Editing African wild dog

{{Short description|Endangered species of canine native to Africa}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Speciesbox
| fossil_range = [[Middle Pleistocene]] – present (200,000–0 years [[Before Present|BP]])<ref name=MN_R/>
| image2 = African Wild Dog at Working with Wildlife.jpg
| image2_caption = African wild dog in [[South Africa]]
| status = CR
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{Cite iucn |title=''Lycaon pictus'' |amends=2012 |author=Woodroffe, R. |author2=Sillero-Zubiri, C. |name-list-style=amp |page=e.T12436A166502262 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T12436A166502262.en |date=2020 |access-date=17 February 2022}}</ref>
| display_parents = 3
| genus = Lycaon
| parent_authority = 
| species = pictus
| authority = ([[Coenraad Jacob Temminck|Temminck]], 1820)<ref>Temminck (1820), ''Ann. Gen. Sci. Phys.'', 3:54, pl.35</ref>
| range_map = African Wild Dog Distrbution.svg
| range_map_caption = African wild dog range according to the [[IUCN]]. 
{{legend|#FF0000|Extant (resident)}}
{{legend|#ffff00|Probably extant (resident)}}
}}

The '''African wild dog''' ('''''Lycaon pictus'''''), also known as the '''painted dog''' or '''Cape hunting dog''', is a wild [[Caninae|canine]] native to [[sub-Saharan Africa]]. It is the largest wild canine in Africa, and the only [[Neontology#Extant taxa versus extinct taxa|extant]] member of the genus ''[[Lycaon (genus)|Lycaon]]'', which is distinguished from ''[[Canis]]'' by dentition highly specialised for a [[Hypercarnivore|hypercarnivorous]] diet and by a lack of [[dewclaw]]s.

It is estimated that there are around 6,600 adults (including 1,400 mature individuals) living in 39 subpopulations, all threatened by [[habitat fragmentation]], human persecution and outbreaks of disease. As the largest subpopulation probably consists of fewer than 50 individuals, the African wild dog has been listed as [[Critically Endangered|critically endangered]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] since 2020.<ref name=iucn/>

The species is a specialised [[diurnality|diurnal]] hunter of terrestrial [[ungulate]]s, which it captures by using its stamina and cooperative hunting to exhaust them. Its natural competitors are [[lion]]s and [[spotted hyena]]s: the former will kill the dogs where possible whilst the latter are frequent [[kleptoparasitism|kleptoparasite]]s.<ref name="WildAfricaAWD" /> Like other canids, the African wild dog regurgitates food for its young but also extends this action to adults as a central part of the pack's social unit.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="WildAfricaAWD">{{cite web|title=African Wild Dog (''Lycaon pictus'' Temminck, 1820) - WildAfrica.cz - Animal Encyclopedia |url=http://www.wildafrica.cz/en/animal/african-wild-dog/|website=Wildafrica.cz|access-date=5 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Whittington-Jones |first=Brendan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Xi2IrgEACAAJ |title=African Wild Dogs: On the Front Line |date=2015 |publisher=Jacana |isbn=978-1-4314-2129-9 |language=en}}</ref> The young have the privilege of feeding first on carcasses.

The African wild dog has been revered in several [[hunter-gatherer]] societies, particularly those of the [[San people]] and [[Prehistoric Egypt]].

== Etymology and naming ==
The English language has several names for the African wild dog, including African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog,<ref name="iucn2004">{{Cite book |last1=Woodroffe, R. |url=http://www.canids.org/cap/index.htm |title=Foxes, Jackals and Dogs: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan |last2=McNutt, J.W. |last3=Mills, M.G.L. |publisher=IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group |year=2004 |isbn=978-2-8317-0786-0 |editor-last=Sillero-Zubiri, C. |location=Gland, Switzerland |pages=174–183 |chapter=African Wild Dog ''Lycaon pictus'' |editor-last2=Hoffman, M. |editor-last3=MacDonald, D. W. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006222952/http://www.canids.org/cap/index.htm |archive-date=2011-10-06 |url-status=dead |name-list-style=amp}}</ref> painted hunting dog,<ref name=COL2018awd>{{cite web |date=2018 |title=''Canis lycaon'' Temminck 1820 |editor=Roskov Y. |editor2=Abucay L. |editor3=Orrell T. |editor4=Nicolson D. |editor5=Bailly N. |editor6=Kirk P.M. |editor7=Bourgoin T. |editor8=DeWalt R.E. |editor9=Decock W. |editor10=De Wever A. |editor11=Nieukerken E. van |editor12=Zarucchi J. |editor13=Penev, L. |website=Catalogue of Life 2018 Checklist |publisher=Catalogue of Life|access-date=30 November 2018 |url=http://www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2018/details/species/id/52fba5321357578285952cce9c1b6dac}}</ref> painted dog,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.painteddog.org/ |title=Painted Dog Conservation - Main page |publisher=Painted Dog Conservation}}</ref> painted wolf,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-06-10 |title=African wild dog facts and photos |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/african-wild-dog |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412074125/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/african-wild-dog |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 April 2021 |access-date=2023-05-28 |website=National Geographic |language=en}}</ref> and painted lycaon.<ref name="smith1839"/> Though the name African wild dog is widely used,<ref name="chimimba2005">{{cite book |author1=Skinner, J. D. |title=The Mammals of the Southern African Sub-region |author2=Chimimba, C. T. |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-521-84418-5 |location=Cambridge |pages=474–480 |chapter=The African wild dog |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iqwEYkTDZf4C&pg=PA477 |name-list-style=amp}}</ref> 'wild dog' is thought by conservation groups to have negative connotations that could be detrimental to its image; one organisation promotes the name 'painted wolf',<ref>{{Cite book |last=Scott |first=Jonathan |url=https://archive.org/details/paintedwolveswil0000scot |title=Painted Wolves: Wild Dogs of the Serengeti-Mara |publisher=Viking Press |year=1991 |isbn=0241124859 |pages=8 |url-access=limited}}</ref><ref name="kristof">{{cite news |last=Kristof |first=N. D. |title=Every (wild) dog has its day |newspaper=The New York Times |date=2010 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/opinion/15kristof.html |access-date=18 October 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://paintedwolf.org/|title=The Painted Wolf Foundation - A Wild Dog's Life |website=The Painted Wolf Foundation|access-date=7 December 2018}}</ref> 
whilst the name 'painted dog' has been found to be the most likely to counteract negative perceptions.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Blades |first=B. |date=2020 |title=What's in a name? An evidence-based approach to understanding the implications of vernacular name on conservation of the painted dog (''Lycaon pictus'') |journal=Language & Ecology |volume=2019–2020 |pages=1–27 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344464990}}</ref>

== Taxonomic and evolutionary history ==
===Taxonomy===
{{Cladogram|align=right|title=[[Phylogenetic tree]] of the [[Canina (subtribe)|wolf-like canids]] with timing in millions of years{{refn|group=lower-alpha|name=mtdna_seq_desc|For a full set of supporting references refer to the note (a) in the phylotree at [[Evolution of the wolf#Wolf-like canids]]}}
|cladogram={{clade | style = font-size:85%;line-height:80%;width:500x

 |label1=[[Caninae]] 3.5 [[Megaannum|Ma]]
 |1={{clade
 |label1=3.0
 |1={{clade
 |label1=2.5
 |1={{clade
 |label1=2.0
 |1={{clade
 |label1=0.96
 |1={{clade
 |label1=0.6
 |1={{clade
 |label1=0.38
 |1={{clade
 |1={{clade
 |1={{clade
 |1=[[Dog|Domestic dog]] <span style="{{MirrorH}}">[[File:202104 Dog.svg|50 px]]</span>
 |2=[[Wolf|Gray wolf]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate I).jpg|50 px]]
}}
}}
 |2=[[Coyote]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate IX).jpg|50 px]]
}}
 |2=[[African wolf]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XI).jpg|50 px]]
}}
 |2=[[Golden jackal]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate X).jpg|50 px]]
}}
 |2=[[Ethiopian wolf]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate VI).jpg|50 px]]
}}
 |2=[[Dhole]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XLI).jpg|50 px]]
}}
 |2=African wild dog [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XLIV).jpg|50 px]]
}}
 |2={{clade
 |1={{clade
 |1=[[Side-striped jackal]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XIII).jpg|50 px]]
 |2=[[Black-backed jackal]] [[File:Dogs, jackals, wolves, and foxes (Plate XII).jpg|50 px]]
}}
 |label1=2.6
}}
}}
}}
}}
The earliest written reference for the species appears to be from [[Oppian]], who wrote of the ''thoa'', a hybrid between the wolf and leopard, which resembles the former in shape and the latter in colour. [[Gaius Julius Solinus|Solinus]]'s ''Collea rerum memorabilium'' from the third century AD describes a multicoloured wolf-like animal with a mane native to [[Ethiopia]].<ref name="smith1839">Smith, C. H. (1839). ''[https://archive.org/stream/Smith1839hr25D-b#page/260/mode/2up Dogs]'', W.H. Lizars, Edinburgh, p. 261–269</ref>

