Saying goodbye is never easy, but hope lives on

Painted Dog Research suffered a huge loss on April 7 with the passing of Bongo the camp dog. While not a painted dog, he was just as rare. As a full-fledged member of the PDR team, he had many jobs. First and foremost, he was a protector, defending his flock of chickens from the likes of hawks, snakes and his mortal enemy, baboons. Bongo had a distinctive bark for each predator that his two humans, Greg and Mary, could both recognize. When conservationist and PDR Board Chair, Joel Vanderbush, was there at the end of 2025, he joined Bongo on baboon patrol on multiple occasions. Joel especially appreciated Bongo for his warning bark one evening when he revealed a puff adder only about 2 meters from where Joel, Greg, and Mary were enjoying dinner on the veranda. Greg just casually got his snake hook, picked up the snake, and placed it over a stone wall back in the forest.

Normally, Bongo would be pretty relaxed at dinner as he received much affection from Greg and plenty of good food from Mary. However, when it came to protecting those he cared about, Bongo was always on duty. For his steadfast awareness, his ability to coax a biscuit from Ian at morning tea, his playful nature when doing morning yoga with the entire staff, his welcoming dog grin for many travelers missing their own dogs, his deep affection for Mary at all times, and the way his eyes could melt the heart of the most rugged field researcher, Bongo has left a lasting impact on the heart of everyone he met. He is deeply missed.

Greg had always planned on finding a puppy to bring to PDR so that Bongo could show him the ropes. Greg wanted a true village dog, like Bongo, due to their demeanor and adaptability. So many dogs had been crossbred with Rhodesian Ridgebacks or German Shepherds that it was becoming challenging to find an actual village dog. While time and circumstance don’t always cooperate, Greg did eventually hear from a local that a friend’s village dog some distance away had just had pups. Greg drove nearly an hour and a half to take a look, and sure enough, there were some healthy village dog pups. On June 13, he brought 3 of them home to begin training. One would go to the local man who referred them, one would go to MK, Greg’s long-time lead field tech, and one would become the new camp dog at PDR.

His name is Moka, and he is energetic, curious, and has quickly worked his way into the hearts of Greg and Mary. In addition to enjoying digging, Moka has a particular affinity toward Greg’s croc shoes. Hopefully, Greg won’t end up shoeless! There will be more updates to come on Moka’s training, growth, and eventually filling the important role that Bongo established at PDR. So, while saying goodbye is never easy, hope lives on with the next generation. 

If you would like to make a donation to support Moka's training and care, go to https://www.painteddogresearch.org/donate