African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)

[Spalea]

" In a new weekly series, Wild Eye brings you some facts about the species they come across on their expeditions and tours across the globe.

This week we focus on the Wild Dog.
Unlike domestic dogs, African Wild Dogs have long legs, four toes on their front feet and large, rounded ears. Though both species descended from wolves, they are unable to interbreed, and wild dogs can’t be domesticated.
Wild dogs are classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Wild dogs live in tightly knit social groups of between two and 27 individuals, and are strongly bonded.
The dominant pair is monogamous and would usually be the only ones in the pack to breed, though a beta pair does sometimes produce pups as well, which are then either killed or adopted by the alpha pair.
Unlike most other pack animals, male dogs tend to stay within their pack’s territory once reaching sexual maturity, whereas the females will travel long distances to find a mate and start or join a new pack.
The alpha female is the core of the pack leading her pack from its formation until she dies. She is the leader, general, decision maker and caring mother. Once she dies the pack splits, with the males and females heading in different directions to form new packs.
Even though they are much smaller than lions and leopards, wild dogs have a higher success rate when it comes to killing prey. Hunting in large numbers, they work as a team and can bring down much larger animals, including antelope and wildebeest.
Wild dogs can run as fast as 70km per hour and maintain these speeds for a long period of time.
The wild dog’s short hair is in yellow, grey, white and black patches. No two dogs have the same markings and colourations, making it easy for conservationists to identify individuals.
A wild dog’s vocalisations go well beyond that of a domestic dog. They greet each other with twittering and whining sounds, and when one dog has lost the group, it will make an owl-like “hoo” call to find the pack. "

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