They are stunning; there's no question. And the name, "painted wolves", seems so apt.

Axar.az reports citing Western media that their dappled tan and black fur, shot through with flashes of white, dazzles in the sunlight.

You're going to become very familiar with these creatures; you may even fall in love with them, because they will feature in David Attenborough's new blockbuster TV series, Dynasties.

The BBC spent months filming the endangered African wild dogs of Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe, and wildlife photographer Nick Dyer says viewers will be enthralled by the result.

The former London fund manager and marketing executive now dedicates his time and his camera to promoting the animals' conservation, walking with three packs as they roam the floodplain of the Zambezi River.

"During the day, they're mostly asleep but when they wake up, they leap and dance with absolute joy," he tells me. "They have this great social bonding thing we call a greeting ceremony. They're so full of play, especially with their pups, so they're always chasing and pulling each other's tails, which is really great fun to watch."

The first thing you need to know about painted wolves is that they're not wolves, nor, as their more boring name suggests, are they dogs.