African wild dogs become a safari star as travelers look beyond the 'big five'.

African wild dogs are increasingly sought-after by safari travelers, and camps and NGOs are channeling that interest into funding, monitoring and relocation efforts to support the species.

African wild dogs are drawing growing attention on safari as more travelers look beyond the traditional "Big Five." That interest is translating into sustained conservation support from camps, NGOs and tour operators across parts of southern and eastern Africa. The species is listed as endangered and an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 dogs remain in the wild. Tourism operators report that guests are willing to travel and pay extra to see wild dogs, and camps are increasingly partnering with conservation programs. Key facts: - African wild dogs, also called painted wolves or Cape hunting dogs, are highly social and efficient hunters and are known for distinctive pack behavior. - An estimated 6,000 to 7,000 wild dogs remain in the wild; primary threats include habitat loss, human conflict and disease. - Camps and outfitters contribute to conservation through bed-night levies, direct donations, and providing GPS collars and field vehicles. - Citizen-science tools such as Wild Entrust’s African Carnivore Wildbook let tourists upload photos to an AI-powered platform that helps track individual dogs. - Rewilding and translocations are part of recovery efforts: Gorongosa National Park supports roughly 300 dogs, and a 2025 relocation moved 17 dogs (including nine pups) to Sapi Reserve to bolster nearby populations. Summary: Increased tourist interest in African wild dogs is linking visitation with tangible conservation support, including funding, monitoring and rewilding efforts. Planned initiatives and collaborations—such as Project Loeto, scheduled to launch in 2026 to protect corridors across the Kavango-Zambezi area, and new visitor programs starting in April in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi—are among the next steps mentioned by operators and conservation groups.