Art, obsession, and identity
The African wild dog is the largest wild canine in Africa. Possessed of strong social bonds, this animal is a specialized pack hunter of common medium-sized antelopes which it captures by using its stamina and cooperative hunting to exhaust them.
When hyenas stalk an animal that is bigger than themselves, they mostly hunt in packs, which can number as many as 130 individuals.
Of all the big cats, lions are the only species that take part in collaborative hunts, as members of a pride rather than a pack.
A species of canine native to North America, the coyote is a smaller relative of the wolf. When hunting large prey, the coyote often works in pairs or small groups.
A native of Australia, the dingo is a wild canine, in fact an ancient breed of domestic dog. Dingo packs can number up to seven individuals, though desert areas have smaller groups of dingoes. A breeding male will be seen as the leader, or alpha.
Among the most sociable of cetaceans, beluga whales will typically form small pods of 10 members, though groups of up to 25 have been observed. They are cooperative animals and frequently hunt in coordinated groups to round up anything from octopus and squid to shrimp and a wide variety of fish.
The orca, also called killer whale, is one of the ocean's most skilled and successful apex predators. Intelligent and highly social, they are sometimes referred to as the "wolves of the sea" because they hunt in groups like wolf packs.
Native to Central, South, East and Southeast Asia, the dhole is a highly social animal that is also known as the Asian or Indian wild dog. Groups of dhole are called clans and hunt in relays, their preferred prey being deer like sambar, chital, and muntjac.
One of the very few raptors known to hunt in cooperative groups of two to six, Harris's hawk, named in honor of English ornithologist Edward Harris (1799–1863), is a medium-large bird of prey that breeds from the southwestern United States south to Chile, central Argentina, and Brazil.
Found widespread across the African savanna, the bat-eared fox will hunt in groups when chasing down small rodents and lizards. However, this small, sleek canid has a preference for harvester termites, which can constitute 80–90% of its diet.
Crocodiles are the most social of reptiles and while they don't form specific groups will often congregate and stalk prey in certain areas of a river. Cuban crocodiles (pictured) are known to form a dominance hierarchy based on gender, size and temperament.
Unlike many other mongoose species, banded mongooses live together in packs of seven to 40 individuals with a complex social structure. They forage in groups, but each member searches for food alone.
Dolphins adopt military style tactics when pursuing their prey. During group, or pod, hunts, one dolphin will take on the role of 'driver', harrying shoals of small fish towards a waiting cordon of 'barrier' dolphins.
The chimpanzee lives in groups that range in size from 15 to 150 members. Forest chimpanzees tend to share meat more actively and more frequently, and will hunt methodically and aggressively in securing their meal.
A wolf pack is structured with a complex social hierarchy, with alpha wolves leading the pack. The size of a wolf hunting pack is related to the number of pups that survived the previous winter.
The African wild dog has been listed as Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List since 1990.
Hunters and scavengers, hyenas have some of the strongest jaws in the animal kingdom. The spotted hyena, for example, has a fearsome bite force of 1100 psi, which is stronger than most animals and all other hyena species.
The lioness usually initiates the kill, using teamwork to stalk, surround, and kill their prey. Male lions sometimes join the hunt, but very often claim first bite as lazy recipients of the spoils.
The coyote is an opportunist omnivore, eating what is available—a diet that includes mice, rabbits, squirrels, frogs, and lizards. They've even been observed killing porcupines by working in pairs to flip the hapless rodents onto their backs before attacking the soft underbelly.
Dingoes generally eat small to medium native mammals, but will also take birds, insects, and even fish. The species is listed as Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Playful and curious, beluga whales can be seen constantly vocalizing and swimming around each other, and are totally adapted to life in the arctic.
Found in all oceans and most seas, the orca's varied prey including fish, cephalopods, mammals, seabirds, and sea turtles. They've also been known to take whale calves in highly coordinated and prolonged attacks.
Habitat loss, markdown of prey, competition with other species, and persecution due to livestock predation, are some of the reasons the dhole is listed by the IUCN as Endangered.
The hawk's unusual collective hunting technique is probably due to the birds having to adapt to the lack of prey in the desert climate in which they live.
But even when foraging for its favorite snack, the bat-eared fox is likely to work in groups, sometimes up to 15 individuals from different families.
When dealing with venomous snakes such as cobras however, banded mongooses display a united front in bringing down their quarry.
Once the fish have rolled themselves into a so-called bait ball—a tightly packed spherical formation about a common center—the dolphins take it in turns propelling themselves through the school to feed.
During an arboreal hunt for small monkeys, each male chimpanzee in the hunting groups has a role, the idea being to corral prey into an ambush zone. It can be noisy, vicious, and bloody.
Sources: (IUCN Red List) (African Wildlife Foundation) (Smithsonian Institution) (AZ Animals) (Nature Journal)
See also: What are arboreal animals?
When thinking of animals that hunt in packs, the wolf is usually the creature that springs to mind. All species of wolf hunt in this manner. In fact of all members of the genus Canis, the wolf is most specialized for cooperative game hunting.
Alligators are also known to hunt in cooperative groups, swimming in a semi-circle to herd fish closer to shore, where other gators snap them up for lunch before reversing the role.
Pack hunters are predatory animals that hunt their prey by working together with other members of their species to secure a kill. Adopting focused and highly skilled tactics, these animals will group together to chase their quarry in a so-called collective method of hunting, which often involves stalking prey for hours, the idea being to tire the pursued into submission. Or it can mean a quick coordinated ambush of devastating efficiency. Either way, these are animals that come together for a common cause—to catch, kill, and eat! So what wildlife is most effective in working together to run down a meal?
Click through and join the hunt.
Running down a meal: animals that hunt in packs
Safety—and success—in numbers
LIFESTYLE Wildlife
Pack hunters are predatory animals that hunt their prey by working together with other members of their species to secure a kill. Adopting focused and highly skilled tactics, these animals will group together to chase their quarry in a so-called collective method of hunting, which often involves stalking prey for hours, the idea being to tire the pursued into submission. Or it can mean a quick coordinated ambush of devastating efficiency. Either way, these are animals that come together for a common cause—to catch, kill, and eat! So what wildlife is most effective in working together to run down a meal?
Click through and join the hunt.