It was a whole new world for these African wild dog puppies as they emerged out of their den for the very first time.

The exciting footage was captured at the Ngala Game Reserve in South Africa as a pack of wild dogs brought their teeny-tiny pups out from their warm den and into the sunlight for the very first time. There are only an estimated 450 to 500 wild dogs in the park, so just seeing a pack is lucky enough. But witnessing an event like this is very much a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those lucky people in the safari vehicles.

Though there were only a dozen or so pups emerging that day, the litter spells hope for the future of Africa’s wild dogs. With an estimated 7,000 of these endangered canines left in the wild, every new generation is important.