Africa Wild

Unique amongst predators, wild dog society is based upon submissive, rather than aggressive, social behaviours. The pack greeting display is used as a greeting when pack members have been separated, as a rallying call prior to a hunt and also at kills when the pack is feeding. Pups also use it to beg for food when the adults return from a kill.

They curl their lips into a toothy grin, ears lowered back, forequarters lowered and tails curled up over their backs. Pack members constantly lick others lower jaws and twitter constantly throughout.

We watched in fascination as the pack went through this rallying display. We were the only ones there, so had this special sighting to ourselves. One of the dogs started to move off Northwards, with all pack members moving slowly in the same direction.

At a given signal, which we could not discern, the designated guard dogs returned to the den with the pups, leaving the others free to go off on their hunting foray.

This is ...well done, Attenboroughi!

Amazing to see the puppies in the middle of the pack, obviously at a learning stage, and then left behind until they are big enough, when the real stuff starts

Awesome wild dog sighting, Dewi,

especially with all the pups between the legs of the adults - I can in fact imagine their yips

That vulture feast is also very well captured

Awesome sighting.

Photo 8 shows the grins nicely!

Amazing series of the interaction, and even better that the pups were there too!

I see the one adult has more black than brown over his whole body. Wonder if he is just dirty

Also the puppies

Thanks for your comments RP, Lis, Pumbaa, Stefan9, Puff Addy, Flutt's & Alf.

Alf wrote:I see the one adult has more black than brown over his whole body. Wonder if he is just dirty

He is a she Alf and she's the Apha female - mother to the 13 pups. You'll get to meet her properly in a bit.

Lisbeth wrote:Also the puppies

Pups are naturally darker in colout Lis. They lighten as they get older.

Southern African wild dogs are larger & lighter coloured than their Northern counterparts in Kenya, Tanzania etc. They are also more "colourful" in appearance.

Lisbeth wrote:Amazing to see the puppies in the middle of the pack, obviously at a learning stage, and then left behind until they are big enough, when the real stuff starts

The pups will join in the pre-hunt display and foray further afield with the adults as they get older. From 6 to 7 weeks they only go a few hundred metres from the den, but after that, can range up to a couple of kilometres before turning back before eventually joining in, if lagging behind quite a bit, as they grow older.

The adults will feed them until around a year old, by which time, they feed themselves at kills.