WildFact
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Information Section
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Terrestrial Wild Animals
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Carnivorous and Omnivores Animals, Excluding Felids
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Canids (Canidae) & Hyaenids (Hyaenidae)
African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)
African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)
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African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)
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Jens Cullmann: " ‘Enough for all?’ ... this are the remains of a just minutes before killed impala. I followed this pack of painted dogs the whole morning on foot and nearly lost them. Hooded Vultures ’showed’ me the way to the kill as they very often follow painted dogs on their morning hunt. Luckily I saw some of this vultures in the distance patiently waiting in a tree. "
" 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. " 
Alpha female of a pack with torn lip. © Ernest Porter
 *This image is copyright of its original author
Jens Cullmann: " ‘When the offspring gets to demanding’ ...
Little explanation: painted dog puppies get up to a certain age fed by the pack. Then they beg for food from the adults and sooner or later one or the other dog regurgitates some eaten meat for the last kill ... this pics from the regurgitation I will post another time "
Seyms_Brugger: " With the Forrest background, and rain coming down, two African Wild Dogs look at me from a distance.
I had the opportunity of lying down on my stomach ( and in the mud ! ) to photograph these incredible animals, whom are without doubt my favorite animals in Africa. Angles play an important role in photography, and in my opinion, the lower the angle the better ! "
" An exciting start to the day as a pack of wild dogs were found resting until two hyenas walked past and as a result, we witnessed some interesting interactions between them. "
Jens Cullmann: " Shake off the dirt and continue as if nothing had happened. It's nearly Friday ... "
Marlon du Toit: " #WildDogDay. Apparently it’s a thing? Regardless, love painted wolves just too much & thought I’d share a pic from one of my favourite encounters with them. These animals have been on the brink of collapse for some time & deserve far more recognition & help from us all! " Robbyne Kotze: " Happy #worldwilddogday ! Wild dogs are endangered, and only around 5000 are believed to be left on the African continent. They are extremely efficient predators, and while they prefer wild prey, in many places they have been eradicated for the perceived risk they pose to livestock. On top of this, they are also vulnerable to diseases such as rabies and canine distemper, which is increasingly problematic as human populations expand and there is more interaction between people and wildlife. Wild dog packs can cover thousands of kilometers, which means they require safe ranges outside of protected areas and tolerance across a range of land use types to support their survival, which makes their conservation a challenge. Luckily, large protected area networks like those across northern Botswana and neighboring KAZA states are making this a possibility! Today is a good day to reshare this video, which we took of a pack of wild dogs in the Okavango during our PhD field work. They are not very fond of deeper water, and it took quite some time for the pack to rally the courage to cross, with hilarious results when the eventually did. Peer pressure won over in the end and within a minute of the first dog crossing the whole pack had crossed and was happily reunited on the other side. We decided to try and follow but the Land Rover liked the channel even less and we spent the following hour digging the car back out and dodging larger than life leeches ?"
Michael Laubscher: " I cannot wait to get back to the floodplains of Mana Pools.
The African Wild Dog is always high up on the wish list and is almost a given in this special area. Next year August, I’ll be hosting a group of 5 guests in this exciting destination and there is only 1 space left! Do not miss out on a journey nestled within the Zambezi Valley. Here lies a creation of nature still pure, splendid, untouched and wild. With the mighty Zambezi flowing to the North, the wooded floodplain to the South plays host to one of the most astonishing wildlife experiences in Africa. This is a unique safari experience to Mana Pools in that it offers the opportunity to explore both the wildlife-rich floodplain as well as “the last waterhole” further inland known as Kanga Pan, as well as a 3 night stay at the wildest place in Africa – Chitake Springs. You gain insight into the entirety of Mana on this safari and you’ll love every second of it. You still get to see the elephants, wild dogs and lion prides on the floodplain. In addition though your stays at Kavinga & Kanga Camps will showcase the woodlands & southern reaches of Mana Pools to you in a beautiful way. Both Kanga & Kavinga offers the only water source within their respective regions during the dry season and animals flock there daily. This is a comprehensive safari experience to Mana Pools that will touch your senses in every way. I look forward to sharing this incredible experience with you! "
Jens Cullmann: " Not each hunt from painted dogs leads to a successful kill ... but this one did "
" We found a pack of wild dogs resting when some of them were alerted to a large warthog walking nearby. Two of the pack members started stalking but little did they know that the warthog had experience on its side and stood its ground, chasing the wild dogs, despite being outnumbered. "
Jens Cullmann: " So, eating vegetarian food is more healthy and the new trend?!? Can I really eat this? ... "
" Grooming and play fighting are some the activities wild dogs do to strengthen bonds between pack members and ensure group cohesion. "
" As we left the lodge, a hyena crossed our path and moved into a drainage line. Just then, we spotted a Wild Dog running up the same drainage line towards a waterhole where the rest of the pack were nervously trying to drink, hesitant for the possibility of crocodiles in the water, but driven by thirst. "
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