[soft calming music] [dramatic instrumental music] - [Announcer] Nature is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and biannual financial support from viewers like you.

- It's pretty well established that the domestic dogs we live with and love so much evolved from the ancient wolf.

In Africa, however, there's a dog with a completely different ancestry.

It's not as nice as our dogs, and therefore, it's been persecuted by us humans until it's now listed as endangered.

Maybe as few as 10,000 still survive.

It's called the African wild dog.

And it probably descended from a jackal-like ancestor.

But even though the African wild dog has a terrible reputation, it's actually a fascinating animal full of character.

They have strong individual personalities, which lead to intriguing relationships marked by loyalty, contention, and even humor.

[soft calming music] These are some of the most efficient predators in Africa, and among the most endangered.

You are watching some of the last survivors.

Ours is a story of two sisters.

Alpha is the dominant female.

She's recently had a litter of nine puppies.

Her sister, Beta, is pregnant.

And this is where our story begins.

There's tension in the air.

Only the dominant female has the privilege of motherhood.

If another female does have pups, the top female will usually kill them.

The pack just can't feed too many puppies.

These predators are not perceived as elegant like the cheetah or noble like the lion.

They've been reviled as pests and shot on site.

But long-term studies, like those of our filmmaker, are revealing their true nature.

These are the wild dogs of Africa.

[soft calming music intensifies] Wild dogs were once widespread in Africa, but shrinking wilderness has left the Serengeti Plain as one of their last remaining strongholds.

The dogs are nomad, roaming the vast grassland in search of food.

But when the pups arrive, they settle down for a few months.

The distinctly marked Snow White is excited by the new event in the pack.

Beta has just given birth.

Alpha's puppies are now four weeks old, so she can leave them to go investigate her sister's litter.

Beta must be submissive to Alpha, though she is unsure what will happen to her pups once Alpha finds them.

Meanwhile, Alpha's puppies are so irresistible that Snow White tries to get close to them.

She's nervous because Alpha is very protective of her pups.

But Snow White enjoys herself because she can see that Alpha is busy.

Beta creeps and cowers in gestures of submission toward her dominant sister.

Snow White's fun comes to a sudden end.

She shakes her head in deference to the returning Alpha.

The dominant female has decided what to do about her sister's pups, and it's something very unusual.

Alpha moves her own pups into Beta's den.

Beta's newborn and Alpha's older pups now become one litter, and they will all belong to Alpha.

The dominant female has decided to raise her pups and her sister's.

While Alpha continues to transfer the pups, Beta, locked out of her own den, can only watch from a distance.

Alpha doesn't like Snow White being so close to the pups.

Alpha's mate, the dominant Mayo, lends his support.

Together, they chase off Snow White.

Barred from her four pups, it's a nervous cringing Beta that now faces her sister.

[soft calming music] Beta cannot challenge her sister.

She's outranked.

Snow White goes over to Beta and gives her a friendly nuzzle of reassurance.

Alpha finishes moving the pups, and Beta whimpers in frustration.

Wild dogs have their litters during the rainy season when millions of wildebeest flood onto the Serengeti.

[soft calming music] Snow White continues to try to cheer up Beta.

Wild dogs greet each other by face licking.

Before the hunt, the whole pack joins in a ceremony which helps bond the team together.

The intensity of the greeting, the cries, and the kissing seem to stir the blood and reinforce their unity.

Beta and Alpha will remain behind while the rest of the pack sets off.

The hunt has begun.

Working as a highly coordinated unit, they approach shoulder to shoulder.

Wild dogs are small predators, but they make up for this by teamwork.

And while many hunters rely on the element of surprise, the African wild dog just picks up speed and keeps on coming.

They can easily reach a speed of 30 miles an hour and sustain it for more than three and a half miles.

[rhythmic dramatic instrumental music] The lead dog sets the pace, but the front runner will change as the wildebeest alters course.

Only minutes from capture and the victim is dead, swiftly and efficiently killed.

They take their share quickly before the scavengers move in.

Back at the den, Beta watches from a distance as Alpha tries to suckle both litters of puppies.

Beta's puppies, younger and smaller, have trouble competing with Alpha's larger ones.

It seems they're going hungry so close to plenty.

Understandably, their true mother is anxious for them.

But when Alpha's pups have had their fill, the younger ones finally manage to suckle, and Beta relaxes.

Beta nods her head to appease the passing Alpha.

While Alpha marks the grass, her sister makes a clandestine approach to the pups.

Alpha will have none of it.

Once again, Beta has no choice but to be submissive.

On the plains, the pups are vulnerable to many predators, such as the spotted hyena.

The returning hunters now become a rescue team and rush back to the den.

Hyenas are also competitors for food, frequently stealing from the wild dogs after a hunt.

The enemy is shown no sympathy.

Snow White is especially persistent.

Eventually, the dog's tire of the chase, and the hyena is left to nurse its wounds in peace.

The den has started to smell, an attraction to predators, so Alpha has decided to move the puppies.

But they're heavy, and she has trouble getting a firm grip.

Beta watches the transfer intently.

Despite Alpha's rank and experience, she's not very skillful at carrying pups.

The pups freeze instinctively, no matter where she grabs them.

This pup gets a very rough ride.

Miraculously, no harm done.

She holds each pup firmly, but delicately.

Beta decides to help, but she has learned even less about moving pups.

Just as Beta gets the knack, Alpha notices what's going on.

Alpha finishes the job.

The rest of the pack has just returned from hunting and Beta rushes over to them for comfort.

They settle down by the new den.

Alpha greets her mate and begs food from him.

With so many pups to feed, she's constantly hungry.

But his priority is the growing pups.

They're now old enough to eat solid food, and all the adults will help feed them, regurgitating meat from the hunt.

