The incredible moment was filmed by Maryke Scheun in Thornybush Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger Park.
Wild dogs respond to call of alpha pair
Maryke described the moment: “A pack of young wild dogs crossed to private land to hunt impala when the alpha pair called them back home.”
As she explained, the younger pack members had been out hunting when they had been called home by the alpha pack members.
The calls of a wild dog alpha pair carry remarkable power across the bushveld. These act as a beacon which can reunite scattered pack members over surprisingly long distances.
Pack members gather by fence
The pack members were quick to respond to the calls of the alpha pair. They gathered at the edge of the fence, and communicated between themselves.
Wild dogs communicate through a variety of vocalisations, body language, and their distinctive high-pitched twittering calls, which help reunite scattered pack members. Their large, rounded ears provide excellent hearing and also help regulate body temperature in the African heat.
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A sterling example of teamwork
Unlike many other carnivores, wild dogs depend entirely on teamwork for their survival. Every member of the pack has an important role.
The alpha male and alpha female are the dominant breeding pair, and the rest of the pack helps raise their pups, guard them, and even feed them by regurgitating food after a successful hunt.
This level of cooperation is one of the reasons wild dogs enjoy some of the highest hunting success rates of any large predator, often catching prey in more than 70 percent of their pursuits.
Wild dogs find a way to get past the fence
Having gathered by the fence, the pack members then demonstrated extreme agility.
One of them bent to crawl beneath the fence, squeezing underneath it with surprising skill.
This pack member then ran across the open sandy road with a jovial gait. It was homeward bound and it seemed, happily so.
Now it was time for the other pack members to follow suit.
One by one, they crouched down, making their bodies small so that they could fit beneath the fence.
A species joined by exceptional bonds
Wild dogs, also known as African painted dogs, are skilled and social predators.
They live in tightly bonded packs, such as this one. These packs typically range from six to twenty individuals, and rely on exceptional teamwork rather than strength to hunt.
Unlike many other carnivores, injured, sick, or elderly pack members are often fed by healthier individuals, highlighting their remarkable cooperative nature.
The determination of these wild dogs highlighted the extraordinary social bonds which make the species one of the most cooperative predators in the bushveld.
Having passed under the fence, they were then reunited with the alpha pair.
“Seeing them on private land made all the guests very nervous and everyone was very relieved to see them back on the Greater Kruger property,” Maryke told Latest Sightings.
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