A chronoswiss on sale den with eight new wild dog pups has been discovered in a reserve in Botswana. What kind of creatures will these pups grow up to be and what challenges do these magnificent endangered animals face? Early in August a den with three young wild dog pups was discovered in the Kwando Reserve armand nicolet tramelan watches for sale in northern Botswana. The very next day a further five pups could be seen - an exciting and encouraging sight for lovers of wildlife hamilton 950 watches for sale who are fascinated by this endangered species. These pups will grow up to be tall, lean animals with large bat-like ears and a bushy tail with a white tip. This tail, together with its colourful, patchy coat, explains why wild dog are also referred to as ¡®painted dogs'. African safari specialists Safari Consultants offer Botswana safari holidays to destinations such as the Kwando Reserve. Sightings of the new-born pups at the Kwando Reserve will be rare for the first three weeks of their lives; a time during which they will remain hidden from view in the den. Surrounded by highly-sociable pack members the young creatures will be well-cared for by the rest of the clan; even adopted pups are looked after. Weaning As well as being hidden from view, the pups will also be hard to hear during their first fortnight of existence. But when they start weaning they also start whining. This, combined with bites, chuckles and nudges, is their sophisticated - and highly effective - way of begging for food. Older wild dog will respond to these prompts - regurgitating the food they have hunted to provide the pups with some much-needed nutrition. Hunting replica fake breitling watches for sale zenith chronomaster star open Wild dog pups would rather beg energetically than fight for food but this non-aggression does not extend to their prey species; they are highly-efficient hunters and can hunt animals much larger than themselves. Pursuing prey in long, open chases, the wild dog ¡®kill rate' is far higher than that of the lion. Lions will sometimes steal wild dog kills, and as with most competitive species, will kill them too if given the chance. Dwindling numbers Wild dog's large pack size and ability to hunt together in large numbers comes in useful. But whereas once there were 500,000 African wild dog in 39 countries, now there are thought to be under 6,000 in fewer than 25 countries. There are several reasons for the decline in the wild dog population. Larger carnivores, such as spotted hyaena and lion, compete for the same prey species, and human population and habitat cheap breguet watches loss also threaten the existence of the species. However, the biggest threat comes from in-breeding and the consequent susceptibility to diseases such as canine distemper and rabies. This will only increase as the areas over which they range diminish. The Kwando Reserve The Kwando Reserve in northern Botswana (where the new wild dog pups have been born) is one of the best places in Africa to see them in the wild. The whole region in which Kwando is situated offers excellent chances to replica watches audemars piguet see other big game too. This is particularly true in the dry season when herds of zebra, buffalo and elephant become reliant on the river system for water until the summer rains start again. And of course, towards the end franck muller vegas online of the rains, is the time when the packs Alpha female will seek out a suitable den in which to pup again. Perhaps you might see some of these pups running about by the time the dry season is in full swing next year.