The African wild dog was [[scientifically described]] in 1820 by [[Coenraad Jacob Temminck]] after examining a specimen from the coast of [[Mozambique]]. He named the animal ''Hyaena picta'', erroneously classifying it as a species of hyena. It was later recognised as a [[canidae|canid]] by [[Joshua Brookes]] in 1827 and renamed ''Lycaon tricolor''. The [[Root (linguistics)|root word]] of ''Lycaon'' is the [[Greek language|Greek]] λυκαίος (''lykaios''), meaning ‘wolf-like’. The specific epithet ''pictus'' ([[Latin language|Latin]] for ‘painted’), which derived from the original ''picta'', was later returned to it, in conformity with the International Rules on Taxonomic Nomenclature.<ref name="bothma">Bothma, J. du P. & Walker, C. (1999). ''Larger Carnivores of the African Savannas'', Springer, pp. 130–157, {{ISBN|978-3-540-65660-9}}</ref>

Paleontologist [[George Gaylord Simpson|George G. Simpson]] placed the African wild dog, the [[dhole]] and the [[bush dog]] together in the [[subfamily]] [[Simocyon]]inae on the basis of all three species having similarly trenchant [[carnassial]]s. This grouping was disputed by [[Juliet Clutton-Brock]], who argued that other than dentition too many differences exist among the three species to warrant classifying them in a single subfamily.<ref name="cluttonbrock1976">{{cite journal|last1=Clutton-Brock |first1=J. |last2=Corbet |first2=G. G. |last3=Hills |first3=M. |date=1976 |title=A review of the family Canidae, with a classification by numerical methods |journal=Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) |volume=29 |pages=119–199 |url=http://biostor.org/reference/65860 |doi=10.5962/bhl.part.6922|doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Evolution===
[[File:Bartolini-Lucenti, S., Madurell-Malapeira, J., Martínez-Navarro, B. et al. (2021) fig. 4 Xenocyon lycaonoides.png|thumb|Artistic reconstruction by [[Mauricio Antón]] of ''[[Xenocyon]]'', a possible ancestral genus]]

The African wild dog possesses the most specialized adaptations among the canids for coat colour and diet and for pursuing its prey through its [[cursorial]] (running) ability. It has a graceful skeleton, and the loss of the first digit on its forefeet increases its stride and speed. This adaptation allows it to pursue prey across open terrain for long distances. The teeth are generally [[carnassial]]-shaped and its [[premolars]] are the largest relative to body size of any living [[carnivoran]] with the exception of the [[spotted hyena]]. On the lower carnassials (first lower [[molars]]), the [[talonid]] has evolved to become a cutting blade for flesh-slicing, with a reduction or loss of the post-carnassial molars. This adaptation also occurs in the two other hypercarnivorous canids – the [[dhole]] and the [[bush dog]]. The African wild dog exhibits one of the most varied coat colours among mammals. Individuals differ in patterns and colours, indicating a diversity of the underlying [[genes]]. The purpose of these coat patterns may be an adaptation for communication, concealment or temperature regulation. In 2019 a study indicated that the ''lycaon'' lineage diverged from ''Cuon'' and ''Canis'' 1.7 million years ago through this suite of adaptations, and these occurred at the same time as large [[ungulates]] (its prey) diversified. The findings also suggest that the African wild dog is largely isolated from [[gene transfer]] with other canid species.<ref name=Chavez2019/>

The oldest African wild dog [[fossil]] dates back to 200,000 years ago and was found in [[HaYonim Cave]], Israel.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Stiner |first1=M. C. |last2=Howell |first2=F. C. |last3=Martınez-Navarro |first3=B. |last4=Tchernov |first4=E. |last5=Bar-Yosef |first5=O. |name-list-style=amp |year=2001 |title=Outside Africa: Middle Pleistocene Lycaon from Hayonim Cave, Israel |url=https://www.paleoitalia.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/23_Stiner-et-al_2001_BSPI_402.pdf |journal=Bollettino della Societa Paleontologica Italiana |volume=40 |issue=2|pages=293–302}}</ref><ref name=MN_R/> The [[evolution]] of the African wild dog is poorly understood owing to the scarcity of fossil finds. Some authors consider the extinct ''Canis'' [[subgenus]] ''[[Xenocyon]]'' as ancestral to both the genus ''Lycaon'' and the genus ''[[Dhole|Cuon]]'',<ref name=moulle2006/><ref name=baryshnikov2012/><ref name=cherin2013/><ref name=wang2008/>{{rp|p149}} which lived throughout [[Eurasia]] and Africa from the [[Early Pleistocene]] to the early [[Middle Pleistocene]]. Others propose that ''Xenocyon'' should be reclassified as ''Lycaon''.<ref name=MN_R/> The species ''Canis'' (''Xenocyon'') ''falconeri'' shared the African wild dog's absent first [[Metacarpal bones|metacarpal]] ([[dewclaw]]), though its dentition was still relatively unspecialised.<ref name="MN_R">{{Cite journal |last1=Martínez-Navarro |first1=B. |last2=Rook |first2=L. |name-list-style=amp |date=2003 |title=Gradual evolution in the African hunting dog lineage: systematic implications |journal=Comptes Rendus Palevol |volume=2 |issue=8 |pages=695–702 |bibcode=2003CRPal...2..695M |doi=10.1016/j.crpv.2003.06.002 |doi-access=free}}</ref> This connection was rejected by one author because ''C''. (''X''.) ''falconeri''{{'}}s lack of the first metacarpal is a poor indication of phylogenetic closeness to the African wild dog, and the dentition was too different to imply ancestry.<ref name=hartstone2010/>

Another ancestral candidate is the [[Plio-Pleistocene]] ''[[Lycaon sekowei]]'' of [[South Africa]] on the basis of distinct accessory [[Cusp (anatomy)|cusps]] on its [[premolar]]s and anterior accessory cuspids on its lower premolars. These adaptions are found only in ''Lycaon'' among living canids, which shows the same adaptations to a hypercarnivorous diet. ''L. sekowei'' had not yet lost the first metacarpal absent in ''L. pictus'' and was more robust than the modern species, having 10% larger teeth.<ref name=hartstone2010>{{cite journal |last1=Hartstone-Rose |first1=A. |last2=Werdelin |first2=L. |last3=De Ruiter |first3=D. J. |last4=Berger |first4=L. R. |last5=Churchill |first5=S. E. |date=2010 |title=The Plio-pleistocene ancestor of Wild Dogs, ''Lycaon sekowei'' n. sp |journal=Journal of Paleontology |doi=10.1666/09-124.1 |volume=84 |issue=2 |name-list-style=amp |pages=299–308 |bibcode=2010JPal...84..299H |s2cid=85585759 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228515255}}</ref>

=== Admixture with the dhole ===
[[File:Postcranial skeleton of a wild dog.jpg|thumb|Fossil of ''[[Lycaon sekowei]]'', a possible ancestor of the modern African wild dog]]
The African wild dog has 78 chromosomes, the same number as those of species in the genus ''[[Canis]]''.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Zoology in Early Modern Culture: Intersections of Science, Theology, Philology, and Political and Religious Education: Intersections of Science, Theology, Philology, and Political and Religious Education |date=2014 |publisher=Brill |place= |isbn=978-90-04-27917-9 |pages=83  |last1=Enenkel |first1=K.A.E. |last2=Smith|first2= P. J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KQoSBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA83}}</ref> In 2018 [[whole genome sequencing]] was used to compare the [[dhole]] (''Cuon alpinus'') with the African wild dog. There was strong evidence of ancient [[genetic admixture]] between the two species. Today their ranges are remote from each other; however during the [[Pleistocene]] era the dhole could be found as far west as Europe. The study proposes that the dhole's distribution may have once included the [[Middle East]], from where it may have admixed with the African wild dog in [[North Africa]]. However, there is no evidence of the dhole having existed in the Middle East or North Africa.<ref name=gopalakrishnan2018/>

