Trixie: The Story of a Sad, Lonely Dog....

There have been many experiences on this trip that it is hard to process them all, but this one I just can't shake.

This is Trixie.  See how she runs?  Trixie is always running.  

This is the Mkhuze dog pack

Trixie came from another game reserve after she broke away from her pack.  Trixie traveled a couple of hundred kilometers and ended up here at Mkhuze trying to find a new home.  The monitors were hoping the pack would accept her but alas, they have not.  They were also hoping that perhaps one of the younger males in the pack would break away, join Trixie and they would start a new pack.  This hasn't happened either, at least not  yet.   Due to the recent arrival of the puppies in the pack, it's been all hands on deck to raise them.

Here's the sad part.  Trixie runs all day looking for them.  She keeps trying to find them and join the pack, even though they keep rejecting her.   At least 3 times we would be in the truck trying to monitor some animal and Trixie would come running up the road, searching, searching, almost frantically.  She is all alone which is obviously not ideal for a wild dog.  Not only are they pack animals, but she is in danger from other animals as well as poachers.

Run, Run, Run, that's all she does.  One evening we were out looking for, what I don't remember, and up comes Trixie running along the road in her anxious,  frantic way.  She was being followed by several tourist vehicles who probably thought this was much fun!  "A wild dog running in the road!  Quick honey, take a picture!" My heart just broke for her.  It was after sunset and it was getting dark, she should have been finding a place to rest for the night.  Instead she was being stalked by paparrazzi! Every now and then she would stop, out of breath, look at the cars following her and continue running. Trot,Trot,Trot, Trot.  We turned around and followed the line of cars  until she finally just sat down in a puddle for a second or two at an intersection of the main  road and a dirt road.  That is when I think people finally got the hint.  Trixie took off up the dirt road, but the cars didn't follow her.  We trailed her for a bit but we stayed back far enough not to bother her.  We even shut off the engine to give her a break.  

That was when I heard it.  Trixie calling to them, the pack.  Trying to find them.  It wasn't a howl or a bark but almost like a hoot and a moan combined.  It was possibly the saddest sound I ever heard.  Over and over as she ran up the road, in the dark  you could hear that sound, looking, searching, almost begging.  

My heart fell to pieces.