Half an our after we've left our crocodile sighting, we found three jackels in the open, when suddenly the Wild Dog moved in. We visited this legendary Dog several times in the last years and of corse we've heared all these stories about his jackal family and the hyena. But all the years we saw a lonely Wild Dog, sometimes followed by three jackels. So we thought all these stories are only ranger fables ... until this christmas trip (sorry for this!!!). The Dog started a greeting ceremony with his jackal "friends" and a few minutes later they all started playing. This Wild Dog played with the jackals like a normal house dog! We all sat in the car, with open mouths! Then one single Hyena moved in, they greeted each other and started playing all together, too! After one incredible our of interaction, the Wild Dog stopped playing and started barking. I've never heared such a loud noise in the bush. After a while we could see the reason, three male lions followed by their pride. They walked in very slowly, straight into that the open where the Wild Dog, the Jackals and the Hyena played before. We thought these guys will kill the Dog. But the barking was a warning signal for the Jackals. One female took the pups and moved out.
The other jackel started atacking one of these male lions, he started biting him into his back legs!!! Maybe he thought he is a Wild Dog, too and we couldn't beliefe that this small jackel was sucessful. The Wild Dog could take his chance to run away. These pride gave us a big show, they marked their territory and they've made a mock charge against the hyena but after while the they all lost their interest and moved out. At sightings like this even an experienced photographer can get goose bumps and tears in his eyes. This was our second Christmas Present at Mombo, many thank's to the bush!!! We will never forget this sighting in our life.

Yes i know, there is a bush in front, but this was the first interaction between the Dog and the Hyena. I was excited like a 5 year old child, to see a friendly interaction between three different species.
The rest of this images are completely in the open, I promise!!!