This shocking set of photographs shows just how fearsome a pack of wild dog puppies can be.
It’s all about teamwork. Wild dogs hunt in packs and these puppies learn from an early age the art of isolating their prey, wounding them and slowly wearing them out until they are ready for the kill
As they play fight in a puddle the wild puppies appear cuddly and totally adorable but they are actually in training to become killing machines
The action took place in the Zimanga private game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, which has been set up specifically for wildlife photographers.
The bull antelope having failed to fend off the pack is finally brought to ground and the puppies beginning to feed on it even before the poor creature is dead
Wild dogs are a common sight on the plains of southern Africa, where they prey on antelopes and gazelles, but they also eat smaller creatures like cane rats and porcupines
It is the same tactic used by lions and other African predators and when they eventually succeed in isolating an antelope they attack en masse, biting it until the wounded beast is brought to ground.
They might be distantly related to pet dogs found in Europe but these animals are definitely wild and they show no mercy to their prey once it has been targeted
In some of the pictures the animals frolic in puddles of water and appear genuinely harmless but they are some of Africa’s best predators
Nature involves the survival of the fittest and although some of the images are quite grisly the man behind the lens, Hendri Venter, finds them inspiring.
Wild dogs look quite similar to hyenas but they are hunters unlike hyenas, which traditionally feast off the carcasses of animals killed by other predators, like lions
This fully grown wild dog (pictured) is believed to be the alpha male of the pack. He casts his eyes over the scene as the puppies tear into their prey
Wild dogs might not be as fast as cheetahs but they have an impressive turn of speed and are frequently clocked at 40 miles an hour while in full pursuit of their prey
Wild dogs are an endangered species in many parts of southern Africa, although their only predator is man. They are sometimes shot by farmers and can also fall foul of diseases which are spread by domesticated dogs