Nick Murray aims to secure a research permit which will facilitate efforts to collar some of the dogs in Mana Pools. The Painted Wolf Conservancy makes efforts to monitor the wild dogs in Mana Pools, facilitating innovative research on this species.
Stop poaching in the protected Zambezi Valley AreaĬonduct research on the wild dogs through studies such as collaring and den monitoring.Įnsure the future of wild dogs for generations to come. They also run the Bushlife Painted Wolf Conservancy, specialising in research and conservation of wild dogs. The average number of wild dogs in the park is 110.īushlife has recently started the Mana Pools Carnivore Research Project, which will provide data to help Zimparks ecologists develop conservation solutions for their management. Our partners, Bushlife Conservancy, are working hard to protect African wild dogs in Mana Pools World Heritage Site, Zimbabwe. Snares, a method of poaching which captures wildlife indiscriminately, also kill many wild dogs in some areas. Roads, too, are a major threat to wild dogs, and road accidents are a major cause of mortality. When wild dogs enter human-dominated landscapes, they are susceptible to diseases, like rabies and canine distemper, that are carried by domestic dogs and can wipe out entire packs. The destruction of their habitat also forces them into conflict with humans, especially when they hunt livestock. When the dominant dogs sneeze first, few other votes are needed.Īfrican wild dogs are the second most endangered carnivore in Africa after the Ethiopian wolf. They are primarily threatened by habitat fragmentation. When the group gets together to make a decision, like whether to go and hunt, the more likely it is to happen. The beautiful patterns on wild dogs' coats are unique to each individual, and are thought to help the dogs recognize each other, which they can do visually from a distance of 50-100m (160-330 feet).ĭid you know? Wild dogs make decisions by sneeze-voting. Lions and hyenas are their natural enemies lions often kill wild dogs, and ecosystems that have high lion numbers tend to have fewer wild dogs. Wild dogs have a hunting success rate of 60-90%, making them more consistently successful than lions or hyenas. On average, the chase covers around 2km (1.4 miles). They hunt by approaching prey silently, then chasing it at up to 66 km/h (41 mph) for 10-60 minutes. Unlike other social predators in Africa, solitary living and hunting in wild dogs is almost unheard of.Īlong with cheetahs, wild dogs are the only African carnivores that primarily hunt during the day. Usually, only the dominant female breeds, producing more pups than any other canid (six to sixteen, with an average of ten). In the past, they were probably only absent from lowland rainforest and the driest desert.Īfrican wild dogs are highly social, living in tightly-knit packs where the entire family pitches in to raise litters of pups. Since they hunt their prey by chasing them over long distances, they usually prefer open habitat, but are otherwise very adaptable. They were even once spotted on the summit of Mt. Historically, wild dogs were distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa, from deserts to savannas. Threats: Habitat fragmentation, conflict with livestock, road accidents, snares, infectious diseaseĪfrican wild dogs, also known as painted dogs or painted wolves, are the largest canids in Africa and the second largest in the world after wolves. Historically destroyed as "problem animals" because of conflicts with livestock, their populations have long been declining and they are now considered Endangered. Habitats: Grassland, shrubland, savanna, forest, desert
Size: 100 to 153 cm (39 to 60 in.) head to tail 2004)Ĭurrent Population: Around 1,400 mature 6,600 total ( IUCN Red List 2020)Īfrican Wild Dog Global Population Size Over Time: Year Historical Population: 3k-5.5k in 1997 ( Woodroffe 1997) 5,750 in 2004 ( Claudio Sillero-Zubiri et al. Common Name: African Wild Dog, Painted Dog or Painted Wolf
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