=== Subspecies ===
{{As of|2005}}, five subspecies are recognised by [[Mammal Species of the World|MSW3]]:<ref name=msw3>{{MSW3 Wozencraft|id=14000818}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable collapsed" style="width:100%;"
|- 
!Subspecies
!Description
!Synonyms
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
| style="width:180px;" |'''Cape wild dog'''<br /> ''L. p. pictus'' {{small|[[Coenraad Jacob Temminck|Temminck]], 1820}}[[File:African wild dog lycaon pictus.jpg|150px]]
|The [[nominate subspecies]] is also the largest, weighing {{convert|20|-|25|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name="estes1992"/> It is much more colourful than the East African wild dog,<ref name="estes1992"/> although even within this single subspecies there are geographic variations in coat colour: specimens inhabiting the [[Cape of Good Hope|Cape]] are characterised by the large amount of orange-yellow fur overlapping the black, the partially yellow backs of the ears, the mostly yellow underparts and a number of whitish hairs on the throat mane. Those in [[Mozambique]] are distinguished by the almost equal development of yellow and black on both the upper and underparts of the body, as well as having less white fur than the Cape form.<ref name="bryden">Bryden, H. A. (1936), ''Wild Life in South Africa'', George G. Harrap & Company Ltd., pp. 19–20</ref>
|<small>''cacondae'' (Matschie, 1915), ''fuchsi'' (Matschie, 1915), ''gobabis'' (Matschie, 1915), ''krebsi'' (Matschie, 1915), ''lalandei'' (Matschie, 1915), ''tricolor'' (Brookes, 1827), ''typicus'' (A. Smith, 1833), ''venatica'' (Burchell, 1822), ''windhorni'' (Matschie, 1915), ''zuluensis'' (Thomas, 1904)</small>
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
|'''East African wild dog'''<br /> ''L. p. lupinus'' {{small|[[Oldfield Thomas|Thomas]], 1902}}[[File:Laika ac African Wild Dog (9882202246) cropped.jpg|150px]]
|This subspecies is distinguished by its very dark coat with very little yellow.<ref name="bryden"/>
|<small>''dieseneri'' (Matschie, 1915), ''gansseri'' (Matschie, 1915), ''hennigi'' (Matschie, 1915), ''huebneri'' (Matschie, 1915), ''kondoae'' (Matschie, 1915), ''lademanni'' (Matschie, 1915), ''langheldi'' (Matschie, 1915), ''prageri'' (Matschie, 1912), ''richteri'' (Matschie, 1915), ''ruwanae'' (Matschie, 1915), ''ssongaeae'' (Matschie, 1915), ''stierlingi'' (Matschie, 1915), ''styxi'' (Matschie, 1915), ''wintgensi'' (Matschie, 1915)</small>
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
|'''Somali wild dog'''<br /> ''L. p. somalicus'' {{small|Thomas, 1904}}[[File:Lycaon pictus - Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Giacomo Doria - Genoa, Italy - DSC02650.JPG|150px]]
|This subspecies is smaller than the East African wild dog, has shorter and coarser fur and has a weaker dentition. Its colour closely approaches that of the Cape wild dog, with the yellow parts being buff.<ref name="bryden"/>
|<small>''luchsingeri'' (Matschie, 1915), ''matschie'' (Matschie, 1915), ''rüppelli'' (Matschie, 1915), ''takanus'' (Matschie, 1915), ''zedlitzi'' (Matschie, 1915)</small>
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
|'''Chadian wild dog'''<br /> ''L. p. sharicus'' {{small|Thomas and [[Robert Charles Wroughton|Wroughton]], 1907}}
|Brightly coloured with very short {{convert|15|mm|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} hair. Brain case is fuller than ''L. p. pictus''.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Thomas|first1=Oldfield |last2=Wroughton  |first2=R.C.|journal=Magazine of Natural History |title=XLIII.—New mammals from Lake Chad and the Congo, mostly from the collections made during the Alexander-Gosling expedition|year=1907|volume=19|page=375|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/24254830#page/389/mode/1up}}</ref>
|<small>''ebermaieri'' (Matschie, 1915)</small>
|-style="vertical-align: top;"
|'''West African wild dog'''<br /> {{nowrap|''L. p. manguensis'' {{small|[[Paul Matschie|Matschie]], 1915}}}}[[File:West African Wild Dog.jpg|150px]]
|The West African wild dog used to be widespread from western to [[central Africa]], from [[Senegal]] to [[Nigeria]]. Now only two subpopulations survive: one in the [[Niokolo-Koba National Park]] of Senegal and the other in the [[W National Park]] of [[Benin]], [[Burkina Faso]] and [[Niger]].<ref name=iucn/><ref>{{cite web|title=Lions, cheetahs, and wild dogs dwindle in West and Central African protected areas|url=http://news.mongabay.com/2015/07/lions-cheetahs-and-wild-dogs-dwindle-in-west-and-central-african-protected-areas/|author=Victor Montoro|publisher=Mongabay|date=14 July 2015|access-date=10 January 2016}}</ref> It is estimated that 70 adult individuals are left in the wild.<ref>{{Cite web|title=West African wild dog|url=https://www.zsl.org/west-african-wild-dog|access-date=2021-05-03|website=Zoological Society of London (ZSL)|language=en}}</ref>
|<small>''mischlichi'' (Matschie, 1915)</small>
|}

Although the species is genetically diverse, these subspecific designations are not universally accepted. East African and Southern African wild dog populations were once thought to be genetically distinct, based on a small number of samples. More recent studies with a larger number of samples showed that extensive intermixing has occurred between East African and Southern African populations in the past. Some unique [[nuclear DNA|nuclear]] and [[mitochondrial DNA|mitochondrial]] [[allele]]s are found in Southern African and northeastern African populations, with a transition zone encompassing [[Botswana]], [[Zimbabwe]] and southeastern [[Tanzania]] between the two. The West African wild dog population may possess a unique [[haplotype]], thus possibly constituting a truly distinct subspecies.<ref name="edwards2009">{{cite thesis |author=Edwards, J. |date=2009 |url=https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/29439 |title=Conservation genetics of African wild dogs ''Lycaon pictus'' (Temminck, 1820) in South Africa |type=Magister Scientiae |publisher=University of Pretoria |location=Pretoria |hdl=2263/29439|hdl-access=free}}</ref> The original [[Serengeti]] and [[Maasai Mara]] population of painted dogs is known to have possessed a unique [[genotype]], but these genotypes may be extinct.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Woodroffe |first1=Rosie |last2=Ginsberg |first2=Joshua R. |title=Conserving the African wild dog Lycaon pictus. II. Is there a role for reintroduction? |journal=Oryx |date=April 1999 |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=143–151 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-3008.1999.00053.x|s2cid=86776888 |doi-access=free }} See p 147.</ref>

==Description ==
[[File:Wild Dogs (Lycaon pictus) (16394165128).jpg|thumb|Closeup of an African wild dog in [[Kruger National Park]]]]
[[File:Lycaon pictus & Canis lupus skulls.png|thumb|African wild dog skull (''left'') compared with that of the ''[[gray wolf]]'' (''right''): Note the former's shorter muzzle and fewer molars.]]

The African wild dog is the bulkiest and most solidly built of African canids.<ref name=rosevear>Rosevear, D. R. (1974). ''[https://archive.org/stream/carnivoresofwest00rose#page/74/mode/2up The carnivores of West Africa]''. London : Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). pp. 75–91. {{ISBN|978-0-565-00723-2}}.</ref> The species stands {{cvt|60|to|75|cm}} at the shoulders, measures {{cvt|71|to|112|cm}} in head-and-body length and has a tail length of {{cvt|29|to|41|cm}}. Adults have a weight range of {{cvt|18|to|36|kg}}. On average, dogs from East Africa weigh around {{cvt|20|-|25|kg}}. By body mass, they are only outsized amongst other extant canids by the [[Wolf|gray wolf]] [[species complex]].<ref name="estes1992">Estes, R. (1992). ''The behavior guide to African mammals: including hoofed mammals, carnivores, primates''. University of California Press. pp. 410–419. {{ISBN|978-0-520-08085-0}}.</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=McNutt |first1=J. W. |year=1996 |title=Adoption in African wild dogs, ''Lycaon pictus'' |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=240 |issue=1 |pages=163–173 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1996.tb05493.x}}</ref><ref>Castelló, J. R. (2018). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=HXKYDwAAQBAJ&q=%22Lycaon+pictus%22+OR+%22African+wild+dog%22 Canids of the World: Wolves, Wild Dogs, Foxes, Jackals, Coyotes, and Their Relatives]''. Princeton University Press. pp.230</ref> Females are usually 3–7% smaller than males. Compared to members of the genus ''Canis'', the African wild dog is comparatively lean and tall, with outsized ears and lacking [[dewclaw]]s. The middle two toepads are usually fused. Its dentition differs from that of ''Canis'' by the degeneration of the last lower [[molar (tooth)|molar]], the narrowness of the [[Canine tooth|canines]] and proportionately large [[premolar]]s, which are the largest relative to body size of any carnivore other than hyenas.<ref name=creel1>{{cite book |last1=Creel |first1=Scott |last2=Creel |first2=Nancy Marusha |date=2002 |title=The African Wild Dog: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-01654-2 |pages=1–11}}</ref> The heel of the lower [[carnassial]] M1 is crested with a single, blade-like cusp, which enhances the shearing capacity of the teeth, thus the speed at which prey can be consumed. This feature, termed "trenchant heel", is shared with two other canids: the Asian [[dhole]] and the South American [[bush dog]].<ref name=iucn2004/> The skull is relatively shorter and broader than those of other canids.<ref name=rosevear/>

