Sedated African wild dogs are carefully prepared for air transport during their historic reintroduction to Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe.
By Alexandra George
Photo Credits: African Parks
In February 2026 an extraordinary conservation operation unfolded in northern Zimbabwe: the return of African wild dogs to Matusadona National Park after decades of local extinction. But before they could set paw in this remote wilderness, veterinarians, pilots, conservationists and wildlife specialists had spent several years working behind the scenes. Their mission was to prepare two packs of these endangered predators for one of the most ambitious wildlife translocations undertaken in southern Africa in recent years.
Led jointly by African Parks and the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), the operation involved the careful movement of two established wild dog packs to the vast landscapes bordering Lake Kariba.
The hidden side of conservation
Most people only see the final moment: wild dogs disappearing into the bush.
What they rarely witness is everything that comes before.
The photographs from the translocation reveal another side of conservation, one built not on dramatic safari sightings, but on veterinary precision, logistical coordination and extraordinary human commitment.
A veterinarian from the Endangered Wildlife Trust examines a sedated wild dog before transport. (Credit: African Parks)
Wildlife specialists examine and monitor sedated wild dogs at Nuanetsi Ranch before the translocation begins while local community workers look on. (Credit: African Parks)
A conservation team member administers veterinary treatment to a sedated African wild dog during preparations for the February 2026 translocation to Matusadona National Park. (Credit: African Parks)
In the early morning heat, sedated wild dogs lay quietly side by side while veterinary teams moved carefully between them, checking breathing, monitoring vital signs and preparing the animals for transport.
Nearby, aircraft crews, conservation staff and local community members gathered around the operation. For a few brief hours, the painted hunters rested silently between two worlds — no longer in their former home, but not yet released into their new one.
A species under pressure
African wild dogs are among Africa’s most endangered predators, with fewer than 7,000 individuals remaining in the wild. Once widespread across southern Africa, the species has suffered severe declines due to habitat loss, disease and conflict with humans.
Their return to Matusadona represents an important step in restoring a predator that had long vanished from the park’s ecosystems.
Preparing the packs
The painted dogs began their journey in southern Zimbabwe at Nuanetsi Ranch, a private wildlife conservancy, before being flown and transported across the country to Matusadona National Park.
The translocation took place between 15 and 17 February 2026. Two established packs – one of 6 and another of 14 animals – were moved in a highly coordinated operation involving aircraft, specialist wildlife veterinarians and conservation teams. Air transportation for the operation was provided by Mack Air.
Each stage required careful preparation.
Health examinations were carried out before transport. The dogs were monitored continuously while sedated. After arrival in Matusadona, the packs were placed in specially constructed soft-release holding facilities near Tashinga to allow them time to recover from transport stress and adapt gradually to their new surroundings.
Sedated African wild dogs await air transport to Matusadona National Park during the historic reintroduction operation in February 2026. (Credit: African Parks)
All adult wild dogs were fitted with GPS collars to allow close monitoring after release. GPS-based geofence early-warning systems have also been established around nearby settlement areas, allowing monitoring teams to respond rapidly if collared wildlife approaches local communities.
Restoring Matusadona
The return of painted dogs forms part of the broader restoration of Matusadona National Park since African Parks and ZimParks formalised their partnership in 2020.
Over the past five years, conservation efforts have included anti-poaching operations, wildlife translocations, biodiversity monitoring and community engagement initiatives aimed at rebuilding one of Zimbabwe’s most important wilderness landscapes.
The return of wild dogs marks another important milestone in that recovery. The reintroduction also forms part of broader restoration efforts underway across the Sebungwe landscape, including earlier ungulate translocations and the planned reintroduction of black rhino in 2026.
The long road back
One day, visitors to Matusadona may once again watch painted dogs moving through the forests and shorelines bordering Lake Kariba, perhaps unaware of the extraordinary effort required to bring them there.
But these photographs offer a rare glimpse into the hidden reality of modern conservation: the planning, science, teamwork and care required to return one of Africa’s most endangered predators to the landscapes where they once belonged.
Krakatoa, an alpha female from the Botswana Predator Conservation Trust Wild Dog Project in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, is a reminder of what translocation and conservation efforts across southern Africa are ultimately working to protect. Photograph © Alexandra George / Nine Days in Eden
Nine Days in Eden supports awareness of African wild dog conservation through storytelling, photography and partnerships with organizations working to protect endangered wildlife.
