A day in the life of African Wild Dogs (aka: African Painted Dogs)

The highly endangered African Wild Dogs are highly social, with packs led by the alpha female, which is the oldest female, larger than the males, and she leads the pack. Breeding in the pack excludes all the other pack members, and is dominated by the alpha female and alpha male.



The alpha male is often the oldest male, but a strong, younger, but mature male will often dethrone the oldest males at the end of their adult lives. *Unlike lions, which must leave the pride once defeated by a younger male, the dethroned wild dog males will often continue to run as a regular member of the pack until their death.



African Wild Dogs are diurnal hunters (Daytime). Very young pups will remain in the den, while two or three adults take it in turns to babysit the pups when the pack goes hunting. Older pups will run with a pack, but will remain behind the action during a hunt, and will often play with each other while they wait for the adults to return.



While the dogs played, two adults suddenly spotted some potential prey, started to pay close attention.



Deciding that there was potential for a kill, but seeing wide, open ground before them, typically for their species, they dropped their heads, concentrating intensely on the job at hand, and started stalking the prey.



Wild Dogs are apex killers, with a very high success rate of 70% - 80% (*Unlike lions, which only average about 20% success rate), and by using cleverly positioned decoys who doubled back inside the distant thicket, they flushed out an adult, male impala, which sprinted for its life across the large open area.

Using their superior stamina, the dogs gave chase, and eventually caught up to the exhausted impala, which they surrounded, systematically grabbing the hapless antelope.



Unlike the Big Cats which strangle their prey, these wild dogs started by grabbing the head to hold it from escaping, while the others attacked the abdominal region, and started ripping pieces of skin and flesh while the traumatised animal was still alive!



*According to the scientists, the trauma of this process, coupled with huge adrenalin rush, actually kills the animal far quicker, and more humanely than brutal strangulation. 

During this stage of a kill, it was each dog for themselves, with little regard for the other wild dogs around them, using their carnassial teeth (triangular cutting teeth on the sides of the jaw) to tear, and swallow chunks of meat, until their stomachs bulged.





The excitement and movement of the kill quickly attract the scavengers, such as Bateleurs (Short-tailed Eagles) vultures, Yellowbill Kites, and even Tawny Eagles which swooped down, snatching scraps, and like this Hooded Vulture which needed to be chased off by a member of the pack.



A group of six or eight adults can catch, and completely consume an entire adult impala (Medium sized antelope - 40kilos – 75 kilos) in less than ten minutes.



After all the meat had been consumed, adults continued until even the skin had been totally consumed.



Returning from the hunt, the pups excitedly crowded around the adults, emitting high-pitched yelps and squeals, licking the mouths of the adults, precipitating the regurgitation of chunks of meat, which the pups gobbled up hungrily.



After all the action of the kill, the whole pack ran around excitedly, playing, chasing and generally winding down from all the excitement that had just occurred.





Tim Driman is a South African wildlife photographer, FGASA trained game ranger, and adventurer who travels in and around the wilderness areas of sub-Saharan Africa with his wife (videographer) - Yvonne, always in search of a new adventures and assignments to document.