Even Alpha must compete with the youngsters for a few scraps.

[calming instrumental music] Due to the pack's hunting prowess, this rolling tangle of puppies is growing fast.

A white-necked raven drops in, hoping for some scraps.

It's an object of curiosity.

Beta's pups have to put up with the rougher play of Alpha's older ones.

Snow White sneaks in to greet one of the pugs, but quickly leaves when Alpha approaches to nurse them.

Beta's pups are now large enough to compete for space at the first feeding.

Snow White hears plaintive cries from the den.

[pup crying and whimpering] A pup must be buried.

Snow White attempts a rescue.

Alpha realizes there's trouble.

The pup is in imminent danger of suffocation and every second counts.

A more efficient digger, she takes over the search.

It's still alive.

The pups are scattered, and Snow White grabs the opportunity for a playful romp.

She seeks approval to stay with the pups, and seems to get it.

Beta is even more distressed now, since Snow White has been given permission to play with her pups.

Snow White enjoys all the attention, while their true mother can only watch in frustration.

Alpha is nowhere to be seen.

For a moment, Beta can, at last, get to her own family.

[soft calming music] Now that the pups are older, Alpha has left them to join the hunt.

At least one adult must stay behind to babysit.

This time, it's Beta.

They try to feed from her, but by now, her milk has ceased to flow.

Though she's unable to suckle them, she can still partake in some of the pleasures of motherhood.

Finally, Beta has the opportunity to greet and groom her own offspring.

The pack sets out to hunt.

Thomson's gazelles, or tommies, are a favorite prey, but not an easy catch.

Wild dogs only catch about half of the animals they target.

But as predators go, that's an excellent record.

Despite their stamina and speed, wild dogs do not rely on outrunning their prey.

They depend upon cooperation and on choosing an individual that's within their capability.

A healthy adult tommie has a way of telling his pursuers they're wasting their time.

The gazelle stots during the chase.

The better he stots, the fitter he appears to be.

The dogs may then switch their attention to another.

The pack has focused on an easier catch, a fawn.

It's too small a meal for a pack with hungry pups to feed.

Later, they'll have to hunt again.

Beta is enjoying her time alone with the pups.

The rest of the pack is spending the night away from the den.

[calming instrumental music] The pack returns in the morning fog.

The pups are fed first, but Beta is hungry and begs Snow White for something to eat.

[soft calming music] Exhausted from the hunt, Alpha goes to the den for a nap.

Beta sees her chance.

Surprisingly, she seizes this opportunity to steal her pups back.

She begins to move them to a den of her own.

Just one or two more to go.

But Alpha wakes up before the transfer is complete.

And she is not pleased.

Beta greets Alpha submissively as if nothing were going on.

Then she hurries to finish moving her pups.

Beta only needs to claim one more pup, but Alpha stands firm between the dens.

Beta is determined to carry on, but her sister is moving in for confrontation.

Alpha takes possession of the pup, oblivious to Beta's anguish.

The rules of wild dog society are unyielding, and enforcement is strict.

Alpha has now collected all the puppies together and is coaxing them to follow her to a new den.

They've never had to walk to a new den before and are a little hesitant.

But Alpha's calls encourage them to follow.

The new den is full of tiny caves to explore.

Squeezing through is much more fun than walking around.

A cool shady archway is a great discovery.

Alpha finds the barrage of sharp new teeth uncomfortable.

As the youngsters get older, there is less tension between Alpha and Beta.

Beta will soon be able to approach the pups.

Just like all the pack members, she, too, will be responsible for their care until they become adults.

Snow White gives Beta a warm greeting.

Now all three females of the pack are in harmony.

The pups are not quite ready to go out hunting yet, but they are old enough to be left alone while the adults are away.

[dramatic instrumental music] Wild dogs have a completely unfounded reputation as savage killers.

Death is a natural part of the relationship between predator and prey.

And these hunters are efficient, killing only what they need.

Hunger drives a hyena into the frenzy.

But this one has misjudged the opposition.

Snow White, Alpha, Beta, and all four males have worked hard for this meal, and hardly a morsel will be wasted.

Lappet-faced vultures follow the fortunes of the wild dog pack day after day.

Their presence lends a somber elegance to the scene.

The well-fed dogs playfully tease one another for the last scraps.

In their play, the youngsters are establishing rank among themselves.

When the hunters return to the den, the pups set off excitedly to welcome them.

After the joy of the greeting when everyone is finished jumping, nuzzling, and kissing, the meal can begin.

As the dry season approaches, the days become hotter.

A weary hunter finds welcome shade.

The heat is oppressive for the youngsters as well.

But there isn't enough room for the adults and all 13 pups under the archway.

The dogs notice a change on the plain.

The last stragglers of this year's migrating herds are leaving, heading north for better grazing.

[soft calming music] The Serengeti has become dry, dusty.

This is the time when the lives of the pups will change forever.

With the exodus of prey, it's time for the pack to move on.

They become nomads again, moving to wherever they can find food.

The pups must join them as wanderers in the African wilderness.

The pups now play the last games of their youth.

A gesture, a call, or a touch, the unknown signal is given and the pack moves out.

It will now roam over a vast area, 1000 square miles or more.

All the conflicts within the pack have been resolved, creating a unity essential to its future.

But the future of the wild dog is bleak.

Due to hunting and habitat loss, these affectionate and intelligent animals may soon be extinct.

Only the most extreme conservation efforts offer any possibility of saving the wild dogs of Africa.

[soft calming music] In addition to the human threats, wild dogs are being wiped out by diseases such rabies and distemper.

Ironically, the same greeting ceremonies that help bond the pack together also help spread disease from one member to another.

Two months after our pack left the den, they all died.

[soft calming music] - [Announcer] Nature is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and biannual financial support from viewers like you.

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