The first time I was photographed hunting a colorful baboon wolf.

Most predators in the animal kingdom know that they shouldn't chase prey that will do them serious harm, but African thrush wolves don't seem to care much about this. This week, BBC America's "Dynasty" program introduced the first recorded example of a wolf killing a baboon. This primate is famous for violently retaliating against predators.

Painting wolves, also known as Lycaon pictus, is the scum of African carnivores. Their shoulders are as high as 30 inches (75 cm) and they weigh as high as 55 pounds (25 kg). It can be seen from this intense "dynasty" clip that the wolf in the painting is easily pushed around by the bigger elephant neighbors. Although, almost all animals will escape from angry elephants. )

Despite their gorgeous stripes, cute and silly ears and charming behavior, people know little about these wild canines, which are one of the most endangered mammals in the world. According to the data of the World widlife Foundation, there are only about 6,600 colored wolves in the wild, and the number is still decreasing. [Photo: Zimbabwe's majestic painted wolf]

Although short in stature, the painted wolf is an excellent hunter, capable of killing fast and agile antelopes and impala twice the size.

Anecdotal evidence shows that painted wolves can also kill baboons, but rarely. Generally speaking, baboons are unpopular prey for most carnivores, because primates can cause serious injuries or death with their sharp 2-inch (5 cm) canine teeth.

But scientists and the film crew of Dynasty found that the painted wolves in Zimbabwe's Mana Ashida National Park were different.

Researchers and film crews tracked two groups of painted wolves for nearly two years, and recorded more than 170 incidents in which their prey was killed, most of which were impala and baboon. After about a year's observation, the researchers noticed that both wolves began to show a preference for baboons, rather than the larger and more valuable impala.

Researchers suspect that colored wolves have changed their food preferences because they pose less environmental risks. After the confrontation between baboons and impala,

For example, in the rainy season, the large-scale movement of elephants on the floodplain will leave huge and deep footprints in the mud. Once these footprints are dry, they will become a dangerous obstacle for colored wolves to chase impala at full speed.

It is also important that African carnivores like to put impala on the menu and don't mind adding a wolf side dish. In Mana Ashida National Park, there are resident lions, hyenas, leopards and cheetahs-they are bigger and stronger than the painted wolves.

Compared with impala, baboons run relatively slowly, so thrush wolves can catch them without chasing far. But that doesn't mean baboons should be considered easy prey-they must know how to protect themselves. Photos published by BBC researchers in Behavioral Magazine and other photos published by nature photographer Nick Lyon in National Geographic show that wolves have some terrible baboons injured in combat.

The researchers wrote that about ten years ago, in these backpacks, hunting baboons among these two special wolves may have started with the first female baboon. The two painted wolves studied by the researchers included hunting the offspring of female baboons. There are five colored wolves in Mana Ashida National Park, and a hunting guide reported seeing one of them eating a baboon. This shows that hunting baboons is an acquired behavior, which may eventually spread to other ethnic groups. Watch this week's "Dynasty" program and see the actions of these baboon hunters.

By the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) American branch David? Sir David Attenborough's description of this dynasty gives the audience a closer and more personal understanding of the family life of the five most famous endangered animals on earth. At 9: 00 /8: 00 pm EST on Saturday (February 9), the fourth episode of "Draw a Wolf" premiered on BBC America Channel. Viewers can watch the first episode of The Lion online for free.

Look: The fastest animal gallery on land Photo: Ten deadliest animals of Masai Mara lions in Kenya (photos) was originally published in Life Science magazine.