African Wild Dogs

African wild dogs are found mainly in the plains and woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa including national parks such as Hwange, Kruger, Gonarezhou, Moremi and Chobe. Most of these wild dogs prefer to live in savannas, grasslands and woodlands, where frequent rainfall occurs. Packs of African wild dogs roam freely in the hills of Namibia.

Nature of African wild dogs

African wild dogs are by nature very social and live and hunt in packs. They live in a pack with their puppies. Like the wolves, these wild dogs, also known as 'Cape hunting dogs', hunt larger prey like antelopes and share food amongst the pack. They have strong unity among themselves and guard the weakest and the ill in their pack.

Interesting facts about African wild dogs

African wild dogs belong to Canidae (biological family of dogs) which also includes jackals, foxes, wolves and domestic dogs. These dogs have only four toes in each foot. Their large head and swift nature often misleads one to recognize them as hyenas.

Due to their captivating coat of multicolored fur (with irregular, spotted patches), and ferocious nature, African wild dogs are also known as 'painted dogs', 'painted wolfs' and 'tricolor dogs'. This dog breed has large, rounded ears and a sharp sense of hearing.

African wild dogs have long legs and a thin body, which helps them to run fast. Their body length is about 40 inches and the tail is approximately 12-16 inches long with a white plume at the tip. The males among the wild African dogs, are a little larger than the females. This breed can weigh up to a maximum 66 pounds.

African wild dogs are constant wanderers and hunt during the day. They have a reputation of being tireless runners and can cover a long distance within few seconds. This dog breed is carnivorous and a successful hunter.

All African wild dogs make unique sounds like whining, whimpering and twittering sounds like the birds, when they greet one another. They often make a hooting call, such as "whoo" during the time of searching for another member of their pack.

In case of groups of elephants, lions and baboons, the grown-up male changes the group after 3 or 4 years of birth. However, in case of wild African dogs, females change the pack after 3 years of birth.

They give birth to their puppies during the middle of the dry season, when it is easy to hunt and find food for their young ones. Their puppies live in a den for up to two months after birth and are guarded by the older African wild dogs.

African wild dogs live up to almost 10 years in woodlands; however, in zoos, they live up to 13 years.

This breed of dogs is regarded as one of the most endangered species among carnivores and marked to be preserved by International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The African wild dog is almost extinct due to various reasons. As these dogs have a bad reputation as killer dogs, they are often killed by people. Some of the wild African dogs are dying due to various dog illnesses such as rabies and distemper. There are therefore national parks, where the African wild dog lives in a protected environment.