African wild dog
African wild dog Lycaon pictus (EEP)
carnivorous (impalas, gnus, zebras, warthogs...)
savannah, semi-desert plains
Also called ‘painted wolves’, African wild dogs live in packs of up to 40. They have a rare social make-up, with a dominant hierarchy for each sex yet a remarkable solidarity between all members of the pack: they chase as a very well-coordinated group and regurgitate food for the breastfeeding dominant female, then to her young when they are old enough to eat pieces of meat.
They can maintain a speed of 60km/h over long distances. They have large territories covering between 400 and 600km2.
With numbers estimated at less than 5,500 in the wild, this species is endangered by the fragmentation of its habitat, conflicts with farmers, road accidents and infectious diseases, most passed on by dogs.
La Palmyre Zoo helps protecting this species in the wild by supporting the programme: Painted Dog Research Trust
Status in the wild (Source: IUCN)
- Not evaluatedNE
- Data deficientDD
- Least concernLC
- Near threatenedNT
- Critically endangeredCR
- Extinct in the wildEW