Wild Dogs
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Wild Dogs feeding pups-1st Image: These pups are old enough (6 weeks) to eat some regurgitated partially predigested meat that is being fed to them being by the adults in the background. In the foreground, the alpha female is nursing pups. Because there were so many mouths to satisfy, the adults had to hunt morning and evening during the cool hours to satisfy the pups and themselves.The adults would tear off pieces of meat from the kill, masticate, swallow and keep them in their stomachs until they were ready to be fed. When they returned to the den, the pups would insert their snouts into the adults' mouths to encourage regurgitation. An adult would comply only when it thought the meat was ready for the pups to eat. In a pack of wild dogs, only one female and one male breed at a time. The other adults in the pack participate in the hunting, protecting, and feeding of the pups and adults. The 12 adults and 13 six-week old pups were denning in an abandoned hyena burrow. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
Alpha male Wild Dog feeds his 6-week-old pups by regurgitating to each partially predigested raw meat. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
Wild Dog male feeding--and alpha female--nursing her 6-week pups (R & L background. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
Wild Dogs~6-week Pup-4th Image
A close-up portrait of one of the 6-week-old Wild Dog pups. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
A close-up portrait of a 6-week-old Wild Dog pup standing. Note the difference in the leg markings compared to those in the previou image. The colors and the patterns in wild dogs are various. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
These two 6-week-old Wild Dog pups, from the same pack as in the precedings images, are playing tug-o'war with a piece of inner-tube rubber. It came from our front bumper. One morning, an adult male walked over to our car, and with his sharp teeth, ripped off some of the rubber wrapping that was being used to hold the jack onto the front bumper. The next morning we found these two pups playing tug-o'war with a piece of that wrapping. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
Portrait of an adult male Wild Dog lying in the grass. [Hwange NP, Zimbabwe].
Wild Dogs, before going out to hunt, usually hold a pep rally to 'gig themselves up' for the likely strenuous chase and hunt for food. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
More of the Wild Dogs' pre-hunt pep rally to enhance their spirit and performance. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
The alpha female Wilddog had briefly taged along, eager to join the morning hunt, but she soon turned around and went back to guard her pups. [Khwai, Botswana].
This evening, the Wild Dogs:were hunting in a small group of Wildebeests. These are the same pack of dogs as in all the preceding images.This was one of their evening hunts, that we witnessed, to feed their large family. They hunted twice daily, when it was cool---early every morning & late every afternoon---and we followed them each time for 12 days. Their hunts were well-planned: they would enter a small herd of wildebeests and began driving the wildebeests back-and-forth. We could hear the dogs barking 'instructions' to one another.They were trying to frighten and confuse a yearling wildebeest so that it would separate from the rest of its group. One did just that! An ultimately fatal act for the young Wildebeest! The dogs pursued it as the frightened animal ran towards our vehicle, seeking to protect itself by backing up to our vehicle and protect its perineum (the thinnest part of its abdominal wall). Knowing that would be futile, we sped away over the plains as fast as the terrain permitted. Its only hope was that the dogs would give up the chase. We knew that once the dogs caught up with the wildbeest, it would be finished. For these photographs, I stood up in the open vehicle, doing the best I could to keep my balance during the jolting ride. The dust & debris, from our speeding vehicle, and from the pursuing beestie close behind us, swirled around me. I could hear the animal's labored breathing, as it futilely tried to outrun the dogs. After a very rough ride at 30 mph over animal tracks and ruts, the driver decided we had to stop because of the danger of having a wreck if a wheel were to get caught in a rut or animal hole. When the dogs caught up and seized the wildebeest by the nose, it wasn't more than 5 minutes before the wildebeest was dead and eviscerated. The dogs removed and bolted down enough organ and muscle to feed all the pups and themselves. The event occurred right alongside our rover. As we anticipated, the side of the car provided no protection to the unfortunate creature. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
The Wild Dogs were hunting In the midst of the Wildebeests. The back-and-forth chasing caused a yearling to separate from the herd. I am a great admirer of Wild Dogs, because of their responsible teamwork in raising their young, and protecting their pack from larger predators. I would remind those who might criticize their apparent bestial behavior, that they had no other option for providing the needed food. Wild Dogs kill only when they need food to survive. They are not wanton killers like hyenas that I have seen kill---for the sheer pleasure of killing---long after they are stuffed and unable to swallow another bite. Wild Dogs have never been known to attack man. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
Wild Dogs Hunting Wildebeests-5th image
The Wilddogs have caught up with the yearling. I took this photo while standing in the rear of the open speeding vehicle. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
More of the Wilddogs have caught up with the yearling wildebeest, and with us. This is anther shot I made standing up in the rear of the open vehicle, which was doing about 30 mph. The hunt was really over! [Serengeti, Tanzania].
The Wild Dogs have caught up with the young wildebeest, and they will soon kill and dissembowl it. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
On another day, two different Wilddogs were trying to take down an adult male Wildebeest. They kept nipping at his hind legs trying to injure the achilles tendon; however, he was too strong, and they had to give up. Note that all four of the bull's feet are off the ground as he leeps away.. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
Wild Dogs with the same dry buffalo skull: This prehunt event can take place with the dogs frolicing with themselves, or with some object. It only lasts a few minutes. [South Luangwa NP, Zambia].
Another view of the prehunt rally of Wild Dogs with old Buffalo skull: This is just a different view of the dogs having choosen an old skull to rub their bodies against to give them inspiration for their forthcoming hunt. [S. Luangwa NP, Zambia].
Wild Dogs have brought down a fully grown, adult Thompson's Gazelle. The gazelle was at least 300 feet away when the 2 dogs started the chase. As the gazelle ran--a very fast-running animal--it stotted [leaping with legs spread to save energy?], but he became exhausted, and gradually slowed down. We followed, catching up to the scene just as they brought him to the ground. The stamina of the wild dogs, their speed, endurance, and their abilty to bring down larger game, is awesome. This male may have weighed 35 lbs. [Serengeti, Tanzania]
Wild Dogs Thompson's Gazelle-2nd image
The Wild Dogs are chokng theThompson's Gazelle: This is a predator's standard procedure for killing. Five minutes later, the gazelle was rendered into two pieces by the Wild Dogs' razor-sharp teeth. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
The next 3 images depict the Wild Dogs chasing a young hyena that had wandered too close to their den. As they chased him, they kept nipping his rear to punish him for coming around their pups. In the last picture, the hyena is sitting in a pond nearby to cool off---and to sooth his lacerated rear. [Serengeti, Tanzania]
A Wild Dog (2nd Image) chasing a young hyena that had wandered too close to their den. The dogs aren't interested in killing or seriously wounding the hyena, they just want to teach him a lesson by nipping him in the rear where hyenas are most sensitive. [Serengeti, Tanzania].
