Category
🐳
AnimalsTranscript
00:00 In Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, an alpha female has pups deep inside a den.
00:07 She and her lifelong mate have raised several litters.
00:17 Many of the older pups are still with them, forming a family pack of 19 dogs.
00:27 It's October, the height of the dry season.
00:31 Each morning and evening, the dogs set off to find food.
00:38 They hunt at dawn and sunset, lolloping after their antelope prey.
00:56 They're long-distance runners, on spindly legs that carry them for miles.
01:02 The pack hunts over a vast swathe of bush covering 200 square miles.
01:12 At the heart of their territory is Hot Springs, a waterhole fed by a geothermal upwelling.
01:26 It's a staging post for herds of antelope migrating through the pack's territory, on their way to the Luangwa River, which lies to the west.
01:36 The pack's strong, plenty of experienced hunters.
01:47 The alpha pair lead the hunt, the rest of the pack, or their offspring, spread out in pursuit.
01:55 They're a tight-knit team, and rely on each other to bring down enough prey to feed the family.
02:13 [music]
02:17 While cheetahs sprint, leopards ambush, and lions overpower their prey.
02:42 Wild dogs simply keep running.
02:45 As one dog tires, another takes up the lead.
02:59 Together, they have the stamina to exhaust their quarry.
03:08 Back at the den, the seven pups wait patiently for breakfast.
03:13 They're only four months old, too young to join in the hunt.
03:18 As the dry season progresses, they get more confident and spend more time outside the den.
03:25 One patient adult stays with them to babysit, until the other adults return, successfully.
03:35 They bring meat for the pups, but a meal only increases their energy levels.
03:43 Life's a game, but all the time they're honing behavior that'll stand them in good stead as adults.
03:51 Vultures make great target practice.
04:03 Scientists follow and monitor the pack using radio collars.
04:07 This is the alpha female's third litter.
04:11 She's proving to be a good mom, but it's tiring work.
04:16 The pack spends the day resting in the shade near the den.
04:22 There's always something new for the pups to experience.
04:26 After this morning's vultures, they battle squadrons of bees.
04:32 The bees are searching for water, and the pups' eyes and mouths are under attack.
04:38 Time to go.
04:44 The pups join the adults, leaving their den behind for the first time.
04:52 The pack is now able to roam over a much larger area, following their food.
05:01 Wild dogs need huge areas to live in, and are very rare.
05:07 Luangwa in Zambia is one of their last strongholds, but even here there are only a dozen or so packs.
05:16 Over most of Africa, they are in serious decline, with only a few hundred packs left.
05:25 This may be one of the last generations before extinction.
05:31 As November approaches, rainstorms bring great change to the Luangwa Valley.
05:49 Over the next few months, the dogs' dusty home is transformed into a wetland paradise.
05:57 Fresh grass grows everywhere, the antelopes scatter across the savannah, and the dogs follow.
06:13 For a few months, they disappear into a flooded landscape of swamps and islands.
06:20 By May, the rains have passed, and once more the dogs' world begins to dry.
06:32 But the pack itself has undergone big changes over the wet season.
06:39 The dog pack has dwindled from 19 to 12.
06:43 Some of the older offspring have left to try and start their own family, and one of the pups has died.
06:51 The remaining six pups are now a year old, almost adult size, but still very dependent.
06:59 In human terms, they're like adolescents.
07:06 The two parents mark their territory together, reaffirming their bond.
07:12 The yearling pups still beg for food.
07:21 They tag along on hunts now, but are more of a hindrance than a help.
07:28 The alpha male is aging, his days as lead hunter are numbered.
07:35 But the mother is still strong, and the family obediently follows her.
07:41 [music]
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