The fur of the African wild dog differs significantly from that of other canids, consisting entirely of stiff bristle-hairs with no underfur.<ref name="rosevear"/> Adults gradually lose their fur as it ages, with older individuals being almost naked.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Pole |first1=A. |last2=Gordon|first2=I. J. |last3=Gorman |first3=M. L.|last4=MacAskill|first4=M. |date=2004 |title=Prey selection by African wild dogs (''Lycaon pictus'') in southern Zimbabwe|journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=262 |issue=2 |pages=207–215 |doi=10.1017/s0952836903004576}}</ref> Colour variation is extreme, and may serve in visual identification, as African wild dogs can recognise each other at distances of {{cvt|50–100|m}}.<ref name="creel1"/> Some geographic variation is seen in coat colour, with northeastern African specimens tending to be predominantly black with small white and yellow patches, while southern African ones are more brightly coloured, sporting a mix of brown, black and white coats.<ref name="iucn2004"/> Much of the species' coat patterning occurs on the trunk and legs. Little variation in facial markings occurs, with the muzzle being black, gradually shading into brown on the cheeks and forehead. A black line extends up the forehead, turning blackish-brown on the back of the ears. A few specimens sport a brown teardrop-shaped mark below the eyes. The back of the head and neck are either brown or yellow. A white patch occasionally occurs behind the fore legs, with some specimens having completely white fore legs, chests and throats. The tail is usually white at the tip, black in the middle and brown at the base. Some specimens lack the white tip entirely, or may have black fur below the white tip. These coat patterns can be asymmetrical, with the left side of the body often having different markings from the right.<ref name=creel1/>

== Distribution and habitat ==
The African wild dog occurs foremost in Southern and East Africa.<ref name=iucn/>
It is rare in North Africa and mostly absent in West Africa, with the only potentially viable population occurring in Senegal's [[Niokolo-Koba National Park]]. It is occasionally sighted in other parts of [[Senegal]], [[Guinea]] and [[Mali]]. Its distribution is patchy in East Africa.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Fanshawe |first1=J. H. |url=https://archive.org/details/africanwilddogst0000unse |title=Status Survey and Conservation Plan: The African Wild Dog |last2=Ginsberg |first2=J. R. |last3=Sillero-Zubiri |first3=C. |last4=Woodroffe |first4=R. |publisher=IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group |year=1997 |editor-last=Woodroffe |editor-first=R. |location=Gland |pages=11–56 |chapter=The Status and Distribution of Remaining Wild Dog Populations |isbn=978-2-8317-0418-0 |editor-last2=Ginsberg, J. |editor-last3=MacDonald, D. |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/africanwilddogst0000unse/page/11 |url-access=limited |name-list-style=amp}}</ref>
It inhabits mostly [[savanna]]s and [[arid]] zones, generally avoiding forested areas.<ref name=estes1992/> This preference is likely linked to its hunting habits, which require open areas that do not obstruct vision or impede pursuit.<ref name=rosevear/> It travels through [[scrubland]], [[woodland]] and [[montane]] areas in pursuit of prey. A forest-dwelling population has been identified in the [[Harenna Forest]], a wet montane forest up to an elevation of {{cvt|2400|m}} in the [[Bale Mountains]] of [[Ethiopia]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dutson |first1=Guy |last2=Sillero-Zuberi |first2=Claudio |date=2005 |title=Forest-dwelling African wild dogs in the Bale Mountains, Ethiopia |journal=Canid News |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages=1–6 |url=http://www.canids.org/canidnews/8/African_wild_dogs_in_Ethiopia.pdf}}</ref> At least one record exists of a pack being sighted on the [[summit]] of [[Mount Kilimanjaro]].<ref name=estes1992/> In Zimbabwe, it has been recorded at the elevation of {{cvt|1800|m}}.<ref name=chimimba2005/> In Ethiopia, several packs were sighted at elevations of {{cvt|1900|to|2800|m}}, and a dead individual was found in June 1995 at {{cvt|4050|m}} on the [[Sanetti Plateau]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Malcolm|first1=J. R. |last2=Sillero-Zubiri|first2=C. |year=2001 |title=Recent records of African wild dogs (''Lycaon pictus'') from Ethiopia |journal=Canid News |volume=4 |url=http://www.canids.org/canidnews/4/ethiopian_wild_dog.htm}}</ref> A stable population comprising more than 370 individuals is present in [[Kruger National Park]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Nicholson |first1=S. K. |last2=Marneweck |first2=D. G. |last3=Lindsey |first3=P. A. |last4=Marnewick |first4=K. |last5=Davies-Mostert |first5=H. T. |date=2020 |title=A 20-year review of the status and distribution of African Wild Dogs (''Lycaon pictus'') in South Africa |journal=African Journal of Wildlife Research |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=8 |doi=10.3957/056.050.0008 |s2cid=213655919 |doi-access=free |hdl=2263/82809 |hdl-access=free}}</ref>

==Behaviour and ecology==
=== Social and reproductive behaviour ===
[[File:African wild dog (Lycaon pictus pictus) play fighting.jpg|thumb|Play fighting after a kill in Tswalu Kalahari Reserve]]
[[File:African Wild Dog feeding puppies at Working with Wildlife.jpg|alt=Regurgitating food for puppies at den site at Working with Wildlife|thumb|Regurgitating food for puppies at den site at Working with Wildlife]]
The African wild dog have strong social bonds, stronger than those of sympatric lions and spotted hyenas; thus, solitary living and hunting are extremely rare in the species.<ref name=kingdon1988>{{cite book |author=Kingdon, J. |year=1988 |title=East African mammals: an atlas of evolution in Africa |volume=(( Volume 3, Part 1)) |location=Chicago |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-43721-7 |pages=36–53 |chapter= |chapter-url=}}</ref> It lives in permanent packs consisting of two to 27 adults and yearling pups. The typical pack size in the Kruger National Park and the [[Maasai Mara]] is four or five adults, while packs in [[Moremi Game Reserve|Moremi]] and [[Selous Game Reserve]]s contain eight or nine. However, larger packs have been observed and temporary aggregations of hundreds of individuals may have gathered in response to the seasonal migration of vast [[springbok]] herds in Southern Africa.<ref name="Nowak, Ronald M 2005. p112">{{cite book |author=Nowak, R. M. |year=2005 |title=Walker's Carnivores of the World |location=Baltimore |publisher=Johns Hopkins Press |pages=112 |chapter= |chapter-url= |isbn=978-0-8018-8032-2}}</ref> Males and females have separate dominance hierarchies, with the latter usually being led by the oldest female. Males may be led by the oldest male, but these can be supplanted by younger specimens; thus, some packs may contain elderly male former pack leaders. The dominant pair typically monopolises breeding.<ref name=creel1/> The species differs from most other social carnivorans in that males remain in the natal pack, while females disperse (a pattern also found in [[primate]]s such as [[gorilla]]s, [[chimpanzee]]s, and [[red colobus]]es). Furthermore, males in any given pack tend to outnumber females 3:1.<ref name=estes1992/> Dispersing females join other packs and evict some of the resident females related to the other pack members, thus preventing inbreeding and allowing the evicted individuals to find new packs of their own and breed.<ref name=creel1/> Males rarely disperse, and when they do, they are invariably rejected by other packs already containing males.<ref name=estes1992/> Although arguably the most social canid, the species lacks the elaborate facial expressions and body language found in the gray wolf, likely because of the African wild dog's less hierarchical social structure. Furthermore, while elaborate facial expressions are important for wolves in re-establishing bonds after long periods of separation from their family groups, they are not as necessary to African wild dogs, which remain together for much longer periods.<ref name=cluttonbrock1976/> The species does have an extensive vocal repertoire consisting of twittering, whining, yelping, squealing, whispering, [[Bark (sound)|barking]], [[growling]], gurling, rumbling, moaning and hooing.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Robbins|first=R. L. |title=Vocal communication in free-ranging African Wild Dogs (''Lycaon pictus'') |date=2000 |journal=Behaviour |volume=137 |issue=10 |pages=1271–1298 |doi=10.1163/156853900501926 |jstor=4535774}}</ref>

