Thought we would share some additional images from this adventure. In particular our time with a pack of Wild Dogs, the most endangered species in Africa was particularly memorable. These critters are actually more closely related to wolves. An up to date description is Painted Wolf. They live in very structured packs of 10 - 25 animals and follow very strict codes of behavior within the pack to ensure survival. The pack we found had 19 dogs, nine of which were "puppies" less than a year old but already pretty much full size as you can see. This pack was also a bit in disarray as the dominant female of the pack (and pack leader ) had disappeared (presumably killed) only days before we found them on the trail. The kudu kill we witnessed was remarkable in its efficiency and especially the ritual of how the kill was divided and devoured by the pack members. By code of conduct the young puppies eat their fill at every meal first! Only after the puppies are satiated will the adults move in to get their share. This is done quite practically to ensure that the pack young survive through their first year to become full fledged members and contribute to the daily hunts. Typically the pack of this size will need to make a kill twice a day.
