DENNING

• Wild dog pups are born once a year and, in southern Africa, this typically occurs between the end of April and the beginning of June
• For the 10 - 12 weeks of the denning season the pack will stop its wanderings and become localised around the chosen den site, just until the pups are mobile enough to leave the safety of the den.
• The den will typically be an excavated ant bear hole in the side of a termite mound but can be just a hole in the ground, in a rocky crevice or even in a culvert under a road
• Litter size varies and a litter of 19 from one female has been recorded. However, this is rare and the average litter size is 8-10 pups.
• Typically only the alpha female will produce a litter. However, sometimes another female or even another two females will produce litters. The alpha female may tolerate the other litter or even adopt them and bring them up with her own litter. However, sometimes the alpha female will kill the other pups to ensure better survival chances for her own pups.
• All members of the pack, whether they are related to the alpha pair or not, help to raise the litter. They will go hunting to bring back meat that gets regurgitated to the pups. Some pack members will stay at the den to guard it while the other pack members go off hunting.
• The pups are born blind, the eyes opening after two weeks. They first venture to the dens entrance to investigate their new world at about three weeks old as very shaky bundles of fur.
• The pups will only become fully fledged wild dogs, able to participate in the social interactions of the pack and capable hunters, after a full years apprenticeship with the pack.