{{anchor|Breeding}}African wild dog populations in [[East Africa]] appear to have no fixed [[Seasonal breeder|breeding season]], whereas those in Southern Africa usually breed during the April–July period.<ref name=kingdon1988/> During [[Estrous cycle|estrus]], the female is closely accompanied by a single male, which keeps other members of the same sex at bay.<ref name=estes1992/> The estrus period can last as long as 20 days.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Solomon |first1=N. G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6_brrHFGmEcC&pg=PA139 |title=Cooperative Breeding in Mammals |last2=French |first2=J. A. |date=1997 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-45491-9}}</ref> The [[Canine reproduction|copulatory tie]] characteristic of mating in most canids has been reported to be absent<ref name = Kleiman>{{Cite journal |last=Kleiman |first=D. G. |title=Some aspects of social behavior in the Canidae |journal=[[American Zoologist]] |volume=7 |issue=2 |pages=365–372 |year=1967 |doi=10.1093/icb/7.2.365|doi-access=free}}</ref> or very brief (less than one minute)<ref name=Creel>{{Cite book |last=Creel |first=S. |title=Behavioral ecology and conservation biology |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=1998 |chapter=Social organization and effective population size in carnivores |chapter-url=http://google.com/books?id=Pn4jHskZ7F0C&pg=PA256 |pages=246–270 |editor=Caro, T. M. |editor-link=Tim Caro |isbn=978-0-19-510490-5}}</ref> in African wild dog, possibly an adaptation to the prevalence of larger predators in its environment.<ref name=Kleiman2>{{cite journal |last1=Kleiman |first1=D.G. |last2=Eisenberg |first2=J. F. |title=Comparisons of canid and felid social systems from an evolutionary perspective |journal=[[Animal Behaviour (journal)|Animal Behaviour]] |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=637–659 |year=1973 |doi=10.1016/S0003-3472(73)80088-0 |pmid=4798194}}</ref> The [[gestation]] period lasts 69–73 days, with the interval between each pregnancy being 12–14 months typically. The African wild dog produces more pups than any other canid, with litters containing around six to 16 pups, with an average of 10, thus indicating that a single female can produce enough young to form a new pack every year. Because the amount of food necessary to feed more than two litters would be impossible to acquire by the average pack, breeding is strictly limited to the dominant female, which may kill the pups of subordinates. After giving birth, the mother stays close to the pups in the den, while the rest of the pack hunts. She typically drives away pack members approaching the pups until the latter are old enough to eat solid food at three to four weeks of age. The pups leave the den around the age of three weeks and are suckled outside. The pups are weaned at the age of five weeks, when they are fed regurgitated meat by the other pack members. By seven weeks, the pups begin to take on an adult appearance, with noticeable lengthening in the legs, muzzle, and ears. Once the pups reach the age of eight to 10 weeks, the pack abandons the den and the young follow the adults during hunts. The youngest pack members are permitted to eat first on kills, a privilege which ends once they become yearlings.<ref name=estes1992/> African wild dogs have an average lifespan of about 10 to 11 years in the wild.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Allen |first1=M. M. |last2=Allen, C. |title=''Lycaon pictus'' (African wild dog) |url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lycaon_pictus/ |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=Animal Diversity Web}}</ref>

When separated from the pack, an African wild dog becomes depressed and can die as a result of [[broken heart syndrome]].<ref name="Nature 2023">{{cite web | title=Dogs in the Wild: Defending Wild Dogs ~ How Wild Dogs Recover from 'Broken Hearts' |website=PBS Nature | date=2023 |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/how-wild-dogs-recover-broken-hearts/28517/ | access-date=February 23, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Nature BHS">{{cite web |title=Dogs in the Wild: Defending Wild Dogs |website=PBS Nature |date=2023 |url=https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/about-dogs-wild-defending-wild-dogs/28429/ |access-date=February 23, 2023}}</ref>

=== Male/female ratio ===
Packs of African wild dogs have a high ratio of males to females. This is a consequence of the males mostly staying with the pack whilst female offspring disperse and is supported by a changing sex-ratio in consecutive litters. Those born to maiden females contain a higher proportion of males, second litters are half and half and subsequent litters biased towards females with this trend increasing as females get older. As a result, the earlier litters provide stable hunters whilst the higher ratio of dispersals amongst the females stops a pack from getting too big.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Creel |first1=S. |title=The African Wild Dog: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation |last2=Creel |first2=N. M. |date=2019 |publisher=Princeton University Press |place=Princeton |isbn=978-0-691-20700-1 |page=158 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FX2-DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA158}}</ref>

=== Sneeze communication and ‘voting’ ===
[[File:Wild Dog Kruger National Park South Africa.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|African wild dog pack in Kruger National Park]]
Populations in the [[Okavango Delta]] have been observed ‘rallying’ before setting out to hunt. Not every rally results in a departure, but departure becomes more likely when more individual dogs ‘sneeze’. These [[sneeze]]s are characterized by a short, sharp exhale through the nostrils.<ref name=Walker2017>{{Cite journal |last1=Walker |first1=R. H. |last2=King |first2=A. J. |last3=McNutt |first3=J. W. |last4=Jordan |first4=N. R. |date=2017 |title=Sneeze to leave: African wild dogs (''Lycaon pictus'') use variable quorum thresholds facilitated by sneezes in collective decisions |journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |volume=284 |issue=1862 |pages=20170347 |doi=10.1098/rspb.2017.0347 |pmc=5597819 |pmid=28878054}}</ref> When members of dominant mating pairs sneeze first, the group is much more likely to depart. If a dominant dog initiates, around three sneezes guarantee departure. When less dominant dogs sneeze first, if enough others also sneeze (about 10), then the group will go hunting. Researchers assert that wild dogs in Botswana "use a specific vocalization (the sneeze) along with a variable quorum response mechanism in the decision-making process [to go hunting at a particular moment]".<ref name=Walker2017/>

=== Inbreeding avoidance ===
Because the African wild dog largely exists in fragmented, small populations, its existence is endangered. Inbreeding avoidance by mate selection is a characteristic of the species and has important potential consequences for population persistence.<ref name=Becker>{{cite journal |last1=Becker |first1=P.A. |last2=Miller |first2=P.S. |last3=Gunther |first3=M.S. |last4=Somers |first4=M.J. |last5=Wildt |first5=D.E. |last6=Maldonado |first6=J.E. |name-list-style=amp |date=2012 |title=Inbreeding avoidance influences the viability of reintroduced populations of African wild dogs (''Lycaon pictus'') |journal=PLOS ONE |pmid=22615933 |pmc=3353914 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0037181 |volume=7 |issue=5 |page=e37181|bibcode=2012PLoSO...737181B|doi-access=free }}</ref> Inbreeding is rare within natal packs. Inbreeding may have been selected against evolutionarily because it leads to the expression of recessive deleterious alleles.<ref name="pmid19834483">{{cite journal |last1=Charlesworth |first1=D. |last2=Willis |first2=J. H. |name-list-style=amp |date=2009 |title=The genetics of inbreeding depression |journal=Nature Reviews Genetics |pmid=19834483 |doi=10.1038/nrg2664 |volume=10 |issue=11 |pages=783–96 |s2cid=771357}}</ref> Computer simulations indicate that all populations continuing to avoid incestuous mating will become extinct within 100 years due to the unavailability of unrelated mates.<ref name=Becker /> Thus, the impact of reduced numbers of suitable unrelated mates will likely have a severe demographic impact on the future viability of small wild dog populations.<ref name=Becker />

