Why African Wild Dogs Are Endangered

Wild dogs were once widely distributed throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. Today viable populations exist in only a few countries (as shown in red above; the yellow circle towards the top indicates probably existing). Habitat fragmentation and encroachment, persecution (conflict with livestock and game farmers), accidental deaths by snares set for game, speeding vehicles, and infectious diseases (rabies and distemper) are the main causes for their decline.

The needs of a growing human population place ever-increasing pressure on finite natural resources, shrinking the living space not only for wild dogs, but other wildlife, making conflict inevitable, and contributing to biodiversity loss. Biodiversity loss is also exacerbated by climate change. These two interrelated problems threaten life on Earth. Overconsumption is another major threat. It has been estimated that we are currently overusing our planet's natural resources by at least 75% or the equivalent of living off 1.75 Earths. In the past half century, the average size of wildlife populations has fallen dramatically by 73%.

Interesting Facts about Wild Dogs

Taxonomy	Order:	Carnivora
	Family:	Canidae
	Genus/Species:	Lycaon pictus
Description	Coloration:	mottled coat of yellow, black, white, and brown
	Head and Body Length:	76 to 123 cm
	Weight:	17 to 36 kg, avg. 25 kg
	Shoulder Height:	61 to 78 cm
	Miscellaneous:	longitudinal black mark on forehead; large, round ears; bushy, white-tipped tail
Reproduction	Time of Mating	in southern African usually around June, more variable in East Africa
	Gestation Length:	69 to 72 days
	Litter Sizes:	avg. approx. 8
	Age of Sexual Maturity:	1 year, but usually sexual suppression results in later age of reproduction
Home Range	Size and Movement:	423 to 1318 km²; except when denning, packs are nomadic, covering large areas; many live in unprotected areas or range outside park boundaries
Habitat		woodland and dense bush to open plains

African wild dogs are not feral domestic dogs nor closely related to wolves. Learn more about their evolutionary history and adaptations along with nine other members of the canid family on a phylogenetic tree.