It was one of the most brutal and bloody episodes of the BBC’s acclaimed wildlife series, with animals ripping each other to shreds in heart-wrenching scenes.

The unfolding drama in last night’s episode of Dynasties, narrated by Sir David Attenborough, proved too much even for Nick Lyon, the series director, who vomited as he witnessed a crocodile lunge suddenly out of the water and snatch a tiny, painted wolf cub.

The crew had spent two years carefully monitoring two rival packs of painted wolves as they battled for territory on the banks of the Zambezi river in Zimbabwe.

It focused on Tait, who had ruled her pack uncontested for five years, but was threatened by Blacktip, one of her own daughters, who ruled a 30-strong pack of her own and was after her territory.

Blacktip gave birth to a litter of five pups during the programme and she leads them through ever-increasing dangers, facing the threat of lions and buffalo whilst taking on baboons.

She has already lost one of her pups to hyenas when the pack is resting at the water’s edge after a narrow escape with a pride of lions.