are allowed at all

Dogs are not permitted in national parks or most provincial reserves, and many private game reserves prohibit them entirely. Where predators are present this is not negotiable.

Confirm in writing before you travel. Arriving with a dog at a property that does not take them at the start of a long weekend is a genuine problem.

The predator and wildlife risk

Leopard, hyena, caracal and jackal all take dogs, and in some areas do so routinely. A dog outside at night in the bushveld is prey.

Baboon troops seriously injure and kill dogs. Warthog and bushpig will defend themselves and cause severe abdominal wounds.

Crocodiles and hippo take dogs at water edges across the Lowveld and northern KZN. Do not let dogs drink from or swim in rivers and dams in these areas.

Snakes

Snake activity is far higher in bushveld areas, and dogs investigate with their faces. Puff adder, Mozambique spitting cobra and black mamba all occur across the Lowveld and Limpopo.

Know before you go which practice within reach stocks polyvalent antivenom, and how long it takes to get there. Phone ahead rather than assume.

Keep dogs on lead on paths, avoid long grass, and bring them in from dusk. Most bites happen at the edges of the day.

Disease exposure

• Heavy tick burden — biliary and ehrlichia risk is elevated
• Rabies is present in wildlife across several of these regions
• Canine distemper circulates in some wild carnivore populations
• Spirocerca lupi risk is higher where dogs scavenge

Make sure vaccinations are current before travelling and tighten tick control for the trip and the weeks after.

Practical rules

Dogs in at night, every night, without exception.

On lead outside a fenced area, always. A recall that works in a suburban park does not work with impala in front of the dog.

Never let a dog chase game. Beyond the danger to the dog, it is a serious matter with landowners and can be an offence.

Keep a first aid kit, a way to carry an injured dog, and the vet numbers saved before you lose signal.