Watch the sighting here:
Game ranger Pieter van Wyk filmed this somewhat gruesome video and sent his story to Latest Sightings. He filmed it at MalaMala in the Greater Kruger National Park.
On the hunt
Pieter said, “We’d found a pack of 12 wild dogs, 4 adults and 8 pups… Soon, all four adults left to go hunting.” A short while later, they spotted and chased a scrub hare into a burrow in a termite mound.
With so many mouths to feed, you might think the dogs would move on. However, with the hare’s scent hanging in the air, they opted to stay.
As Pieter comments, one can only imagine the hare’s racing heart.
Clouds of dust
As the video begins, dust rises from the ground. In a comical aside, one of the dogs gets sand flung in it’s face. But what caused it?
As it happened, one of its packmates had entered the burrow and was trying to dig out the hare.
Distressed bleating
Amid the swirling dust, a distressed bleating echoes. Moments later, the dogs emerged from the burrow.
As they turn towards the camera, we see that three of the dogs have the helpless hare clamped in their jaws.
Terrifying teamwork
As pack animals, teamwork is an integral part of wild dog behaviour. And nowhere is that more evident than when they kill their prey.
Often criticised for what followed, they use a ruthlessly efficient killing method that increases the chances of evenly sharing the meal.
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Wild dog teeth evolved specifically to grip and rip flesh. Accordingly, when they seize their prey, the various members arrange themselves to pull from different directions.
In the case of this unfortunate hare, a dog holds either end, while a third bites across its back.
Help needed
Surprisingly, despite the tugging dogs, the hare remains intact. Then help arrives as a fourth dog joins the fray.
With so many mouths enveloping the hair, it is not possible to determine the physics of what followed. Suffice it to say, one moment the four dogs are pulling at the hare, and the next, it snaps in two pieces.
Sharing by tearing
As they separate, we see one of the dogs holding the hare’s front half in its jaws. Another pack member carries off the other half.
With that, we hear Pieter wryly comment, “There’s your kill…”
Africa’s most successful predators
A combination of endurance, strategising and communication make wild dogs Africa’s most successful large predator.
Able to maintain speeds of up to 56 km/h over long distances, few can match their stamina.
Each dog has assigned roles in the chase, actively corralling their prey. They employ dynamic vocal and visual communication to coordinate their assault.
Additionally, they readily adapt their strategy according to the conditions. As seen in the video, their killing method is quick, allowing them to eat before competition, in the form of other predators, arrives.
Finally, despite a male and female hierarchy, they ensure all members are fed regardless of age or rank.
As one of Africa’s most endangered predators, few would disagree that they deserve both our respect and protection.
As Pieter concludes in his telling, “In my opinion, seeing a kill is not something to enjoy or to shy away from. It’s nature at its most raw [form].”