Three African wild dogs travelled 4,126km in longest recorded mammal dispersal

Three African wild dog brothers have turned an already extraordinary journey into a record-breaking one, travelling 4,126 kilometres across Zambia after leaving their pack in search of new territory. The three males departed from the Mayukuyuku Pack in Kafue National Park in July 2025 and were tracked using GPS collars as researchers followed their movements across a landscape of protected areas, game management areas, roads, reservoirs and cities. The findings, published in Ecology, document what researchers describe as the longest recorded dispersal by an African mammal. The study, led by Scott Creel of Montana State University with collaborators from the Zambian Carnivore Programme and other institutions, also provides a glimpse into the challenges faced by African wild dogs as they move between increasingly fragmented habitats.Three brothers leave their packThe three males were about three years old when they left the Mayukuyuku Pack in Kafue National Park.