Hunter (The Pit)

Hunters are a mysterious species of winged predators found in the Althosian System. They can survive in the vacuum of space and descend into the atmosphere of the system's planets to forage for prey.

Biology
Hunters live in the upper atmosphere of Nicaea, but can just as easily travel through interplanetary space to attack other worlds in the system and harass small spaceships. The Doctor has described them as "scavengers around holes in time". This, along with the Hunters' unexplained immunity to the effects of the Red Weed, suggests that they might not be ordinary life forms at all.

Hunters are large hairy creatures with wings, claws and sharp teeth, and are so strong that it takes multiple combat androids to subdue even a single specimen. These vicious beasts attack in groups and are known to abduct children and animals. They can smell blood from several kilometers away and spit a corrosive golden paste from their mouths.

Following the destruction of the Althosian System in 2400, it is possible that Hunters might have become extinct.

Appearances

 * Doctor Who New Adventures novels, The Pit, by Neil Penswick (1993)