Species Hang in the Balance

BINOMIAL NAME:

Lycaon Pictus

ANATOMICAL PROPORTIONS:

4 -5 ft long (tip-to-tail)/ 2-3 ft. tall/ 37-79 lbs.

POPULATION (APRROXIMATE):

3,000-5,500

CONSERVATION STATUS:

ENDANGERED

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT:

Deciduous forests and grasslands of eastern and southern Africa, mostly in Tanzania, northern Botswana, and eastern Namibia; pocket populations in Zimbabwe, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, and Mozambique

DIET:

Medium-sized ungulates (antelope/ grazers), like impala, Thompson's gazelle, springbok, and wildebeest; less often ostrich, zebra, cape buffalo, warthogs, baby giraffe, and giant eland

SPECIES THREATS:

Like wolves, wild dogs are pack animals, and require large territories in which to live and hunt; human overpopulation and encroachment are therefore the species' most significant threats.

Because African wild dogs share the continent with other, much larger carnivores, competition for prey is fierce. The small canines are no match for lions, hyenas, or leopards, however a larger pack is better equipped to defend a kill. Lions are perhaps the most ominous enemy of all the large African predators. Males (and sometimes females) will target and kill African wild dogs, hyenas, cheetahs and leopards, as often as possible, and without consuming them. As well, male lions frequently use infanticide as a means of controlling competitive carnivore populations.

Although there are many wildlife conservations across Africa, most of them are not large enough for wild dog packs. This causes packs to expand over unprotected areas, which tend to overlap with ranches and farmland. Ranchers and farmers often use deadly force to protect their livestock from wild dog (and other carnivore) predation.

Lastly, there are several canine diseases, such as rabies, canine distemper, and canine parvovirus, which can affect the dogs during an outbreak. Although disease occurrence is rare among wild dogs, even the possibility of an outbreak counts as a potential threat to the survival of this species.

UNIQUE FACTS:

The African wild dog is a winning hunter on the African plains, with a successful kill-rate of about 80%.

While many creatures have several, associated vernacular/ regional names, the debate over the wild dog's common label sparks particular controversy. Many scientists and researchers insist that they remain African wild dogs, while others disagree, and claim that the name is too pejorative. To them, "wild dog" implies that the animal was once domesticated, and then became feral (though this is not true, whatsoever---in fact, the wild dog is one of the most ancient species of canids alive on earth). Because of the the potential stigma, some scientists prefer "painted hunting dog", over "African wild dog", but both names are equally understood and generally accepted.

Another interesting aspect of the African wild dog is its attitude towards humans. Traditionally, this species is not tame, nor can it be domesticated. While they are extremely intelligent (as are most species in the family Canidae), and while they are heavily immersed in pack structure and hierarchy, these dogs do not accept human individuals into their order (as wolves have been known to do). The pack's framework strictly subscribes to family lineage; therefore, neither unrelated dogs nor humans may gain admission. To be sure, wild dogs do not pose any real threat to people, and are not particularly aggressive---any human in a wild dog's vicinity is more likely to be ignored, than paid much attention to.

DEVOTED ORGANIZATION:

African Wild Dog Conservation (AWDC)

• Next >