AFRICAN WILD DOGS, Mala Mala, South Africa

The Ranger informed us that this was the first sighting of African Wild Dogs at Mala Mala in six months.

The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) is a carnivorous mammal of the Canidae family, found only in Africa, especially in scrub savanna and other lightly wooded areas. It is the only species in the genus Lycaon.

Adults typically weigh 17-36 kilograms (37-79 pounds). A tall, lean animal, it stands about 30 inches (75 cm) at the shoulder, with a head and body length averaging about 40 inches (100cm) and a tail of 12 to 18 inches (30-45cm). Animals in southern Africa are generally larger than those in the eastern or western Africa.

African wild dogs have an unusual breeding system. Only one pair of dogs reproduces in a pack; other pack members act cooperatively to care for the young of the breeding pair. It has been said that African wild dogs are the most social of all mammals, never living apart from a pack at any stage in their lives.

They live in tightly knit social groups and hunt in packs, preying primarily on grazing animals such as gazelles, springboks, wildebeest and zebras. Members of a pack vocalize to help coordinate their movements. Its voice is characterized by an unusual chirping or squeaking sound. While most predators stalk or ambush their prey, the wild dogs make no attempt to hide, they simply approach a herd until it stampedes and then single out an individual and chase it until it's exhausted. The dogs are swift, tireless runners and have been known to chase prey for an hour. During pursuit, they can reach speeds of up to 45 mph. Nearly 80% of all hunts end in a kill.
After a successful hunt, hunters regurgitate meat for those that remained at the den during the hunt, such as the dominant female and the pups. They will also feed other pack members such as the sick, injured or very old that cannot keep up.

Hunting dog packs range over very large areas -- from 600 to more than 1,500 square miles (1,560-3,900 sq km) a year - and even large parks may not provide enough territory to support viable dog populations. There were once about 500,000 African Wild Dogs in 39 countries, and packs of 100 or more were not uncommon. Now there are only about 3,000-5,500 in less than 25 countries. They are primarily found in eastern and southern Africa.

There are two remaining large populations, one associated with the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania and another population centered in northern Botswana and eastern Namibia. Smaller but apparently secure populations of several hundred individuals are found in Zimbabwe, South Africa (Kruger National Park) and in the Ruaha/Rungwa/Kisigo complex of Tanzania.