This feature documents a pack of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) during their annual denning season. In the austral winter from July to September, these typically hyperactive animals become semi-sedentary while they produce and raise their young at a den – commonly an abandoned warthog or aardvark burrow in a termite mound surrounded by impenetrable woodland.
Over several months, Adrian Bailey and Robyn Keene-Young staked out a den and watched 11 adults raise a litter of 12 pups (a significant contribution to the beleaguered wild population of around 3000 animals) from black helpless bundles into healthy, pack-minded “painted wolves”.
The story examines the behavior and natural history of wild dogs, and is available as a photo essay, or as a full-length feature. It documents the milestones in the pups’ development, their tentative discovery of other animals (including the resident hooded vultures), their interactions with the rest of the family and the extraordinary commitment of the pack to raising the young. The story illustrates the strong social bonds between pack members, as well as the myths that have led to the demise of one of Africa’s most endangered predators.
View more images at www.baileyphotos.com