painted wild dog

The Painted Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus), also known as African Wild Dog, African Hunting Dog, Cape Hunting Dog, Painted Dog, Painted Wolf, Painted Hunting Dog,  or Ornate Wolf. Painted Wild Dogs are highly social animals, living in packs of 5-20 individuals. They fill the ecological role or niche of the wolf in Africa. One of the most efficient of predators, they specialize in preying on medium-sized antelope including Thomson’s gazelle, impala, kob, lechwe and springbok. When hunting this species depends on endurance that is greater than their prey and can sustain running speeds of about 35 m.p.h. for more than 3 miles. They have large, rounded ears, dark brown circles around their eyes and their coats are mottled with soft hues of oranges, apricot, cream and black. The dogs differ from wolves and other dogs in that they have four toes instead of five. The average Painted wild dog weighs between 37 and 80 pounds. Between 2,000 and 5,000 remain in the wild, mostly in game reserves or national parks and are only found in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert.  These savanna inhabitants’ preferred habitat is the Serengeti and deciduous woodlands due to large prey herd size, lack of competition and better denning sites. They are primarily found in eastern and southern Africa, mostly in  the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania and in northern Botswana and eastern Namibia. They also range in Zimbabwe and South Africa (Kruger National Park). Packs separate into male and female hierarchies that split up if either alpha dies. The oldest female has alpha status. A mother retains alpha status over daughters. Among males, the eldest brother or the father is alpha. Dominance is established without blood-shed. Submission and nonaggression are emphasised, even over food. They will beg energetically instead of fight. Painted wild dogs have been demonised for decades and have an ill-deserved reputation as aggressive, vicious killers. However, unlike almost any other predator, they live in extraordinary co-operation with one another. This is demonstrated when feeding – the young and ill are given first access to food after a successful hunt. Painted wild dogs kill larger prey by disembowelment. This technique is rapid, but has resulted in the species’ negative, ferocious reputation. Nearly 80% of all Painted wild dog hunts end in a kill. Success rate of lions, often viewed as ultimate predators, is only 30%. The Painted Wild Dog is endangered by human overpopulation, habitat loss and predator control killing. They are poisoned, shot, and trapped in many areas and killed by livestock herders and game hunters. Survival is impacted by competition with larger carnivores that rely on the same prey base, particularly the lion and the Spotted Hyena. One of their most serious threats, though, is introduced diseases. Expanding human populations have brought the Painted wild dogs into frequent contact with domestic dogs, many of which carry canine distemper and rabies. These diseases are ravaging the wild packs. The small size of most wild dog populations (average 10 to the pack) makes them vulnerable to local extinction due to diseases.  The Painted Dog Conservation (PDC) effort, based in Hwange National Park, western Zimbabwe, works with local communities to create new strategies for conserving the wild. Other organisations such as the WCN WildLife Conservation Network and the Painted Dog Conservation are highly active in their efforts to ensure the Painted Wild Dog, a rare and beautiful animal survives and in the wild.