=== Hunting and diet ===
[[File:African Wild Dogs take down 1,000lbs Common Eland at Working with Wildlife in South Africa.jpg|thumb|left|Wild dogs kill a [[Common eland|Common Eland]] at Working with Wildlife in South Africa]]
The African wild dog is a specialised pack hunter of common medium-sized [[antelope]]s.<ref name=Pole>{{cite journal |author1=Pole, A. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Gordon, I. J. |author3=Gorman, M. L. |author4=MacAskill, M. |year=2004 |title=Prey selection by African wild dogs (''Lycaon pictus'') in southern Zimbabwe |journal=Journal of Zoology |volume=262 |issue=2 |pages=207–215 |doi=10.1017/S0952836903004576}}</ref> It and the cheetah are the only primarily diurnal African large predators.<ref name=estes1992/> The African wild dog hunts by approaching prey silently, then chasing it in a pursuit clocking at up to {{cvt|66|km/h}} for 10–60 minutes.<ref name="Nowak, Ronald M 2005. p112"/> The average chase covers some {{cvt|2|km}}, during which the prey animal, if large, is repeatedly bitten on the legs, belly, and rump until it stops running, while smaller prey is simply pulled down and torn apart.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:African wild dog3.jpg|thumb|African wild dog pack consuming a [[blue wildebeest]] in [[Madikwe Game Reserve]], South Africa]]
African wild dogs adjust their hunting strategy to the particular prey species. They will rush at wildebeest to panic the herd and isolate a vulnerable individual, but pursue territorial antelope species (which defend themselves by running in wide circles) by cutting across the arc to foil their escape. Medium-sized prey is often killed in 2–5 minutes, whereas larger prey such as wildebeest may take half an hour to pull down. Male wild dogs usually perform the task of grabbing dangerous prey, such as [[Phacochoerus|warthogs]], by the nose.<ref name=r1>{{cite journal |last=Morell |first=V. |date=1996 |title=Hope Rises for Africa's wild dog |journal=International Wildlife |volume=26 |issue=3 |pages=28–37 |url=https://www.questia.com/library/1G1-18213384/hope-rises-for-africa-s-wild-dog}}</ref>
A species-wide study showed that by preference, where available, five prey species were the most regularly selected, namely the [[greater kudu]], [[Thomson's gazelle]], [[impala]], [[Cape bushbuck]] and [[blue wildebeest]].<ref name= Pole/><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hayward |first1=M. W. | last2=O'Brien | first2=J. | last3=Hofmeyr |first3=M. |last4=Kerley |first4=G. I. |name-list-style=amp |year=2006 |title=Prey preferences of the African wild dog ''Lycaon pictus'' (Canidae: Carnivora): ecological requirements for conservation |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=87 |issue=6 |pages=1122–1131 |doi=10.1644/05-mamm-a-304r2.1 |doi-access=free}}</ref> More specifically, in East Africa, its most common prey is the Thomson's gazelle, while in Central and Southern Africa, it targets [[impala]], [[reedbuck]], [[kob]], [[lechwe]] and [[springbok]],<ref name="estes1992"/> and smaller prey such as [[common duiker]], [[dik-dik]], [[hare]]s, [[spring hare]]s, insects and cane rats.<ref name="kingdon1988"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Lycaon_pictus|title=Painted Wolf|website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] }}</ref> Staple prey sizes are usually between {{cvt|15|and|200|kg}}, though some local studies put upper prey sizes as variously {{cvt|90|to|135|kg}}. In the case of larger species such as kudu and wildebeest, calves are largely but not exclusively targeted.<ref name=Pole/><ref name="Diet choice and capture success of">{{cite journal |last1=Krüger |first1=S. |last2=Lawes |first2=M. |last3=Maddock |first3=A. |title=Diet choice and capture success of wild dog (''Lycaon pictus'') in Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, South Africa |journal=Journal of Zoology |date=1999 |volume=248 |issue=4 |pages=543–551 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1999.tb01054.x}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ramnanan |first1=R. |last2=Swanepoel |first2=L. H. |last3=Somers |first3= M. J. |name-list-style=amp |year=2013 |title=The diet and presence of African wild dogs (''Lycaon pictus'') on private land in the Waterberg region, South Africa |url=https://journals.co.za/content/wild/43/1/EJC137242?crawler=true&mimeType=application%2Fpdf |journal=African Journal of Wildlife Research |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=68–74 |doi=10.3957/056.043.0113 |hdl=2263/37231 |s2cid=54975768 |hdl-access=free}}</ref> However, certain packs in the [[Serengeti]] specialized in hunting adult [[plains zebra]]s weighing up to {{cvt|240|kg}} quite frequently.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Malcolm |first1=J. R. |last2=Van Lawick |first2=H. |name-list-style=amp |date=1975 |title=Notes on wild dogs (''Lycaon pictus'') hunting zebras |journal=Mammalia |doi=10.1515/mamm.1975.39.2.231 |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=231–240|s2cid=83740058 }}</ref> Another study claimed that some prey taken by wild dogs could weigh up to {{cvt|289|kg}}.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Clements |first1= H. S. |last2=Tambling |first2=C. J. |name-list-style=amp |last3=Hayward |first3=M. W. | last4=Kerley |first4=G. I. |year=2014 |title=An objective approach to determining the weight ranges of prey preferred by and accessible to the five large African carnivores |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=9 |issue=7 |page=e101054 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0101054 |pmid=24988433 |pmc=4079238 |bibcode=2014PLoSO...9j1054C |doi-access=free}}</ref> This includes [[African buffalo]] juveniles during the dry season when herds are small and calves less protected.<ref name="Diet choice and capture success of"/> Footage from [[Lower Zambezi National Park]] taken in 2021 showed a large pack of wild dogs hunting an adult, healthy buffalo, though this is apparently extremely rare.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nkajeni |first1=U. |title=WATCH - More than 15 wild dogs take down an adult buffalo |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/travel/2021-08-27-lift-watch-more-than-15-wild-dogs-take-down-an-adult-buffalo/ |work=Sunday Times (South Africa) |access-date=16 July 2023}}</ref> One pack was recorded to occasionally prey on [[bat-eared fox]]es, rolling on the carcasses before eating them. African wild dogs rarely scavenge, but have on occasion been observed to appropriate carcasses from spotted hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, lions, and animals caught in [[Animal trapping#Snares|snare]]s.<ref name=chimimba2005/>

Hunting success varies with prey type, vegetation cover and pack size, but African wild dogs tend to be very successful: often more than 60% of their chases end in a kill, sometimes up to 90%.<ref>{{cite book |author=Schaller, G. B. |year=1973 |title=Golden Shadows, Flying Hooves |location=New York |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf |pages=277 |url= |chapter= |chapter-url= |isbn=978-0-394-47243-0}}</ref> An analysis of 1,119 chases by a pack of six Okavango wild dogs showed that most were short distance uncoordinated chases, and the ''individual'' kill rate was only 15.5 percent. Because kills are shared, each dog enjoyed an efficient [[benefit–cost ratio]].<ref name=Hubel>{{cite journal |last1=Hubel |first1=Tatjana Y. |last2=Myatt |first2=Julia P. |last3=Jordan |first3=Neil R. |last4=Dewhirst |first4=Oliver P. |last5=McNutt |first5=J. Weldon |last6=Wilson |first6=Alan M. |title=Additive opportunistic capture explains group hunting benefits in African wild dogs |journal=Nature Communications |date=April 2016 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=11033 |doi=10.1038/ncomms11033 |pmid=27023355 |pmc=4820541 |bibcode=2016NatCo...711033H |s2cid=7943459}}</ref><ref name=Wilson>{{cite journal |last1=Hubel |first1=T. Y. |last2=Myatt |first2=J. P. |last3=Jordan |first3=N. R. |last4=Dewhirst |first4=O. P. |last5=McNutt |first5=J. W. |last6=Wilson |first6=A. M. |title=Energy cost and return for hunting in African wild dogs and cheetahs |journal=Nature Communications |date=2016 |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=11034 |doi=10.1038/ncomms11034 |pmid=27023457 |pmc=4820543 |bibcode=2016NatCo...711034H}}</ref>

Small prey such as [[rodent]]s, [[hare]]s and birds are hunted singly, with dangerous prey such as [[cane rat]]s and [[Old World porcupine]]s being killed with a quick and well-placed bite to avoid injury. Small prey is eaten entirely, while large animals are stripped of their meat and organs, leaving the skin, head, and skeleton intact.<ref name=kingdon1988/><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Woodroffe, R. |name-list-style=amp |author2= Lindsey, P. A. |author3=Romañach, S. S. |author4=Ranah, S. M. O. |year=2007 |title=African wild dogs (''Lycaon pictus'') can subsist on small prey: implications for conservation |journal=Journal of Mammalogy |volume=88 |issue=1 |pages=181–193 |doi=10.1644/05-mamm-a-405r1.1 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The African wild dog is a fast eater, with a pack being able to consume a [[Thomson's gazelle]] in 15 minutes. In the wild, the species' consumption is {{cvt|1.2|–|5.9|kg}} per African wild dog a day, with one pack of 17–43 individuals in East Africa having been recorded to kill three animals per day on average.<ref name=chimimba2005/>

Unlike most social predators, African wild dogs will regurgitate food for other adults as well as young family members.<ref name=kingdon1988/> Pups old enough to eat solid food are given first priority at kills, eating even before the dominant pair; subordinate adult dogs help feed and protect the pups.<ref>Nowak, R. M. (2005). ''Walker's Carnivores of the World''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press. p. 113. {{ISBN|978-0-8018-8032-2}}.</ref>

