Major threats to Wild Dogs include the destruction and fragmentation of their habitat which limits their ability to safely find new mates. They are also extremely vulnerable to being caught in poachers’ snares, as well as persecution from farmers and livestock owners when they leave the safety of protected areas, and infectious diseases from contact with domestic animals.
Family: Canidae
Scientific name: Lycaon pictus
Common name: African Wild Dog, Painted Hunting Dog, Painted Wolf
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Status: Endangered C2a(i) ver 3.1
Population estimate (in the wild): 6,600
Approximate number of mature individuals: 1,400
Population trend: Decreasing
The African Wild Dog (also known as the African Hunting Dog or Painted Dog) is the second most endangered carnivore in Africa. They are a canid that lives throughout Africa from heavily forested areas to open plains. In South Africa, there are fewer than 650 remaining in the wild. Although their population is increasing in South Africa, they continue to decline across the rest of their range. They are characterised by a black, white and brown coat pattern, with each individual having a unique pattern from which they can be identified, much like a human fingerprint. They are co-operative pack animals containing an alpha pair which are normally the only individuals responsible for breeding, with the rest of the pack assisting in the rearing and protection of the young.
African Wild Dogs typically breed only once a year, with mating usually taking place in March/April. They have a gestation period of approximately 75 days, after which the alpha female will give birth in a den. The den sites used vary from permanent structures such as rocky outcrops to semi-permanent structures such as abandoned burrows and between the roots of trees. The litter will remain at the den for approximately two months before they start to move short distances with the pack. African Wild Dogs hunt a variety of prey depending on the size of their pack but will generally hunt medium sized antelope such as nyala and impala. Larger packs have been known to hunt blue wildebeest, zebra and eland.
Due to their endangered status, African Wild Dogs are our focal species which the majority of our conservation efforts are based around. Our intensive monitoring of African Wild Dogs is done 365 days a year. Our ultimate goal is to reintroduce painted dogs successfully back into their historical ranges and ensure the protection of the population into the future.
RESERVES : Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, uMkhuze Game Reserve, Tembe Elephant Park, Somkhanda Game Reserve and Manyoni Private Game Reserve.
Why are African Wild Dogs so Endangered? Major threats to Wild Dogs include the destruction and fragmentation of their habitat which limits their ability to safely find new mates. They are also extremely vulnerable to being caught in poachers’ snares, as well as persecution from farmers and livestock owners when they leave the safety of protected areas, and infectious diseases from contact with domestic animals.
African wild dogs have disappeared from much of their former range. Their population is currently estimated at approximately 6,600 adults in 39 subpopulations, of which only 1,400 are mature individuals. Population size is continuing to decline as a result of ongoing habitat fragmentation, conflict with human activities, and infectious disease. Given uncertainty surrounding population estimates, and the species’ tendency to population fluctuations, the largest sub-populations might well number <250 mature individuals, thereby warranting listing as Endangered under criterion C2a(i).(IUCN)
Endangered with many sub-populations continuing to decline.
Learn more about African Wild Dog Behaviour, Monitoring & Conservation.