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It has been a year since the BBC Earth nature documentary, Dynasties, aired and much has happened to the painted wolves on the Mana Pools floodplain.
PWF trustee and award-winning wildlife photographer, Nicholas Dyer, has written two moving tributes to Blacktip and Tammy in Africa Geographic’s Online Magazine.
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Tammy
After the death of Tait and the disintegration of her pack, a dispersal group of seven females emerged with two-year-old Tammy as the alpha.
Tragically, none of Tammy’s pups survived, leaving the dynasty in dire straits.
The promise that was Tammy came to end in early September 2019. Painted wolves face many threats from man and other larger predators like lion and spotted hyena. Read Nicholas’ tribute to Tammy HERE.
Blacktip
In Dynasties, Blacktip was portrayed as the power-hungry alpha but in fact, she was an exceptional leader and mother.
“Like her mother before her, Blacktip was an incredible leader, commanding her pack with determination, discipline and even innovation,” Nicholas Dyer, Africa Geographic, Declining Dynasties – Blacktip.
Not only did she significantly contribute to the survival of her species but she also commanded a pack of 30 wolves strong.
It was her Nyakasanga Pack that pioneered the predation on baboons, a never before recorded behaviour.
Blacktip passed away sometime during the rainy season of 2018. She was nine years old and lived to a ripe old age. Read Nick’s tribute to Blacktip HERE.
Packs of Dynasties immortalized in Painted Wolves, A Wild Dog’s Life
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The legacies of these amazing alpha females are preserved in the remarkable coffee table book, Painted Wolves: A Wild Dog’s Life.
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