=== Enemies and competitors ===
[[File:Sabi Sand Wild Safari Live Feb 29 2016 sunrise - Spotted hyena vs wild dogs.png|thumb|Pack confronting a spotted hyena in [[Sabi Sand Game Reserve]]]]
[[Lion]]s dominate African wild dogs and are a major source of mortality for both adults and pups.<ref name=woodroffe2>{{cite book |author1=Woodroffe, R. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Ginsberg, J. R. |year=1997 |chapter=Past and Future Causes of Wild Dogs' Population Decline |pages=58–73 |title=Status Survey and Conservation Plan: The African Wild Dog |editor1=Woodroffe, R. |editor2=Ginsberg, J. |editor3=MacDonald, D. |publisher=IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group |location=Gland}}</ref> Population densities are usually low in areas where lions are more abundant.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Woodroffe |first1=R. |last2=Ginsberg |first2=J. R. |date=1999 |title=Conserving the African wild dog ''Lycaon pictus''. I. Diagnosing and treating causes of decline |journal=Oryx |doi=10.1046/j.1365-3008.1999.00052.x |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=132–142|doi-access=free}}</ref> One pack reintroduced into [[Etosha National Park]] was wiped out by lions. A population crash in lions in the [[Ngorongoro Conservation Area]] during the 1960s resulted in an increase in African wild dog sightings, only for their numbers to decline once the lions recovered.<ref name=woodroffe2/> As with other large predators killed by lion prides, the dogs are usually killed and left uneaten by the lions, indicating the competitive rather than predatory nature of the lions' dominance.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Creel, S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Creel, N. M. |year=1996 |title= Limitation of African wild dogs by competition with larger carnivores |journal=Conservation Biology |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=526–538 |doi=10.1046/j.1523-1739.1996.10020526.x|bibcode=1996ConBi..10..526C }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Creel, S. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Creel, N. M. |year=1998 |title=Six ecological factors that may limit African wild dogs, ''Lycaon pictus'' |journal=Animal Conservation |volume=1 |issue=1 |pages=1–9 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-1795.1998.tb00220.x |doi-access=free|bibcode=1998AnCon...1....1C }}</ref> However, a few cases have been reported of old and wounded lions falling prey to African wild dogs.<ref name=Pienaar1969>{{cite journal |last1=Pienaar |first1=U. de V. |date=1969 |title=Predator-prey relationships amongst the larger mammals of the Kruger National Park |journal=Koedoe |doi=10.4102/koedoe.v12i1.753 |volume=12 |issue=1 |pages=108–176|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=schaller1972>Schaller, G. B. (1972). ''The Serengeti lion: A study of predator-prey relations''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. p. 188. {{ISBN|978-0-226-73639-6}}.</ref> On occasion, packs of wild dogs have been observed defending pack members attacked by single lions, sometimes successfully. One pack in the Okavango in March 2016 was photographed by safari guides waging "an incredible fight" against a lioness that attacked a subadult dog at an impala kill, which forced the lioness to retreat, although the subadult dog died. A pack of four wild dogs was observed furiously defending an old adult male dog from a male lion that attacked it at a kill; the dog survived and rejoined the pack.<ref>{{cite book |author1=McNutt, J. |author2=Boggs, L. P. |name-list-style=amp |title=Running Wild: Dispelling the Myths of the African Wild Dog |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=Smithsonian Books |year=1997}}</ref>

African wild dogs commonly lose their kills to larger predators.<ref>{{cite journal |volume=1 |issue=1 |title=Six ecological factors that may limit African wild dogs, ''Lycaon pictus'' |year=1998 |journal=Animal Conservation |pages=1–9 |last1=Creel |first1=S. |last2=Creel, M. |first2=N. |name-list-style=amp |doi=10.1111/j.1469-1795.1998.tb00220.x |doi-access=free|bibcode=1998AnCon...1....1C }}</ref> [[Spotted hyena]]s are important [[Kleptoparasitism|kleptoparasites]]<ref name=woodroffe2/> and follow packs of African wild dogs to appropriate their kills. They typically inspect areas where wild dogs have rested and eat any food remains they find. When approaching wild dogs at a kill, solitary hyenas approach cautiously and attempt to take off with a piece of meat unnoticed, though they may be mobbed in the attempt. When operating in groups, spotted hyenas are more successful in pirating African wild dog kills, though the latter's greater tendency to assist each other puts them at an advantage against spotted hyenas, which rarely work cooperatively. Cases of African wild dogs scavenging from spotted hyenas are rare. Although African wild dog packs can easily repel solitary hyenas, on the whole, the relationship between the two species is a one-sided benefit for the hyenas,<ref name=kruuk1972>{{cite book |author=Kruuk, H. |year=1972 |title=The Spotted Hyena: A Study of Predation and Social Behaviour |publisher=University of California Press |pages=139–141 |isbn=978-0-226-45508-2}}</ref> with African wild dog densities being negatively correlated with high hyena populations.<ref name=creel2>{{cite book |last1=Creel |first1=S. |last2=Creel |first2=N. M. |name-list-style=amp |date=2002 |title=The African Wild Dog: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=978-0-691-01654-2 |pages=253–254}}</ref> Beyond piracy, cases of interspecific killing of African wild dogs by spotted hyenas are documented.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Palomares, F. |name-list-style=amp |author2=Caro, T. M. |year=1999 |title=Interspecific killing among mammalian carnivores |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=153 |issue=5 |pages=492–508 |doi=10.1086/303189 |pmid=29578790 |hdl=10261/51387 |s2cid=4343007 |url=|hdl-access=free }}</ref> African wild dogs are [[apex predator]]s, only fatally losing contests to larger social carnivores.<ref name=":1" /> When briefly unprotected, wild dog pups may occasionally be vulnerable to large [[eagle]]s, such as the [[martial eagle]], when they venture out of their dens.<ref>Jackman, B., & Scott, J. (2012). ''The marsh lions: the story of an African pride''. Bradt Travel Guides.</ref>

== Threats ==
The African wild dog is primarily threatened by [[habitat fragmentation]], which results from [[human–wildlife conflict]], transmission of [[infectious disease]]s and high mortality rates; it has been exterminated in large parts of North and West Africa, and its population has greatly reduced in Central Africa, [[Uganda]] and much of [[Kenya]].<ref name=iucn /> Surveys in the Central African Republic's [[Chinko]] area revealed that the African wild dog population decreased from 160 individuals in 2012 to 26 individuals in 2017. At the same time, [[transhumant]] [[Pastoralism|pastoralist]]s from the border area with Sudan moved in the area with their livestock.<ref name=":1">{{cite journal |author1=Äbischer, T. |author2=Ibrahim, T. |author3=Hickisch, R. |author4=Furrer, R. D. |name-list-style=amp |author5=Leuenberger, C. |author6=Wegmann, D. |year=2020 |title=Apex predators decline after an influx of pastoralists in former Central African Republic hunting zones |journal=Biological Conservation |volume=241 |page=108326 |doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108326 |bibcode=2020BCons.24108326A |s2cid=213766740 |url=https://doc.rero.ch/record/328409/files/weg_apd.pdf}}</ref>

==Conservation ==
The [[non-governmental organization]] African Wild Dog Conservancy began working in 2003 to conserve the African wild dog in northeastern and coastal Kenya, a convergence zone of two [[biodiversity hotspots]]. This area largely consists of community lands inhabited by pastoralists. With the help of local people, a pilot study was launched confirming the presence of a population of wild dogs largely unknown to conservationists.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=McCreery |first1=E.K. |last2=Robbins |first2=R.L. |year=2004 |url=https://www.canids.org/canidnews/7/Wild_dogs_in_SE_Kenya.pdf |title=Sightings of African wild dogs, ''Lycaon pictus'', in southeastern Kenya |journal=Canid News |volume=7 |issue=4 |pages=1–5}}</ref> Over the next 16 years, local ecological knowledge revealed this area to be a significant refuge for African wild dogs and an important wildlife corridor connecting Kenya's Tsavo National Parks with the Horn of Africa in an increasingly human-dominated landscape. This project has been identified as a wild dog conservation priority by the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sillero-Zubiri |first1=C. |last2=Hoffmann |first2=M. |last3=Macdonald |first3=D.W. |year=2004 |title=Canids: Foxes, Wolves, Jackals and Dogs: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan |publisher=IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group, IUCN |location=Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK |pages=335–336 |url=http://www.canids.org/cap/index.htm#On-line |accessdate=2011-10-04 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006222952/http://www.canids.org/cap/index.htm |archivedate=2011-10-06}}</ref><ref>Githiru et al. (2007). [http://www.terranuova.org/file_download/59 African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) from NE Kenya: Recent records and conservation issues]. Zoology Department Research Report. National Museum of Kenya.
</ref>

== In culture ==
=== Ancient Egypt ===
[[File:Palette with quadrupedes-E 11052-IMG 9460-9470-gradient.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Cosmetic palette]] from the [[Naqada III]] period depicting African wild dogs, [[Louvre]].]]
Depictions of African wild dogs are prominent on [[cosmetic palette]]s and other objects from [[Egypt]]'s [[Prehistoric Egypt|predynastic period]], likely symbolising order over chaos and the transition between the wild and the domestic dog. Predynastic hunters may have identified with the African wild dog, as the [[Hunters Palette]] shows them wearing the animals' tails on their belts. By the [[History of ancient Egypt#Dynastic Egypt|dynastic period]], African wild dog illustrations became much less represented, and the animal's symbolic role was largely taken over by the wolf.<ref name="baines1993">{{cite journal | last1 = Baines | first1 = J | year = 1993 | title = Symbolic roles of canine figures on early monuments | journal = Archéo-Nil: Revue de la société pour l'étude des cultures prépharaoniques de la vallée du Nil | volume = 3 | pages = 57–74 | doi = 10.3406/arnil.1993.1175 | s2cid = 193657797 | url = https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:d5944f51-0224-4de2-8088-843b087c88d3 }}</ref><ref name="hendrickx2006">Hendrickx, S. (2006). [https://web.archive.org/web/20220616160101/https://books.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/propylaeum/reader/download/218/218-30-77004-1-10-20170210.pdf The dog, the ''Lycaon pictus'' and order over chaos in Predynastic Egypt.] [in:] Kroeper, K.; Chłodnicki, M. & Kobusiewicz, M. (eds.), ''Archaeology of Early Northeastern Africa''. Studies in African Archaeology 9. Poznań: Poznań Archaeological Museum: 723–749.</ref>

