10 Interesting Facts about African Wild Dogs
Wild Dog Revenge, book 6 in the Kenya Kanga Mystery series, is named after the African Wild dogs I’ve seen in Kenya.
In a scene in the book, my characters visit a den and watch as pups make one of their first explorations out of the safety of the den and into the outside world.
African Wild dogs are incredibly curious and when I parked beside the dens of a large pack, to take photos, several pups came right up to the car.
In the 1990s Laikipia County, where I lived, had lost nearly all its wild dogs, but because of a focused conservation effort the numbers grew to over 300, the largest population in Kenya.
Then disaster struck, and canine distemper wiped out the entire population. I was told the original group was descended from a single female and that in 2018, she was spotted alive but on her own.
Miraculously, she was joined by two males and the wild dog population is once again increasing as this incredible matriarch rebuilds her dynasty.
Fact 1
African wild dogs are known by several names, including Cape hunting dog, painted dog, or their scientific name, Lycaon pictus, which means “painted wolf”.
Fact 2
They are classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List as their population has dropped from several 100,000 to somewhere between 3,000 and 6,000.
African Wild Dog Pups, Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Fact 3
African wild dogs are found in sub-Saharan Africa in countries including Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia. Their habitats range from short-grass plains, semi-desert, bushy savannas and upland forest areas.
Fact 4
The greatest threats to African wild dogs are loss of habitat, increasing human-wildlife conflict, accidental death through snares and poaching, and infectious diseases such as canine distemper and rabies.
Fact 5
Adult wild dogs grow to between 75 cm and 110 cm in height and the males and females are similar in shape and size. They live for approximately 10 years in the wild.
Fact 6
African wild dogs hunt in packs of between 3 and 20 individuals. They are carnivorous and eat most animals, from small rodents to larger mammals such as antelope. They have great endurance and can reach speeds of up to 40 miles per hour.
Fact 7
African wild dogs have an 80% success rate when hunting and can claim to one of Africa’s most successful predators. Lions only catch and kill their prey 30% of the time.
Fact 8
The alpha female and male normally reproduce and have a litter of between 4 and 12 pups. The entire pack is responsible for their care.
African Wild Dog, Sosian Ranch, Laikipia
Fact 9
Unlike many species, it is the females who leave the main pack to start their own, while the males usually stay.
Fact 10
Wild dogs are sociable and help other members of the pack who are ill or weak. When the main pack hunt, they will regurgitate food to the pregnant alpha female or any member of the pack who is ill or weak.
Victoria Tait is the author of the enchanting Kenya Kanga Mystery series. She’s drawn on 8 years’ experience of living in rural Kenya, with her family, to write vivid and evocative books. Learn more about Victoria at VictoriaTait.com.
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