When you think of endangered African animals you probably think of the mountain gorilla, the rhino and the elephant. However it is actually a rangy, scruffy and well, to be truthful, down right ugly mutt that is actually one of the most threatened of all – the increasingly rare African hunting dog. They may be ugly but to me they are also one of the most fascinating creatures living and hunting in Africa today.
African Hunting Dogs or African Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) are a canid that look a bit like a cross between a wolf and a hyena. They are the largest type of wild canine breed in Africa and across the world only the North American Grey wolf is larger. They are around the size of a large Alsation at around 75 cms to the shoulder and weighing around 20 – 30 kilos on average. They have very distinctive fur which is mainly sandy brown with darker brown and black markings and brighter white patches. Their markings mean that they are also sometimes called the painted wolf, spotted hunting dog or even the ornate wolf. They also have very distinctive large ears which help them hunt and also socialise.
They live in large family packs but are quite unusual amongst carnivorous groups in that the males stay within the pack they were born into and do not fight to become alpha male or pack leader. The females have litters of around 10 pups every year or so and look after them until they are a couple of years old before moving on to a new pack. Only the alpha female gets to breed and produce a litter. The group hierarchy is based on submission and they do not fight each other even when feeding. They do have an alpha male and an alpha female but the males and females both hunt and also stay to guard the pups.
They hunt mainly large herbivores such as impala, gazelles and wildebeest and they are very successful with a kill rate of around 80-90% which is three times that of a lion! They are very co-ordinated with different dogs taking on different roles during the hunt and kill but without being able to communicate verbally they work incredibly well as a team. These skills are truly impressive and it is not sure whether this is learned behaviour or instinctive.
They live in similar areas to other carnivores, in the open scrubland, deciduous woodland or typical savannah of Africa but they are so rare that is very unusual to spot one whilst on safari. They are most commonly found in Southern and Eastern Africa with a few remaining outposts in west and central Africa. The densest populations can be found in the Selous National Park in Tanzania, northern Botswana and eastern Namibia. They can also be found in the Serengeti and Ruaha areas of Tanzania, Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe and the Kruger National Park in South Africa with a handful in Mozambique, Kenya and Zambia.
Their numbers have diminished over the years like many of the carnivores in Africa due to encroachment from humans. They need large areas to hunt in and human development and farming has reduced their space significantly. They have also been hunted by farmers to protect livestock. They also have to compete with other more powerful predators such as lions and hyenas who can attack them and will force them to move on to new hunting grounds. Nowadays they can only survive in the really large and isolated national parks that can provide enough protected space for them.
