Part of the pack

Picture perfect

Zoos Victoria Member Chris Girvan has found solace in photographing the pack of African Wild Dogs at Werribee Open Range Zoo.

WORDS Georgia Lejeune PHOTOGRAPHY Chris Girvan

Chris captured a moment of repose when all of the African Wild Dogs hid from the rain in the warm den.

cardiac event in 2015 set Zoos Victoria Member Chris Girvan on a path that led to the African Wild Dogs at Werribee Open Range Zoo. “I went through open-heart surgery and rehabilitation,” says Chris. During his recovery, Chris’ wife Dianne took him to Werribee Open Range Zoo and it was there that he first saw and fell in love with the African Wild Dogs.

Sitting and observing the dogs for hours made him feel like he’d been given a chance at a second life. He thought, ‘I’m going to make the most of it and just apply all my time to these dogs because they’re just so heavenly’.

Seven years on, Chris visits the African Wild Dogs at Melbourne Zoo on Thursdays or Fridays each week and the dogs at Werribee Open Range Zoo every weekend — in recent times, accompanied by his trusty camera and long lens. A former wedding photographer, Chris has an eye for a good shot, which is why he was shortlisted for the 2022 Zoos Victoria Calendar with his image of Werribee’s African Wild Dog, Neo.

The group dynamics of the pack are what intrigues Chris most. “There’s so much complex communication from a pack, and you can imagine in a pack of 12 dogs in Africa, that communication would be so important because they’ve got to go out and hunt,” he says. “The way they do it just by that little movement of the mouth, or a little stare or something — it’s quite extraordinary.”

Sitting patiently for hours observing and photographing the wild dogs, Chris has become adept at spotting the shy animals that might be overlooked by others passing by. Patience and timing, Chris says, are key to glimpsing the wild dogs.

“They’re very much creatures of habit. Between 9 and 10am, they’ll hear those keys rattling in the keepers’ lodge. When the keepers come down that little trail with the wheelbarrow full of food, the excitement in their behaviour is a joy to behold,” says Chris.

Passionate about conservation of African Wild Dogs, Chris is pleased Zoos Victoria is educating the public about these fascinating creatures.

A“Keepers go out of their way to try and replicate the wildness and it keeps them wild. They’re not called wild dogs for nothing. They’re wild, not feral, and that’s the joy that I see in them,” says Chris. He hopes that zoo-based conservation, education and an emotional connection from members and visitors to the zoo will help provide more protection for them in the wild. “I think there’s something in awareness of what these animals are, what they represent and what they look like. That picture of Neo is the prime example of what they look like and what a beautiful animal they really are.” ZN

Calling all photographers

The Zoos Victoria Member

Calendar competition is now open for submissions.

Flip to page 10 for entry details.

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Visit the African Wild Dogs at Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo. Click here to book your free Zoo Member tickets

Members' PHOTO

Competition

Entries are now open for the 2023 Zoos Victoria Calendar. Send through your best animal photos taken at Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo and Werribee Open Range Zoo for your chance to have your image featured in next year’s calendar.

Head to the website for the details on entry, terms and conditions and to submit your photos. Entries close on 31 May 2022. Best of luck!

Click here to enter