A Dog’s Life

A Dog's Life combines classic wildlife cinematography with an intimate approach to deliver a comprehensive portrait of this endangered and largely misunderstood species. Wolhuter’s persistence in gaining the pack’s acceptance eventually pays off, enabling him to capture compelling sequences of rarely filmed behaviour. The military-style tactics employed by pack adults on the hunt and the extraordinary lengths they go to in feeding and caring for their young are revealed. We also see footage of day-old pups being dragged from the den and enduring a ferocious assault from rival pups. But the little ones not only survive this violent and rarely seen initiation ceremony, they thrive, eventually expanding the Wild dog clan into a formidable hunting unit.

The film goes on to portray the pack’s hazardous confrontations with lions – mortal enemies determined to kill every wild dog they can - and with the reserve’s hyenas. Surprisingly, the far more powerful hyena has a rivalry with the smaller but combative Wild dog that borders on the absurd. The two species dart and jab one another in the bush, an exercise in futility which appears to have no reason except for amusement – there is rarely any serious aggression between the two species. The dogs just seem to enjoy making mischief.