An African Wild Dog is walking again today, thanks to a team that stepped in fast!
South Africa (07 October 2025) – A young and endangered African Wild Dog had already been through the wars when he was found with a badly broken front leg. Someone had tried to help by putting it in a cast, but instead of healing, it just caused more pain.
By the time vets from Saving the Survivors (STS) saw him, it was clear the leg wasn’t going to fix itself.
Dr. Zöe Glyphis ran X-rays on their mobile machine and confirmed that sadly, it would not heal on its own. The only hope was surgery. It was risky, but without it, the dog would never run or hunt properly again. For a wild animal that depends on those abilities for survival, that’s a death sentence.
So the team loaded him up and geared up for a 600km round-trip to a specialist clinic. All so one wild dog could get the chance to live free again.
Specialist veterinary surgeons worked on him, carefully repairing the damage. And just three weeks later, he’s already putting weight on the leg. His surgeon says he’s doing really well.
African Wild Dogs, sometimes called painted wolves, are among Africa’s most endangered carnivores. Fewer than 6,000 remain in the wild, and every single one of them counts. They’re smart, social animals that live in packs, depending on each other to hunt and survive. Take one away, and the whole pack feels it.
That’s why organisations like STS matter. Most people know them for treating rhinos, elephants and lions after brutal poaching attacks, but they’re just as committed to any endangered creature in need, including their latest spotted survivor.
They don’t stop at emergency care; they run breeding programmes, help relocate animals to safer habitats, and work with rural communities to ease human-wildlife conflict.
“Every life saved reminds us why we do what we do,” the organisation shares.
If you would like to support their mission, visit their website here.
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