Hunting Trials: Video
Published by Wildcaster 1 month, 1 week ago Tags: adventure, africa, african, african birds, animal, animal kingdom, animals, birding, birding african birds, birds, blog, blogumentary, bush, bush knowledge, conservation, documentary, dog, ecotraining, education, endangered species, experience, experience adventure, film, filmmaker, flickr, GLTP, gonarezhou, Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, hunting, impala, IUCN Red List, kill, malilangwe, mashable, narrowcasting, nature, Open Content Alliance, pamushana, peace parks, photo, photos, podcasting, predators, puppy, teach, video, vultures, wild dogs, wildcast, wildcasting, wilderness, wildlife, wildlife documentary, youtube, zimbabwe.
Hmmmmm……….. Sunday, a day of leisure and chilling out? Not quite. The dogs don’t take Sundays off so how can I?
Even so they were off to a slow start this morning and ended up at Khayeni pan for a quick drink, until the alpha male spotted some impala in the distance. The pups noticed his stare but couldn’t see the impala. Instead they saw a lone wildebeest bull standing much closer. Thinking this to be the target dad had acquired, they took over the hunt but soon came up short when the bull didn’t run or even pay them the slightest bit of attention.
Then they turned their attention to some zebra close by and it seemed to be working when one turned and walked away from them. But only briefly, and then confronted them.
This hunting thing just wasn’t working for them. The animals are supposed to run away.
Actually I wonder what the dogs would do if an impala stood it’s ground against them? It might just get away with it.
Then in the background impala were suddenly running with the Puzzles and the male after them. The pups started to chase but soon gave up when the adults and impala disappeared in the distance. They now had to wait for their return. But in the meantime the zebra had decided to check out the pups. Not quite what they’d planned or wanted. The pups moved off.
Shortly Puzzles returned and rested up with the pups.
About 10minutes later the male returned and the pups took off to beg from him. He’d killed and regurgitated for them, then rested up. Why didn’t he take them to his kill?
Anyway all still looked fairly well fed and the pups were now quite happy to play.
Soon temperatures warmed up sending the pack into the shade to rest for the day.
In the late afternoon, before the dogs even got active, the vultures were landing in trees around them waiting to join them on the hunt.
The pack only got active after sunset and I left them as it got dark, still on the hunt. The moon is over half, so no doubt they’ll hunt into the night.
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I enjoyed seeing the pups confronting the wildie and zebra. Would love to see them hunt.
Sundays are not a day of rest for these guys. Quite a lot of action to take in. When will the pups usually actually be able to hunt for themselves?
the pups will only be able to keep up with the adults when they’re 8 to 10months old. then the real hunting begins. but with the impala lambing season starting in mid november, no doubt the pups will be making their first kills then.
Hi Kim,
Do wild dogs ever go for larger animals than the impala? If the animal is injured, or sick?
I.
yes they will go for even a wildebeest. but impala are so abundant in our area and just the perfect size for them especially when they are killing on their own.