=== Ethiopia ===
According to [[Enno Littmann]], the people of [[Ethiopia]]'s [[Tigray Region]] believed that injuring a wild dog with a spear would result in the animal dipping its tail in its wounds and flicking the blood at its assailant, causing instant death. For this reason, Tigrean shepherds used to repel wild dog attacks with pebbles rather than with edged weapons.<ref>Littman, Enno (1910). [https://archive.org/stream/publicationsofpr02littiala#page/78/mode/2up "Publications of the Princeton Expedition to Abyssinia"], vol. 2. Leyden : Late E. J. Brill. pp. 79–80</ref>

=== San people ===
The African wild dog also plays a prominent role in the mythology of Southern Africa's [[San people]]. In one story, the wild dog is indirectly linked to the [[Origin-of-death myth|origin of death]], as the [[hare]] is cursed by the moon to be for ever hunted by African wild dogs after the hare rebuffs the moon's promise to allow all living things to be reborn after death.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dhushara.com/paradoxhtm/culture.htm|title=Culture Out of Africa|website=www.dhushara.com|access-date=2019-03-03}}</ref> Another story has the god [[Cagn]] taking revenge on the other gods by sending a group of men transformed into African wild dogs to attack them, though who won the battle is never revealed.<ref name="harpe2010" /> The San of Botswana see the African wild dog as the ultimate hunter and traditionally believe that [[shaman]]s and [[medicine men]] can transform themselves into wild dogs. Some San hunters will smear African wild dog bodily fluids on their feet before a hunt, believing that doing so will give them the animal's boldness and agility. Nevertheless, the species does not figure prominently in [[San rock art]], with the only notable example being a [[frieze]] in [[Mount Erongo]] showing a pack hunting two antelopes.<ref name="harpe2010">De la Harpe R. & De la Harpe, P. (2010). ‘In search of the African wild dog: the right to survive’. ''Sunbird'' p. 41. {{ISBN|978-1-919938-11-0}}.</ref>

=== Ndebele ===
The [[Southern Ndebele people|Ndebele]] have a story explaining why the African wild dog hunts in packs: in the beginning, when the first wild dog's wife was sick, the other animals were concerned. An [[impala]] went to [[hare]], who was a medicine man. Hare gave Impala a calabash of medicine, warning him not to turn back on the way to Wild Dog's den. Impala was startled by the scent of a [[leopard]] and turned back, spilling the medicine. A [[zebra]] then went to Hare, who gave him the same medicine along with the same advice. On the way, Zebra turned back when he saw a [[black mamba]], thus breaking the gourd. A moment later a terrible howling was heard: Wild Dog's wife had died. Wild Dog went outside and saw Zebra standing over the broken gourd of medicine, so Wild Dog and his family chased Zebra and tore him to shreds. To this day, African wild dogs hunt zebras and impalas as revenge for their failure to deliver the medicine that could have saved Wild Dog's wife.<ref>{{Cite book|title=When Hippo was Hairy and other tales from Africa|last=Greaves|first=Nick|publisher=Bok Books|year=1989|isbn=978-0-947444-12-9|pages=35–38}}</ref>

==In media==
===Documentary===
* ''A Wild Dog's Tale'' (2013), a single painted dog (named Solo by researchers) befriends hyenas and jackals in Okavango, hunting together. Solo feeds and cares for jackal pups.<ref>{{cite web |title=National Geographic TV Shows, Specials & Documentaries |url=http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/episodes/a-wild-dogs-tale/ |website=[[National Geographic Channel]] |language=en |date=2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140923072044/http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/episodes/a-wild-dogs-tale/ |archive-date=23 September 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Amazing Story of Solo, the African Wild Dog Who Lost Her Pack (Video) |url=https://isafari.nathab.com/blog/the-amazing-story-of-solo-the-african-wild-dog-who-lost-and-found-her-pack-video/ |website=The Safarist |date=20 December 2014}}</ref>
* ''The Pale Pack'', Savage Kingdom, Season 1 (2016), was the story of Botswana African wild dog pack leaders Teemana and Molao written and directed by Brad Bestelink, and narrated by [[Charles Dance]] premiered on National Geographic.<ref name="Hollywood Soapbox">{{cite news |title=INTERVIEW: 'Savage Kingdom' returns with wild, wild drama |url=https://www.hollywoodsoapbox.com/interview-savage-kingdom-returns-with-wild-wild-drama/ |access-date=9 January 2020 |work=Hollywood Soapbox |date=23 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Pale Pack |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/video/tv/pale-pack |website=National Geographic |access-date=9 January 2020 |language=en-gb |date=17 October 2017}}</ref>
* [[Dynasties (2018 TV series)|''Dynasties'' (2018 TV series)]], episode 4, Produced by Nick Lyon: Tait is the elderly matriarch of a pack of painted wolves in Zimbabwe's [[Mana Pools National Park]]. Her pack is driven out of their territory by Tait's daughter, Blacktip, the matriarch of a rival pack in need of more space for their large family of 32. Their combined territory also shrunk over Tait's lifetime due to the expansion of human, hyena and lion territories. Tait leads her family into the territory of a lion pride in the midst of a drought, with Blacktip's pack in an eight month long pursuit. When Tait died, the pack was observed performing a rare "singing", the purpose of which is unclear.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Shaw |first1=Alfie |title=Painted wolf singing ritual filmed for first time |url=https://www.bbcearth.com/blog/?article=painted-wolf-singing-ritual-filmed-for-the-first-time |website=[[BBC Earth]] |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20201121195037/https://www.bbcearth.com/blog/?article=painted-wolf-singing-ritual-filmed-for-the-first-time |archive-date=21 November 2020 |language=en-gb |date=2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Mammals|Animals}}
* [[African Wild Dog Conservancy]]
* [[Botswana Wild Dog Research Project]]
* [[Harnas Wildlife Foundation]]
* [[Institute of Zoology]]
* [[Painted Dog Conservation]]
* [[Wildlife Conservation Network]]

== Explanatory notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|refs=
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<ref name=moulle2006>{{cite journal | author = Moulle, P.E. | author2 = Echassoux, A. | author3 = Lacombat, F. | year = 2006 | title = Taxonomie du grand canidé de la grotte du Vallonnet (Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes-Maritimes, France) | journal = L'Anthropologie | volume = 110 | issue = #5 | pages = 832–836 | url = http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=18357587 | access-date = 2008-04-28 | doi = 10.1016/j.anthro.2006.10.001 | archive-date = 14 March 2012 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120314061933/http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=18357587 | url-status = dead }} (in French)</ref>

<ref name=wang2008>Wang, Xiaoming; Tedford, Richard H.; [https://books.google.com/books?id=LnWdpK7ctI0C&q=Lycaon Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History]. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008.</ref>
}}

== Further reading ==
*{{Cite book |last1=Van Lawick |first1=H. |author-link=Hugo van Lawick |url=https://archive.org/details/innocentkillers00lawi |title=Innocent Killers |last2=Goodall |first2=J. |author-link2=Jane Goodall |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company |year=1971 |isbn=0395121094 |edition=1st American |location=Boston |lccn=78132786  |ol=OL4767860M |url-access=limited |name-list-style=amp}}

== External links ==
{{Wikispecies|Lycaon pictus}}
* [http://www.painteddog.org/ painteddog.org], Painted Dog Conservation Website
* [http://www.painteddog.co.uk/ painteddog.co.uk/], Painted Dog Conservation United Kingdom Website
* [http://www.awdconservancy.org/ African Wild Dog Conservancy]
* [http://www.africanwilddogwatch.org/ African Wild Dog Watch]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080429223610/http://zimbabwewilddogs.wildlifedirect.org/ Wild Dog conservation in Zimbabwe]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070627031842/http://www.nnf.org.na/NNF_pages/wilddogproject.htm Namibia Nature Foundation Wild Dog Project: Conservation of African wild dogs in Namibia]
* [https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/african-wild-dog African Wild Dog] at [[African Wildlife Foundation]]
* [http://www.zambiacarnivores.org/ The Zambian Carnivore Programme]
* [http://www.save-the-african-wild-dog.com Save the African wild dog]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170929000710/http://www.wildentrust.org/ Wildentrust.org]
* [http://www.painteddog.org/ Painted Dog Conservation (conservation organization)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101108095402/http://www.arkive.org/african-wild-dog/lycaon-pictus/ Photos, videos and information from ARKive]
* [http://ibream.org/projects/the-african-wild-dog ibream wild dog project]

{{Carnivora|Ca.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q173651}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:African wild dogs| ]]
[[Category:Apex predators]]
[[Category:Canina (subtribe)]]
[[Category:Carnivorans of Africa]]
[[Category:Endangered fauna of Africa]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Sahara]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1820|African wild dog]]
[[Category:Mammals of Sub-Saharan Africa]]
[[Category:Species endangered by habitat fragmentation]]
[[Category:Mammals of East Africa]]