Ateeb Hussain, 38 years old, was fortunate to witness and capture a rare and incredible moment in nature while visiting the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.
A mother wild dog running, holding her small pup in her mouth.
Ateeb Hussain shared: “This is the time of the annual wildebeest migration; we couldn’t miss it and arrived in the morning. We received information about a nearby leopard and a potential conflict, so we were heading there. On the way, we spotted a mother wild dog running, carrying her little pup in her mouth. We stopped at a reasonable distance and observed as the guide explained that the wild dog family was moving to find a new den.”
The wild dog stopped running, set her pup down on the ground, and began to survey the area. The guide noted that wild dogs usually don’t mind hunting vehicles and are comfortable approaching closely. However, in this case, the mother wild dog appeared quite tense and anxious.
Moments later, a Tawny Eagle suddenly appeared, swooping down to grab the puppy, but the mother wild dog was quicker, bending down to shield her pup.
The eagle swoops in to attack, but the mother dog is quicker, bending down to protect her pup.
The eagle did not give up; it landed some distance away from the mother and pup, keeping a watchful eye. It attempted to strike a few more times, but each time, the mother wild dog thwarted its efforts.
After several failed attempts, the eagle finally managed to catch the small dog. Ateeb Hussain noted that the decisive action happened quickly, lasting only a few seconds.
The eagle seized the puppy, and the mother wild dog dashed after it, refusing to give up on saving her child. After flying a short distance, the eagle unexpectedly dropped the puppy, providing the mother with an opportunity. She seized the moment and caught up with her fallen pup.
The eagle unexpectedly drops the puppy, and the mother dog rushes to catch her child.
“It was indeed a heart-stopping moment; luckily, it was the right time and place. The mother dog caught her pup. We were overwhelmed with joy witnessing the event. In the bustling Maasai Mara during this season, we all felt fortunate to witness such a rare sight in nature,” said Ateeb Hussain.
The mother and pup appeared to be unharmed after the incident. According to Ateeb Hussain, the eagle did not manage to grip the puppy tightly, which is why it dropped its prey. Ateeb’s group continued to observe the eagle and discovered that it persistently tried again and again to snatch the puppy, but after a couple of unsuccessful attempts, it gave up and flew away. “We followed the wild dogs for about a kilometer until the mother and pup reunited with their family at a new location. The entire spectacle lasted about an hour,” shared Ateeb Hussain.
